CIMdata Releases New Program Review

By DE Editors

CIMdata has released a new Program Review titled “Meeting the Challenges of Transitioning PLM Implementations.” It describes challenges faced by companies as they transition their PLM implementations through the series of version and enhancement releases provided by their PLM supplier. As examples, CIMdata interviewed a number of long-term customers of Siemens PLM Software to assess their approaches and experiences in addressing this often-challenging issue.

“In increasing numbers, businesses have committed themselves to transforming the way they operate in order to become more innovative, effective, and responsive to the markets they serve,” said Ed Miller, president of CIMdata. “In order to facilitate new processes, companies generally utilize information technologies as primary enablers.”

IT-based initiatives offer significant opportunities to organizations, especially broad enterprise-focused ones like PLM, but they also bring their own set of issues, according to the company.

“A major issue that has challenged companies implementing PLM over the years has been the time, cost, and difficulty of evolving their PLM environment through the ongoing introduction of new versions of software that are provided to them by their PLM solution suppliers,” said Miller. “A common complaint from companies with PLM implementations has been that technology changes introduced by their PLM suppliers have often caused them difficulties as those newer technologies have been inconsistent (with their previous versions) in both architecture and application software, and thus not easily evolved within the company’s IT environment.”

In an effort to review Siemens’ positioning and success in supporting upgrades and enhancements, CIMdata has interviewed a number of Siemens’ customers to gain a better insight into their experiences. This review provides CIMdata’s perspectives on the results of those interviews and the recommendations that these companies provided to minimize difficulties. Some excellent examples emerged.

Copies of the “Meeting the Challenges of Transitioning PLM Implementations” CIMdata review are available here at no cost.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.