The Need for Product Lifecycle Management

In this chapter, the need for PLM is described. The chapter shows that it’s not easy to manage products. Examples are given of some the problems that occur, and the opportunities that are lost, in environments without PLM. The PLM paradigm is addressed. The PLM Grid is introduced. The environment before PLM is described briefly. Among its characteristics were multi-level hierarchies, departmental empires, poor communication, use of specialist departmental jargon, and serial product workflow through the departments.