A

REPORT
ON
Product life cycle management

(Seminar on Contemporary Management Issues)

(In partial fulfillment of the requirements of Paper M-207 for

the award of the degree of Master of Business Administration,
Rajasthan technical university, kota)

SUBMITTED TO:

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

SWAMI KESHVANAND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MANAGEMENT

& GRAMOTHAN, JAIPUR

SUBMITTED BY:

Shankar Lal

MBA II sem

(2009-11)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is great relief and pleasure for me to make use of this golden opportunity to express

my thanks to those who helped me whole heartedly to bring out this seminar on

“PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT” as a successful venture.

The satisfaction that accompanies the successful completion of a particular job will be

incomplete without the mention of the people whose ceaseless cooperation made the

job possible. Their constant guidance and innovative ideas acquires an important role in

successful completion of the task.

Our thank of vote in this regard goes to Mr. ATUL GUPTA, Lecturer of MBA

department for their valuable suggestions, Motivation & guidance without whom the

project can’t be accomplished, Mr. VIKAS SHROTRIYA, HOD of MBA department

for his support & encouragement.

Shankar Lal
 Preface

As a part of subject requirement of my MBA from SKIT, I have prepared a project report

on requirement and selection in any organization so as to give exposure to practical

management and to get familiar with various activities taking place in the organization.

I have done my project report on the “PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT”

” The report has been prepared to deliver as much information as I could gather from

whatever resources I had.

It is very important to understand that how is plc management of any product of any

company and . It is also essential in current dynamic environment for competitive

advantage.
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT
CONTENTS :

1. Introduction about plc

2. Stages of plc

3. What is plc management

4. Why product life cycle management is useful

5. SAP product life cycle management

6. Area of PLM (product life cycle management)

7. Introduction to development process

8. Phases of product lifecycle and corresponding technologies

Phase 1: Conceive

Phase 2: Design

Phase 3: Realize

Phase 4: Service

All phases: product lifecycle

9. Product development processes and methodologies

10. Product and process lifecycle management (PPLM)

11. Major commercial players
INTRODUCTION

Every activity that a business performs has an impact - on a social,

economic and environmental level. Often these impacts are not
obvious or immediate, there are many that are hidden or indirect,
that only appear when you take a more holistic view - essentially,
when you take a step back and examine the complete life cycle of
your products and services.

A life cycle is made up of all the activities that go into making,

selling, using, transporting and disposing of a product or service -
from initial design, right through the supply chain.

Life Cycle Management is a framework for business planning and

management that helps business to:

 Analyse and understand the life cycle stages of the business,

product or service.
 Identify the potential economic, social, or environmental risks
and opportunities at each stage and
 Establish proactive systems to pursue the opportunities and
manage or minimize the risks.
STAGES OF PLC

INTRODUCTION STAGE
To recap what occurs during the introductory stage:

Sales generally are low and somewhat slow to take off.  Customers are characterized
as 'innovators.'
Production costs tend to be high on a per unit basis because the firm has yet to
experience any significant scale economies.
Marketing costs required for creating customer awareness, interest, and trial and for
introducing the product into distribution channels are high.

Profits, because of low sales and high unit costs, tend to be negative or very low.

Competitors tend to be few in number, indeed there may be only one major player in
the marketplace -- the innovating firm.
GROWTH STAGE

Sales increase rapidly during the growth phase. This increase is due to: (1) consumers
rapidly spreading positive word-of-mouth (WOM) about the product; (2) an increasing
number of competitors enter the market with their own versions of the product; (3) and a
Customers are mainly early adopters and early majority.  It is the early adopter,
specifically, that is responsible for stimulating the WOM effect. During the latter part of
growth, the first major segment of the mass market, called the early majority, enters the
market. This category of consumers is somewhat more price sensitive and lower on the
socio-economic spectrum. As a result, these consumers are somewhat more risk
averse and, therefore, somewhat more hesitant to adopt the product.

"promotion effect" which is the result of individual firms employing, advertising and other
forms of promotion to create market awareness, stimulate interest in the product, and
encourage trial.

Cost are declining on a per unit basis because increased sales lead to longer
production runs and, therefore, scale economies in production. Similarly firms may
experience experience curve effects which help to lower unit variable costs.

