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Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

MCAD Tech News #169

8 Mar, 2006 By: Jeffrey Rowe


PLM: Great Hope or Great Hype?

Concept will succeed only when vendors and customers come to see it as it was intended

By now I’m sure you’ve been bombarded by insistent claims that PLM (product lifecycle management) is “The Next Big Thing.” PLM is so big, in fact, that it might rival mass production with its potential impact on manufacturing -- although in a very different way. Where mass production sought to vertically integrate new ideasduring product manufacturing, PLM seeks to provide horizontal collaboration throughout a product’s lifecycle -- from concept to disposal.

But in all honesty, can PLM truly provide everything vendors are promising? Is PLM a great technological hope or just another great hype? Read more>>

Event Report: Daratech SUMMIT 2006

by Amy Rowell

Each year, research firm Daratech brings together customers and suppliers in the mechanical CAD/CAE/PLM space at DaratechSUMMIT and presents its official state of the industry address. The good news at this year's event, held in late February, was that PLM (product lifecycle management),which was barely acknowledged as a market segment five years ago, appears healthy and is showing signs of steady growth.

According to Daratech figures, total estimated 2005 PLM sales were $10.49 billion, up 13% from 2004. And looking ahead, Daratech's estimated 2006 figures put PLM software sales and service at $11.95 billion, which represents a 14% increase over 2005. Read more >>

Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events

Solutions at the Solutions Center
March 16, 2006
 UGS Solutions Center, Chicago, Illinois
Join product development professionals at this Chicago PDMA (Product Development Management Association) event. Cheryl A. Perkins, chief innovation officer for Kimberly-Clark will speak on the topic, "Growing the Business Through Open Innovation.”

AUGI Manufacturing Conference
March 28, 2006 ( Rochester, New York)
April 4, 2006 ( San Francisco, California)
Autodesk User Group International offers free, half-day learning and networking events created specifically for the manufacturing industry. Designed to increase productivity and efficiency in using Autodesk manufacturing solutions, each session will consist of four training classes.  Attendees will learn best practices for moving to 3D and tips and tricks for boosting productivity with Autodesk Inventor software.

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here>>

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