At the Cross-Section of PLM and Technology

For PLM specifically, getting alignment over the benefits in terms of having information stored in a single place, easy look-up, reporting, and keeping the teams aligned are key topics. Helping the teams understand the toolsets and the benefits of them over existing tools is as critical as picking the right PLM for the organization.

As the PLM technology sphere evolves with each passing day, what are some of the latest trends that are gripping your mind?

The key trends that come top of mind are the cloud and mobile device integration. Currently, the big trend has had a lot of focus on cloud implementations instead of on-site. With that, it carries the inevitable questions around security, speed, and network reliability amongst other things. All of which can be overcome. Mobile device integration is the bigger trend and concern. With more users opting for tablets or doing things via smart phones and devices, ensuring ease of access on those devices in a secure and fast manner is of the upmost concern. Other things that come to mind are integration with 3D Printing (and other rapid prototyping tools), IoT, Social Interactions, and tight integration with ERP systems to create a faster and better connected working environment. Lastly, software compatibility and updates are always a topic. Having PLM systems that are natively web-browser based versus traditional applications can have its pros and cons that must be evaluated thoroughly for each business.

Which growing or future technology innovation are you personally excited about?

While not directly related to PLM today, Blockchain technology is incredibly exciting for seeing efficiencies in traceability throughout the supply chain. It is still early on and needs to be made incredibly easy to use, but it has a great potential.

How can the PLM evolving technologies help Industries overcome the challenges?

Some of the challenges I think PLM specifically can help industries overcome is around better connectivity for teams and integration with prototyping tools to allow faster speed to market, centralized information, and better decision making.

What changes have you seen in the IT operating model of your organization during the last five years?

Over the last 5 years, IT has morphed from just maintaining the servers, desktops, etc. to become a key driver for business strategy. The IT organization is now more involved in strategizing and decision making than ever before. As technology becomes more and more important to drive efficiencies, information-sharing, and more, I only see that it will continue to grow.