Because sales are increasing and, at the same time, unit cost are declining, profits rise
significantly and rapidly during this stage.

Competition continues to grow throughout this stage. As competitors recognize profit

potential in the market, they enter the market with their own versions of the product. As
competition intensifies, strategies turn to those that will best aid in differentiating the
brand from those of competitors. Attempts are made to differentiate and find sources of
competitive advantage. In addition, firms identify ways in which the market can be
segmented and may develop focused marketing strategies for individual segments

MATURITY STAGE.
Sales continue to grow during the early part of maturity, but at a much slower rate than
experienced during the growth phase. At some point, sales peak. This peak may last for
extended periods of time.  In fact, the maturity phase of the life cycle is the longest
phase for most products. As a result, most products at any given point in time probably
are at maturity. And, most decisions made by marketing managers will be decisions
about managing the mature product.

Costs continue to rise during maturity because of market saturation and continually
intensifying competition. When this slowing of sales is combined with the increasing
costs associated with this stage, the result is that profits will have reached their highest
level and must, from this point on, decline.

The only remaining customers to enter the market will be the late majority and the
laggards. These customer groups are by far the most risk averse and most hesitant to
adopt new products. These customers are quite price sensitive and, as a result, will not
buy products until prices have seen significant declines. Many laggards, the last group
to adopt, often do not do so until the product is virtually obsolete and in danger of being
displaced by new technologies.

Competition is most intense during this stage. The intensity of competitive in-fighting
drives the changes in costs and profitability.

DECLING STAGE
Sales continue to deteriorate through decline. And, unless major change in strategy or
market conditions occur, sales are not likely to be revived. Costs, because competition
is still intense, continue to rise. Large sums are still spent on promotion, particularly
sales promotions aimed at providing customers with price concessions.

Profits, as expected, continue to erode during this stage with little hope of recovery.

Customers, again, are primarily laggards.

There generally are a significant number of competitors still in the industry at the
beginning of decline. However, as decline progresses, marginal competitors will flee the
market. As a result, competitors remaining through decline tend to be the larger more L

WHAT IS PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT

Product life cycle management is the succession of strategies used by management as

a product goes through its product life cycle. The conditions in which a product is sold

changes over time and must be managed as it moves through its succession of stages.

Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire

lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to

service and disposal PLM integrates people, their extended enterprise data,

processes and business systems and provides a product information backbone for

companies and

Product lifecycle management (PLM) is more to do with managing descriptions

and properties of a product through its development and useful life, mainly from

a business/engineering point of view; whereas product life cycle management

(PLCM) is to do with the life of a product in the market with respect to

business/commercial costs and sales measures.

Product life cycle management
GLOBLE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Why is Life Cycle Management useful?

Life Cycle Management is all about making more informed business decisions - and
chances are that life cycle considerations are already influencing the decisions you are
currently making in your business on a daily basis, such as those listed below:

 Which products to manufacture

 Design of the product or service
 Sources of energy to use
 Type and amount of packaging
 Management of manufacturing wastes
 Recycling considerations
 Preferred suppliers and their alignment with your values

Life Cycle Management is simply about helping you make these decisions in a
more deliberate and systematic way - so you can engage in more sustainable
production and consumption, and clearly define and measure the business value you
are gaining by doing so.

To be a success, Life Cycle Management should not be deployed only as a specific

methodology, technique or "add on" environmental requirement. Nor does it mean
designing one green product or service that is then badged "sustainable".

It is a systematic approach, mindset and culture that is embraced throughout the

business, where decisions are made that effect both the input and outputs of your
product or service life cycle - from corporate strategy development, product design,
production, purchasing and procurement, marketing, human resources and more.

Life Cycle Management is...

 A practical approach for improving decision making.

 A means of integrating environmental improvements and sustainability with
economic efficiency.
 A basis for identifying mutual opportunities among companies at different stages
in the product or service life cycle.
  An improved process for conceptualising and structuring the work that you and
your supply chain may already be doing to improve efficiency and reduce risks.
 Systematic integration of product sustainability in company planning, product
design and development, purchasing decisions and communication programs.
 Supported by a range of tools that provide you with vital information, data and
learning that you can feed back into your organisation to improve your
performance and to create a culture of life cycle thinking.

