Under-Utilization of PLM Tools Gambling with your Product Data Lisa Fenwick TPT Technologies, Inc. dba CMstat

What is PLM? u PLM, PDM, iPLM, ePLM, MRP, ERP, etc. u Whatever system you use to store Product Data u Product Lifecycle Management – Product Conception through Retirement – Shouldn’t this mean All data throughout the WHOLE LIFE of the product?? – We’re talking part info, cost data, documents of all types, changes, configurations, BOMs, software (at least the info about released versions)

Survey u Most companies have at least some product data not captured in PLM system u Shared Directories house data u Administrative docs not stored in PLM system u Software info being kept in other systems or on CDs.

You’ve gambled all of this money on PLM - time to make it pay off!

Under-Utilization of PLM Systems u How Companies Misuse and Abuse their PLM systems u Signs of PLM system neglect u Some suggestions

You May Be a PLM System Abuser If: u Engineers have to rewrite Change Proposals because of incorrect/incomplete PLM data u Program Managers come to YOU for the status of a Change Review u Change reviewers need to have their hands held to complete their review

You May be a PLM System Abuser If: u Engineers keep their own ‘stash’ of product data because it’s too hard to get to u Program Mangers come to YOU for failure data, manufacturing processes, Assembly costs, etc. u You don’t know how long your processes take to complete – what isn’t measured won’t improve

You May be a PLM System Abuser If: u Manufacturing doesn’t have the information needed to build properly and efficiently u The PLM system is used as a log of what happened u Procurement wastes money purchasing the wrong parts

Rolling the Dice with your Product Data

What Most People Track in the PLM System Assembly DocsEng Changes Parts Lists CAD Drawings Product: Slot Machine

What You Could Be Tracking: Serial Number Data Manufacturer/Supplier Data Packaging Info Contract Documents Assembly Docs User Guides Block Numbers Implementation Plans Maintenance Guides As-Built Configurations Software Executables Parts Lists Warranty Info Engineering Changes Part Cost Data Mat Safety Data Sheets CAD Drawings Digital Images Manufacturing Data Marketing Brochures Process Documents Baseline Info Company SOPs Delivery Information Product: Slot Machine

Why would you want to do that? u To give Engineers a complete picture of the current situation with the product u Reduce time taken to find information u Metrics gathering is possible/facilitated by having all data in one system u Eliminate the possibility of inaccurate change impact assessment and change reviews u Consolidate processes for document review and approval

Why would you want to do that? u Reduce opportunity for errors in data u Simplify processes u Increase security of IP AND You’ve ALREADY PAID for these functions!!

Make the Gamble Pay Off u Capture ALL product data in PLM u Gather Metrics from the Data u Make sure all interested parties have access needed to PLM data or at least the outputs of PLM such as reports u Give users access based on function u Update your training!

Make Your Data Work For You u Most capture Change Throughput u Can also capture failure data on parts u Productivity measurements – how many docs released, etc. u Measure how long it takes to process new docs, changes, implementations, etc.

Hotline u If you witness PLM System Abuse call me at u u TPT Technologies, Inc. dba CMstat u