Unit - 2

PLM Concepts, Processes and

Workflow
 Characteristics of PLM

These characteristics include

• Singularity
• Correspondence
• Cohesion
• Traceability
• Reflectivity
• Cued availability
 Singularity

• Singularity within PLM is defined as having one unique & controlling version of
product data.

• Controlling implies that when we have two or more unique data

representations, the one we all agree is the correct one that everybody will
work with.

• Singularity of data pertains to formal designs & plans.

• More complex & Voluminous the design & plans are, more Difficult & Costly it is
to duplicate them.
• Development of Computer Technology has added to lack of singularity as
now large and complex data can be duplicated at minimal cost and effort

• There can be multiple copies which vary slightly with each copy because
small but significant changes have been made between each copy

• Lack of information singularity is a major source of wasted time, energy

and material

• Software applications of PLM must have, as a fundamental characteristics,

the ability to manage the singularity of product data.

• PLM systems must identify the controlling product data.

 Cohesion

• Cohesion refers to the fact that there are going to be different

representations or views of a product information depending on our
perspective of the product.

• In a geometric shape views of hidden surfaces and cross sections will be

cohesive because they are derived from geometric definitions.

• If we want to mirror the products functionality in virtual space (recording

the product data) we need cohesion between different views.

• One way to obtain cohesiveness is to reduce the number of

independent views
 Reflectiveness
• Reflectiveness captures data and information from real space in to virtual space.

• In real space any modification will be visible in the physical object.

• We need a system to change the information in virtual space when the

corresponding information changes in the real space.

• The purpose of reflectiveness is to allow us to substitute the correct information

for wasted time, energy and material.

• To examine and extract the information from virtual space is less expensive.

• This also helps us to track “as – built” products to check if a specific component
has been use in a specific product
 Correspondence
• Correspondence refers to the tight linkage between a physical object –
Component, Part or product – and the data and information about the physical
object.
• Geometric data is embodied in physical objects and we extract this data using
tools and methodologies.
• In the second case, while designing, we define the geometric shape and then
manufacture the product.
• In both cases a core characteristics of PLM is developing and maintaining a
correspondence between the physical object and the information about this
object.
• One reason is that if we do not separate and maintain the information about the
product, we must spend time and energy and material to get it.
Example – If we want to find that a particular model fuel pump is fitted in a
helicopter or not – one method is to open all engines to check it and the other is
by maintaining a correspondence between the helicopter and the part which
is fitted.
• The second reason is that in absence of correspondence to find the
data information will be by actually possessing the physical object. This again
leads to wastage and inefficiency
 Traceability

• Traceability is a ability to demonstrate the path of a product’s travel through

time can be followed seamlessly back to its origin.

• In case of lack of traceability we can not determine which successful version was
and which the unsuccessful version of our previous efforts.

• If this is not followed, it leads to the wastage of time, energy and material.

• Traceability can be ensured by proper documentation, however humans are not

very good at documentation and is sketchy. Further this documentation is costly
to produce and may be misplaced, lost or destroyed.

• Once information is moved in to virtual space, it can be backed up so that it is

not destroyed.

• Traceability is also built in to the process of documentation creation

 Cued Availability

• Cued availability is being able to have the right information and

processes when we need them.

• We might or might not be searching for this information and processes, but
because of the situation we are presented with them for information to be
worth the value of its capture, processing and storage, it has to replace wasted
time, energy and material and not merely confirm that the time, energy and
material was actually wasted.

• Modern technology and search engines enable us to effectively search the

unstructured information.

• Developing the appropriate triggers and cues will be the focus of PLM in future
 Concepts of Information Silos
• Present Organization Structure is divided in to Functional areas. –People are
more productive when a task can be divided in to functional activities. –
People can then specialize in their respective functions.
• There is a cost attached to such specialization.
• The information becomes isolated principally contained within the same
functional areas.
• Some of this information may be localized & only of interest to the
functional experts.
• There is also other information that is very essential for other functional
areas but remains unshared
• Figure represents the state of information within current organization.
• Information is organized by function.
• Such functional areas have all the information about product & processes
that reflects the needs of such areas.
• Corporate – wide focus on product information is exception, not the rule
 Environment driving PLM
• External Drivers

Scale – companies have gotten larger

Complexity – variation in products have increased

Cycle time – manufacturing time frame has decreased due to competition for
first to market

Information technology – digital information is mobile and price of technology

has decreased

Globalization – worldwide manufacturing arena and markets

Regulation – increasing scope of governmental regulations worldwide

• Internal Drivers

Productivity – quest for increased productivity

Innovation – product and process

Collaboration – within and between organizations

Quality – meeting specifications and standard of usage

Return on investment – ratio of input to output

 Elements of PLM
As highlighted by the variety of definitions used to explain Product Lifecycle
Management, interpretation of PLM is wide and often specific to each vendor
or consulting firm. As a result, there are multiple accounts of the elements that
PLM solutions include.

According to CIM data, PLM includes:

• Management of:
– Product data and information (both its content and context)
– The design chain
– Documents and their associated content (all types, formats and media)
– Requirements (functional, performance, quality, cost, physical factors,
interoperability, time, etc.)
– Product and project portfolios and product families
– Assets (plant machinery and facilities, production line equipment)
– In-service information supporting after sales
• Program and project management

• Visualization and collaboration

• Component supplier management

• Digital manufacturing

• Product definition information authoring

• Product analysis, validation, and simulation

• Technical Publications such as:

– Service manuals
– User guides
– Assembly instructions