Tools that support Life Cycle Management

Life Cycle Management is not interchangeable with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a specific method for systematically identifying,
quantifying and assessing inputs and outputs (i.e. sources of environmental impact)
throughout a product or service's life cycle. It is one of a range of tools that support Life
Cycle Management, but does not have to be part of adopting Life Cycle Management.

 An overview of LCA is provided in the "What can I do" section.

Similarly, eco-efficiency, ecological footprint, product stewardship, Life Cycle Costing

and supply chain management are also tools that support the implementation of a Life
Cycle Management approach.

 Learn more about these tools.

Drivers for the adoption of Life Cycle Management

Many people have heard the term Life Cycle Thinking. Life Cycle Management is simply
life cycle thinking in practice.

Life Cycle Management is a relatively new approach that brings together different
elements of practices that have been used in businesses around the world for decades.
Life Cycle Management grew out of the application of business efficiency and Life Cycle
Assessment tools and the need for us to experience and share the learning from Life
Cycle Assessment across all aspects of a business operation and strategic planning.
Key Drivers
Multi-national companies and small businesses alike are adopting life cycle approaches
in response to a range of drivers:

 Governments around the world are introducing regulations and co-regulatory

schemes that are prompting businesses to take action on becoming more
sustainable and implement Life Cycle Thinking (eg. Europe - End of Life
Directives for Vehicles and Electronic Equipment, Japan - Law for the Life Cycle
Economy, Australia - National Packaging Covenant and proposals for similar co-
regulatory schemes for TVs and Computers)
 The increasing need to manage supply chain risk due to increasing pressure
from stakeholders;
 Supply chain management is being driven by customer demand - for product
information and corporate purchasers' needs to identify and reduce product or
reputation risk;
 The need to understand product impacts and gain a competitive position in the
environmental marketplace (including preparation for environmental defence);
and
 The requirements of international conventions on environmental issues, for
example, ozone depleting substances, waste management and greenhouse gas
emissions.

UNEP Life Cycle Initiative

The United Nations Environment Program's (UNEP) Life Cycle Initiative is designed to
promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. UNEP suggests that "the
concept of Life Cycle Thinking integrates existing consumption and production
strategies, preventing a piece-meal approach. Life cycle approaches avoid problem
shifting from one life cycle stage to another, from one geographic area to another and
from one environmental medium to another. Human needs should be met by providing
functions of products and services, such as food, shelter and mobility, through
optimised consumption and production systems that are contained within the capacity of
the ecosystem."
"Consumers are increasingly interested in the world behind the product they buy. Life
Cycle Thinking implies that everyone in the whole chain of a product's life cycle, from
cradle to grave, has a responsibility and a role to play, taking into account all the
relevant external effects. The impacts of all life cycle stages need to be considered
comprehensively when taking informed decisions on production and consumption
patterns, policies and management strategies."
SAP PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

To survive in an ever-changing global environment, creating and delivering innovative

and market differentiating products and services is what distinguishes your company
from the competition. The SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM) application
provides you with a 360-degree-support for all product-related processes - from the first
product idea, through manufacturing to product service. With our PLM software, you
can:

 Create and deliver innovative products that fulfill or create market demand

 Optimize your product developing processes and systems to speed products to

market ensuring compliance to industry, quality and regulatory standards
 Become more agile than your competitors and able to react and take advantage
of market and competitive opportunities across your business networks

SAP expedites this process with capabilities to:

 Align your portfolios with corporate objectives, including portfolios of projects,

programs, and services within R&D, professional services, and IT.
 Prioritize, plan, and execute activities aligned to corporate strategy and more
readily provide the right resources at the right time from the right source required for
execution
 Plan and track activities more precisely to improve speed of execution

 Plan and monitor budgets and maximize financial returns

 Support both portfolio and project decision-making processes

 Minimize risk, redundancy, and bottlenecks through better resource capacity

planning

AREA OF PLM

Within PLM there are five primary areas;

Systems Engineering (SE)

Product and Portfolio Management (PPM)

Product Design

Manufacturing Process Management (MPM)

Product Data Management (PDM)

Note: While application software is not required for PLM processes, the business complexity
and rate of change requires organizations execute as rapidly as possible.

