Experts Explain How PLM Enables Innovation and More
March 4, 2009 - Industry trends and market challenges are forcing consumer goods companies to look at smarter ways to operate their businesses. Leading-edge companies have embraced product lifecycle management (PLM) to drive operational efficiency, enable faster innovation and improve product quality to gain a competitive edge, especially in this economy. In fact, the only way to survive and grow may be through new product innovation.
During a recent Web event, produced by CGT, industry experts Michael Burkett, vice president, PLM Research for AMR Research, and Kathleen Mitford, vice president Vertical & Market Strategy at PTC, explained how PLM can help streamline business processes and deliver tangible business benefits. Chris Murray, business systems manager from Reebok, an adidas Group brand, was also on hand to share his seasoned experiences using PLM, detailing the company's key business initiatives and benefits received insofar. Here are some of the key highlights from the event:
> "The most common reason that people [use PLM] is usually aligned with speeding innovation to market. Just as important are initiatives around compliance," explained AMR's Michael Burkett. "As companies go global, a lot of times there are mergers and acquisitions...you need to be able to share information as well as conduct the process of launching products and supporting those products on a global basis." Burkett reinforced that PLM is needed in this case to avoid operating in a disconnected environment. He also shared other benefits, including traceability, clean data, efficiency and collaboration with partners, particularly with retailers and suppliers.
> Chris Murray from the adidas Group spoke about the PLM initiatives implemented at Reebok. When the company first started its implementation in 2002, "the technology really didn't lend itself to have partners' [factories] participationthe way information flowed -- from system to system and from group to group through manual hand offs -- information was often lost, and the integrity of the data was [compromised]," explained Murray. Now using a new PLM system, Murray said that Reebok found one single source of truth. Some lessons learned include: use a phased approach; roll out functionality in manageable bites; keep it simple; let them use it then define and deliver enhancements after 30/60/90 days; and engage the user community at every level.
> PTC's Kathleen Mitford shared insights on what PLM can do for consumer goods manufacturers through her experience with leading companies in the industry, including Reebok. She focused on key benefits including reducing cycle time, managing compliance, incorporating the voice of the customer and strategic sourcing. "Companies are going from a very linear product development process to a concurrent product development process," said Mitford about reducing cycle time. She said that this move to concurrent processes causes overlap between the processes in different roles, like supply chain, merchandising, design, etc. "PLM really helps to get everyone on the same page and enables collaboration between all the players in the process," she explained.
Click here to listen to this Web event on demand and learn more about using PLM best practices for more than just innovation.
During a recent Web event, produced by CGT, industry experts Michael Burkett, vice president, PLM Research for AMR Research, and Kathleen Mitford, vice president Vertical & Market Strategy at PTC, explained how PLM can help streamline business processes and deliver tangible business benefits. Chris Murray, business systems manager from Reebok, an adidas Group brand, was also on hand to share his seasoned experiences using PLM, detailing the company's key business initiatives and benefits received insofar. Here are some of the key highlights from the event:
> "The most common reason that people [use PLM] is usually aligned with speeding innovation to market. Just as important are initiatives around compliance," explained AMR's Michael Burkett. "As companies go global, a lot of times there are mergers and acquisitions...you need to be able to share information as well as conduct the process of launching products and supporting those products on a global basis." Burkett reinforced that PLM is needed in this case to avoid operating in a disconnected environment. He also shared other benefits, including traceability, clean data, efficiency and collaboration with partners, particularly with retailers and suppliers.
> Chris Murray from the adidas Group spoke about the PLM initiatives implemented at Reebok. When the company first started its implementation in 2002, "the technology really didn't lend itself to have partners' [factories] participationthe way information flowed -- from system to system and from group to group through manual hand offs -- information was often lost, and the integrity of the data was [compromised]," explained Murray. Now using a new PLM system, Murray said that Reebok found one single source of truth. Some lessons learned include: use a phased approach; roll out functionality in manageable bites; keep it simple; let them use it then define and deliver enhancements after 30/60/90 days; and engage the user community at every level.
> PTC's Kathleen Mitford shared insights on what PLM can do for consumer goods manufacturers through her experience with leading companies in the industry, including Reebok. She focused on key benefits including reducing cycle time, managing compliance, incorporating the voice of the customer and strategic sourcing. "Companies are going from a very linear product development process to a concurrent product development process," said Mitford about reducing cycle time. She said that this move to concurrent processes causes overlap between the processes in different roles, like supply chain, merchandising, design, etc. "PLM really helps to get everyone on the same page and enables collaboration between all the players in the process," she explained.
Click here to listen to this Web event on demand and learn more about using PLM best practices for more than just innovation.