Big Data and Product Lifecycle Management

This chapter looks at the role of Big Data in the world of PLM. The concept of Big Data appeared in the 1990s, although many companies didn’t start to address the subject until later. Big Data, and the related Analytics, offer companies opportunities to rapidly manage and analyse huge volumes of data and gain deep insights. Section 3.1 introduces Big Data in the PLM environment. Section 3.2 clarifies the meaning of Big Data. Section 3.3 gives examples of Big Data across the product lifecycle. Section 3.4 of the chapter describes why it’s important to understand Big Data in the PLM environment. Section 3.5 describes opportunities available with Big Data, as well as the expected benefits and value. Section 3.6 identifies application areas of Big Data in each phase of the product lifecycle. Section 3.7 of the chapter outlines issues that arise around Big Data. Sections 3.8 and 3.9 address typical issues and success factors of Big Data projects. Section 3.10 addresses the relationship between a Big Data project and the PLM Initiative.