Systems Engineering is focused on meeting all requirements, primary meeting customer needs,
and coordinating the Systems Design process by involving all relevant disciplines. Product and
Portfolio Management is focused on managing resource allocation, tracking progress vs. plan
for projects in the new product development projects that are in process (or in a holding status).
Portfolio management is a tool that assists management in tracking progress on new products
and making trade-off decisions when allocating scarce resources. Product Data Management is
focused on capturing and maintaining information on products and/or services through their
development and useful life.

Introduction to development process

The core of PLM (product lifecycle management) is in the creations and central

management of all product data and the technology used to access this information and

knowledge. PLM as a discipline emerged from tools such as CAD, CAM and PDM, but

can be viewed as the integration of these tools with methods, people and the processes

through all stages of a product’s life It is not just about software technology but is also a

business strategy.
For simplicity the stages described are shown in a traditional sequential engineering

workflow. The exact order of event and tasks will vary according to the product and

industry in question but the main processes are

Conceive

Specification

Concept design

Design

Detailed design

Validation and analysis (simulation)

Tool design

Realize

Plan manufacturing

Manufacture

Build/Assemble

Test (quality check)

Service

Sell and Deliver

Use

Maintain and Support

Dispose
 The reality is however more complex, people and departments cannot perform

their tasks in isolation and one activity cannot simply finish and the next activity start.

Design is an iterative process, often designs need to be modified due to manufacturing

constraints or conflicting requirements. Where exactly a customer order fits into the time

line depends on the industry type, whether the products are for example Build to Order,

Engineer to Order, or Assemble to Order.

Phases of product lifecycle and corresponding technologies

Many software solutions have developed to organize and integrate the different
phases of a product’s lifecycle. PLM should not be seen as a single software product
but a collection of software tools and working methods integrated together to address
either single stages of the lifecycle or connect different tasks or manage the whole
process. Some software providers cover the whole PLM range while others a single
niche application. Some applications can span many fields of PLM with different
modules within the same data model. An overview of the fields within PLM is covered
here. It should be noted however that the simple classifications do not always fit exactly,
many areas overlap and many software products cover more than one area or do not fit
easily into one category. It should also not be forgotten that one of the main goals of
PLM is to collect knowledge that can be reused for other projects and to coordinate
simultaneous concurrent development of many products. It is about business
processes, people and methods as much as software application solutions. Although
PLM is mainly associated with engineering tasks it also involves marketing activities
such as Product Portfolio Management (PPM), particularly with regards to New product
introduction (NPI).

Phase 1: Conceive
Imagine, specify, plan, innovate

The first stage in idea is the definition of its requirements based on customer, company,
market and regulatory bodies’ viewpoints. From this specification of the products major
technical parameters can be defined. Parallel to the requirements specification the initial
concept design work is carried out defining the visual aesthetics of the product together
with its main functional aspects. For the Industrial Design, Styling, work many different
media are used from pencil and paper, clay models to 3D CAID Computer-aided
industrial design software.
Phase 2: Design
Describe, define, develop, test, analyze and validate

This is where the detailed design and development of the product’s form starts,
progressing to prototype testing, through pilot release to full product launch. It can also
involve redesign and ramp for improvement to existing products as well as planned
obsolescence. The main tool used for design and development is CAD Computer-aided
design. This can be simple 2D Drawing / Drafting or 3D Parametric Feature Based
Solid/Surface Modeling. Such software includes technology such as Hybrid Modeling,
Reverse Engineering, KBE (Knowledge-Based Engineering), NDT (Nondestructive
testing), Assembly construction.

This step covers many engineering disciplines including: Mechanical, Electrical,

Electronic, Software (embedded), and domain-specific, such as Architectural,
Aerospace, Automotive, ... Along with the actual creation of geometry there is the
analysis of the components and product assemblies. Simulation, validation and
optimization tasks are carried out using CAE (Computer-aided engineering) software
either integrated in the CAD package or stand-alone. These are used to perform tasks
such as:- Stress analysis, FEA (Finite Element Analysis); Kinematics; Computational
fluid dynamics (CFD); and mechanical event simulation (MES). CAQ (Computer-aided
quality) is used for tasks such as Dimensional Tolerance (engineering) Analysis.
Another task performed at this stage is the sourcing of bought out components, possibly
with the aid of Procurement systems.

