PLM Interest Group

The PLMIG series of PLM Financial Framework Workshops ran in 5 countries over an 18-month period during 2013-14.  The aim was to formalise the fundamental rules and best practices in this area, and to embody them in new toolsets that everybody can use.

Two twinned launch workshops in the UK and France established the core mechanism for translating PLM improvements into financial metrics.

The series continued with events in Germany and Finland.  These covered the 'Discovery Mechanism' by which users and vendors identify where PLM will have most impact; and a Board-level mobilisation process to achieve PLM financial management in large corporations.

The fifth workshop in Switzerland produced the remaining material for the full corporate methodology.

The resulting tools and techniques are now encapsulated on the Financial PLM page.

The workshops were so productive that some of the material has yet to be processed.  In particular, the Geneva Workshop developed a new 'Map Merge' technique for harmonising the enterprise-wide PLM and accountancy systems, and outlined a new American-oriented methodology for the Financial Framework.

The series was launched with 2 parallel events in Europe.

The first Workshop was hosted by Renold at their Headquarters at Styal Road, Wythenshawe on 11-13 June 2013.

As well as hosting the event, Renold provided extensive accountancy input, giving a solid platform for the launch of the initiative.

The second Workshop was held on the Toulouse Airport complex at the Radisson Blu Hotel, 2 Rue Dieudonné Costes, 31700 Blagnac on 25-27 June 2013.

The results from the first two events were combined to produce the working material for Frankfurt and Vaasa.

The series then moved to Germany and the Nordic region with two new workshops to generate a second iteration of results.

The third Workshop was held at the NH Frankfurt Mörfelden Hotel, on 26-28 November 2013.

The fourth Workshop was hosted by Wärtsilä at their headquarters in Vaasa, Finland on 03-05 December 2013.

The two events followed the same format, but had different emphases.  Frankfurt focused on the vendor viewpoint, and how to establish metrics that users can regard as part of the implementation deliverables.  In Vaasa the group worked on the total project organisation within the user company, and how to establish the full set of PLM targets that need to be quantified.

The fifth workshop in Geneva acted as a 'PLM Benefits Toolset Review' meeting.  The aim was to enable the participants to understand and validate the full set of PLM Financial Framework material, and make plans for applying it in their own organisations.

The Workshop was hosted by the PLM Institute at their Pont Rouge Training Centre, 1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland on 01-03 July 2014.

The PLM Financial Handbook [Lite] had already been produced for PLM project justification, and was part of the working material; and there was also an extensive set of final-draft material for full PLM financial management.

The Geneva Workshop therefore concentrated on the higher-level and business aspects, such as how to involve the Board in PLM management, and incorporate their guidance into the PLM implementation; how to maximise the long-term benefits of PLM; and how to ensure that PLM achieves its potential for business transformation.

The Workshops welcomed PLM practitioners and their Finance Department colleagues from all parts of the industry - users, vendors, systems integrators and consultants. The aim was not to endorse or disprove any existing approach, but to generate a new, internationally-applicable solution.  The Workshops offered a neutral, non-proprietary format in which everybody could contribute their views productively.

The Workshops followed a 3-day format, in which delegates worked with the PLMIG tools to understand and approve them.

Day 1 presented the latest PLMIG published and draft tools, ranging from the PLM Financial Primer through to the full PLM Financial Handbook.  This was followed a group discussion and review session about the overall methodology.

Day 2 began with participants' own views of the management and technical issues that they face, and a working session on how these can be resolved.  In the afternoon the group concentrated on building the PLM Message, aligned with the issues of mobilisation and planning.

Day 3 included a working session on calculating PLM metrics, followed by the issues of transformation and long-term strategy, before closing with a Roadmap for future development.

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