Implementing PLM across an organization or even only in a few functional areas of a company is a major undertaking. A good plan and implementation methodology are critically important to ensure the success of the project and to complete on time and on budget. Our advisors and consultants have managed and lead dozens of successful PLM implementation projects in large and small companies across all industries and have gained invaluable experience and expertise in what it takes to guarantee the desired outcome. Following are the steps they are recommending:
- Define your processes and best practices (see a list of processes typically automated with a PLM system)
- Define use cases (what you want users to be able to do with the system; see our sample use cases)
- Define requirements based on the use cases (a predefined PLM Requirements Specification will help to significantly reduce the time and effort required for this activity)
- Find a PLM system that best meets your requirements (see PLM Evaluation White Paper)
- Design the system based on the processes, use cases and requirements
- Define a test case for each requirement (see our sample Test Cases)
- Configure and test the system in several sprints based on the test cases
- Document and fix issues (see our PLM Issue Log)
- Test and validate the system
- Train users
- Set up a post-go-live support organization (see our sample Service Level Agreement)
- Go live