Phase 3: Realize
Manufacture, make, build, procure, produce, sell and deliver
Once the design of the product’s components is complete the method of manufacturing
is defined. This includes CAD tasks such as tool design; creation of CNC Machining
instructions for the product’s parts as well as tools to manufacture those parts, using
integrated or separate CAM Computer-aided manufacturing software. This will also
involve analysis tools for process simulation for operations such as casting, molding,
and die press forming. Once the manufacturing method has been identified CPM comes
into play. This involves CAPE (Computer-aided Production Engineering) or CAP/CAPP
– (Production Planning) tools for carrying out Factory, Plant and Facility Layout and
Production Simulation. For example: Press-Line Simulation; and Industrial Ergonomics;

as well as tool selection management. Once components are manufactured their

geometrical form and size can be checked against the original CAD data with the use of
Computer Aided Inspection equipment and software. Parallel to the engineering tasks,
sales product configuration and marketing documentation work will be taking place. This
could include transferring engineering data (geometry and part list data) to a web based
sales configurator and other Desktop Publishing systems.

Phase 4: Service
Use, operate, maintain, support, sustain, phase-out, retire, recycle and disposal

The final phase of the lifecycle involves managing of in service information. Providing
customers and service engineers with support information for repair and maintenance,
as well as waste management/recycling information. This involves using such tools as
Maintenance, Repair and Operations Management (MRO) software.

All phases: product lifecycle

Communicate, manage and collaborate

None of the above phases can be seen in isolation. In reality a project does not run
sequentially or in isolation of other product development projects. Information is flowing
between different people and systems. A major part of PLM is the co-ordination of and
management of product definition data. This includes managing engineering changes
and release status of components; configuration product variations; document
management; planning project resources and timescale and risk assessment.

For these tasks graphical, text and metadata such as product bills of materials (BOMs)
needs to be managed. At the engineering departments level this is the domain of PDM
– (Product Data Management) software, at the corporate level EDM (Enterprise Data
Management) software, these two definitions tend to blur however but it is typical to see
two or more data management systems within an organization. These systems are also
linked to other corporate systems such as SCM, CRM, and ERP. Associated with these
system are Project Management Systems for Project/Program Planning.

This central role is covered by numerous Collaborative Product Development tools

which run throughout the whole lifecycle and across organizations. This requires many
technology tools in the areas of Conferencing, Data Sharing and Data Translation. The
field being Product visualization which includes technologies such as DMU (Digital
Mock-Up), Immersive Virtual Digital Prototyping (virtual reality) and Photo realistic
Imaging.

User skills

The broad array of solutions that make up the tools used within a PLM solution-set (e.g.,
CAD, CAM, ) were initially used by dedicated practitioners who invested time and effort
to gain the required skills. Designers and engineers worked wonders with CAD systems,
manufacturing engineers became highly skilled CAM users while analysts,
administrators and managers fully mastered their support technologies. However,
achieving the full advantages of PLM requires the participation of many people of
various skills from throughout an extended enterprise, each requiring the ability to
access and operate on the inputs and output of other participants.

Despite the increased ease of use of PLM tools, cross-training all personnel on the
entire PLM tool-set has not proven to be practical. Now, however, advances are being
made to address ease of use for all participants within the PLM arena. One such
advance is the availability of “role” specific user interfaces. Through Tailorable UIs, the
commands that are presented to users are appropriate to their function and expertise.
Product development processes and methodologies

A number of established methodologies have been adopted by PLM and been further
advanced. Together with PLM digital engineering techniques, they have been advanced
to meet company goals such as reduced time to market and lower production costs.
Reducing lead times is a major factor as getting a product to market quicker than the
competition will help with higher revenue and profit margins and increase market share.

