Prelude to GTC 2014: Redesigning PLM for the I-Want-It-My-Way Consumers

At Converse's design-your-own-sneaker portal, you get to create your own pair of Chuck Taylor, Jack Purcell, or Poorman. You pick the fabric print. You pick the sole and lace colors. You can even specify the eyelets -- the rings through which you fasten your lace. Want something with more support than a lightweight Converse? Head over to Reebok to design your own running shoes. Marvel now lets you envision your own crime-fighting crusader at its Create Your Own Superhero portal. You choose the skin type, the headgear, and the outfit. If you're so enamored by your custom superhero that you'd like to put him or her on your iPhone cover, head over to Skinit to upload the saved image and order your own cover.

The DYI consumerism is now spilling into larger products, including cars. Ford wants you to create your own custom Mustang V6, Gt, or GT500. Renault and Maserati are also happy to let you configure your own car online, outfitting it with from preferred bodywork, wheels, and carpets. Partly driven by instant visualization over the web, partly driven by the buyers' participatory behavior, shopping seems to heading into the virtual world, into an environment that accommodates instant input and feedback.

Can our design tools -- CAD/CAM/CAE software and workstations -- cope with the emergence of consumers who want to participate in the design process? Does the current generation of PLM products facilitate configurable designs and individualized experience?

I don't have the answer, but I'm hoping the panelists at "PLM 2020: Redesigning the Design Process for Virtual First Generation" do. As moderator to the session, I intent to pose these questions to them. The panel comprises executives from Lightworks, Gulfstream, Vans, Applied Materials, and GM (This is subject to change based on confirmation and speaker availability.)

The panel is part of NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference (GTC, March 24-27, San Jose, California).

The S4950 - PLM 2020 session is scheduled for Wednesday March 26, 10:00 to 10:50 AM Pacific in Room 210H.

If you have questions you'd like me to raise, please email them to me at kennethwong [at] @digitaleng/. If you're going to be at the conference, I hope to see you there.

--Kenneth Wong, senior editor, Desktop Engineering