Having collaborated with talented people across industries and spent significant time honing my craft, I wanted to share some perspectives on successfully practicing PLM. While every organization’s needs are unique, developing competencies in areas like software configuration, process knowledge, leadership abilities and maintaining a broad perspective can enable more impactful PLM implementations.
Technical PLM Skills
On the technical side, it’s critical for practitioners to build hands-on experience with leading PLM platforms and learn how to optimally configure them to support different workstreams like engineering change management, quality management, requirements definition etc. They need to understand how to integrate PLM with surrounding systems like ERP, MES, CAD tools. Keeping up with emerging technologies like IoT, AI/ML and Digital Twin can also allow practitioners to deliver more cutting-edge solutions.
Process Knowledge
Equally important is developing deep knowledge of the processes themselves across the entire product lifecycle. Practitioners must familiarize themselves with new product introduction processes in engineering, manufacturing shop floor operations, quality management protocols, regulatory compliance needs, and aftermarket service processes. This end-to-end process view allows them to identify connectivity points and areas for optimization when implementing PLM.
Leadership Skills
Beyond technical and process skills, soft leadership capabilities are essential for driving successful PLM adoption. Practitioners need strong facilitation expertise to lead process definition workshops, change management skills to motivate adoption, and executive presentation abilities to articulate the PLM vision and roadmap. The ability to understand organizational objectives and translate those into improved processes enabled by PLM is also critical.
Broad Perspective
Finally, taking an industry-agnostic perspective allows practitioners to identify process commonalities across diverse domains. While some level of customization is always required, applying lessons learned between industries as well as maintaining a creative, analytical, and solution-oriented mindset enables more impactful PLM implementations.
Some meta-level tips on how practitioners can accelerate developing this diverse PLM skillset:
- Pursue formal PLM training and certifications through vendors like Autodesk, Dassault, Siemens, PTC, and SAP as well as industry associations. This provides structured learning.
- Attend PLM vendor conferences and events to expand your professional network. Connect with peers to share knowledge.
- Follow PLM thought leaders on social media and read trade publications to stay updated on trends.
- Seek out mentors who are seasoned PLM experts. Learn from their experience.
- Take on project roles beyond your comfort zone to build new capabilities.
- Document your lessons learned after each implementation to solidify knowledge.
- Maintain curiosity – explore processes and technologies outside core PLM that may apply.
- Develop soft skills like emotional intelligence, storytelling, strategic thinking through books/courses.
- Collaborate with cross-functional partners like IT, Finance, Operations to absorb their POV.
- Focus both on developing breadth across industries as well as depth within a domain.
- Set measurable goals to develop competencies outside your strengths.