These techniques include:-

 Concurrent engineering workflow

 Industrial Design
 Bottom-up design
 Top-down design
 Front loading design workflow
 Design in context
 Modular design
 NPD New product development
 DFSS Design for Six Sigma
 DFMA Design for manufacture / assembly
 Digital simulation engineering
 Requirement driven design
 Specification managed validation
Concurrent engineering workflow

Concurrent engineering (British English: simultaneous engineering) is a workflow that,

instead of working sequentially through stages, carries out a number of tasks in parallel.
For example: starting tool design before the detailed designs of the product are finished,
or starting on detail design solid models before the concept design surfaces models are
complete. Although this does not necessarily reduce the amount of manpower required
for a project, it does drastically reduce lead times and thus time to market. Feature-
based CAD systems have for many years allowed the simultaneous work on 3D solid
model and the 2D drawing by means of two separate files, with the drawing looking at
the data in the model; when the model changes the drawing will associatively update.
Some CAD packages also allow associative copying of geometry between files. This
allows, for example, the copying of a part design into the files used by the tooling
designer. The manufacturing engineer can then start work on tools before the final
design freeze; when a design changes size or shape the tool geometry will then update.
Concurrent engineering also has the added benefit of providing better and more
immediate communication between departments, reducing the chance of costly, late
design changes. It adopts a problem prevention method as compared to the problem
solving and re-designing method of traditional sequential engineering.

Bottom-up design

Bottom-up design (CAD Centric) is where the definition of 3D models of a product starts
with the construction of individual components. These are then virtually brought together
in sub-assemblies of more than one level until the full product is digitally defined. This is
sometimes known as the review structure showing what the product will look like. The
BOM contains all of the physical (solid) components; it may (but not also) contain other
items required for the final product BOM such as paint, glue, oil and other materials
commonly described as 'bulk items'. Bulk items typically have mass and quantities but
are not usually modelled with geometry.

Bottom-up design tends to focus on the capabilities of available real-world physical

technology, implementing those solutions which this technology is most suited to. When
these bottom-up solutions have real-world value, bottom-up design can be much more
efficient than top-down design. The risk of bottom-up design is that it very efficiently
provides solutions to low-value problems. The focus of Bottom-Up design is "what can
we most efficiently do with this technology?" rather than the focus of Top-Down which is
"What is the most valuable thing to do?"

Top-down design

Top-Down design is focused on high-level functional requirements, with relatively less

focus on existing implementation technology. A top level spec is decomposed into lower
and lower level structures and specifications, until the physical implementation layer is
reached. The risk of a top-down design is that it will not take advantage of the most
efficient applications of current physical technology, especially with respect to hardware
implementation. Top-Down design sometimes results in excessive layers of lower-level
abstraction and inefficient performance when the Top-Down model has followed an
abstraction path which does not efficiently fit available physical-level technology. The
positive value of Top-Down design is that it preserves a focus on the optimum solution
requirements.

A Part-Centric Top-down design may eliminate some of the risks of Top-Down design.
This starts with a layout model, often a simple 2D sketch defining basic sizes and some
major defining parameters. Industrial Design, brings creative ideas to product
development. Geometry from this is associatively copied down to the next level, which
represents different sub-systems of the product. The geometry in the sub-systems is
then used to define more detail in levels below. Depending on the complexity of the
product, a number of levels of this assembly are created until the basic definition of
components can be identified, such as position and principal dimensions. This
information is then associatively copied to component files. In these files the
components are detailed; this is where the classic bottom-up assembly starts.

The top down assembly is sometime known as a control structure. If a single file is used
to define the layout and parameters for the review structure it is often known as a
skeleton file.

Defense engineering traditionally develops the product structure from the top down. The
system engineering process prescribes a functional decomposition of requirements and
then physical allocation of product structure to the functions. This top down approach
would normally have lower levels of the product structure developed from CAD data as
a bottom up structure or design.

Both-Ends-Against-The-Middle design

Both-Ends-Against-The-Middle (BEATM) design is a design process that endeavors to

combine the best features of Top-Down design, and Bottom-Up design into one
process. A BEATM design process flow may begin with an emergent technology which
suggests solutions which may have value, or it may begin with a top-down view of an
important problem which needs a solution. In either case the key attribute of BEATM
design methodology is to immediately focus at both ends of the design process flow: a
top-down view of the solution requirements, and a bottom-up view of the available
technology which may offer promise of an efficient solution. The BEATM design process
proceeds from both ends in search of an optimum merging somewhere between the
top-down requirements, and bottom-up efficient implementation. In this fashion, BEATM
has been shown to genuinely offer the best of both methodologies. Indeed some of the
best success stories from either top-down or bottom-up have been successful because
of an intuitive, yet unconscious use of the BEATM methodology. When employed
consciously, BEATM offers even more powerful advantages.
Front loading design and workflow

Front loading is taking top-down design to the next stage. The complete control
structure and review structure, as well as downstream data such as drawings, tooling
development and CAM models, are constructed before the product has been defined or
a project kick-off has been authorized. These assemblies of files constitute a template
from which a family of products can be constructed. When the decision has been made
to go with a new product, the parameters of the product are entered into the template
model and all the associated data is updated. Obviously predefined associative models
will not be able to predict all possibilities and will require additional work. The main
principle is that a lot of the experimental/investigative work has already been completed.
A lot of knowledge is built into these templates to be reused on new products. This does
require additional resources “up front” but can drastically reduce the time between
project kick-off and launch. Such methods do however require organizational changes,
as considerable engineering efforts are moved into “offline” development departments.
It can be seen as an analogy to creating a concept car to test new technology for future
products, but in this case the work is directly used for the next product generation.

Design in context

Individual components cannot be constructed in isolation. CAD; CAD models of

components are designed within the context of part or all of the product being
developed. This is achieved using assembly modelling techniques. Other components’
geometry can be seen and referenced within the CAD tool being used. The other
components within the sub - assembly, may or may not have been constructed in the
same system, their geometry being translated from other CPD formats. Some assembly
checking such as DMU is also carried out using Product visualization software.

Major commercial players

Total spending on PLM software and services is estimated to be above $15 billion a
year, but it is difficult to find any two market analysis reports that agree on figures]
Market growth estimates are in the 10% area.

Looking at segment split, currently most of the revenue generated is in the area of EDA
and high end MCAD (each above 15%), followed by AEC, low-end MCAD, and PDM
(each above 10%). The other notable segment is CAE at above 5%. It is however
predicted that the collaborative PDM and visualization areas will increase in dominance.

There are many companies that supply software to support the PLM process; the
largest by revenue are mentioned here. Some companies such as Dassault Systèmes
($1.7B), Siemens PLM Software (formerly UGS) ($1.4B), PTC ($1.0B), Agile Software
Corporation (now part of Oracle Corporation), and SofTech, Inc. (.011B) provide
software products that cover most of the areas of PLM functionality. Some companies
for example MSC Software ($0.3B) and Altair Engineering ($0.15B), provide packages
specializing in specific topics. One company, Aras Corp offers Microsoft-based open
source enterprise PLM solutions,[13] while others provide on-demand PLM (software as
a service) solutions. Knowledge Bench provides web-based PLM applications that are
used by pharmaceutical and food and beverage manufacturers. Additional unique
offerings include Selerant which specializes only in the process industry and provides
formulation optimization and regulatory management.

Independent PLM solution providers such as Atos Origin, Sopheon, and Capgemini
deliver PLM consulting and system integration services and help companies to identify,
design, implement, and operate appropriate PLM practices, processes and
technologies.

There are also companies whose main revenue is not from PLM but do attribute some
of their income from PLM software, such as SAP ($11B), SSA Global, Oracle
Corporation, and Autodesk ($1.5B). Other companies in this market, such as Atos
Origin, IBM ($88.9B), EDS ($19.8B), NEC ($45B), Accenture,Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS),Geometric, L&T InfoTech, HCL Technologies (HCL), ITC Infotech ,
CSM Software , Wrench Solutions and Cambridge Solutions(An Xchanging Company)
provide outsourcing and consulting services some of which is in the field of PLM.
3DPLM is a joint venture between Dassault systemes and Geometric to develop
specialised PLM solutions.

Many of these companies have emerged out of the CAD and PDM market. For a more
comprehensive list see List of CAD companies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Product life cycle and management - U.C.mathur
 Marketing management – Philip kotler