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What is PLM software?
Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing complex product information, engineering and manufacturing workflows, and collaboration.
PLM software connects people, processes, and data across the entire product lifecycle to a central repository of information. So everyone from the conceptual designer to the end-customer is on the same page, sharing the same up-to-date product definition.
Benefits of product lifecycle management
The ultimate purpose of PLM software is to accelerate product development and increase profitability.
Accelerate time-to-value
Make your product development processes more efficient and break down silos, so you can get your products to market faster.
Eliminate process bottlenecks
Minimize delays and bottlenecks by providing the tools to design and define processes and workflows, along with their associated tasks, gates and milestones.
Improve strategic decisions
Create a central repository for all product data. Give people access to the right data at the right time, so they can make more strategic and informed decisions.
Product lifecycle management capabilities
Learn how PLM software can help make processes more efficient across your entire organization. Visit our PLM resource center to learn more.
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Bill of materials (BOM) management
BOM is too important to leave open to errors. PLM software helps you manage, visualize, and share up-to-date BOM information across the organization in real-time.
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Engineering change management
Provide a clear view of the details that are needed in order to understand and approve engineering change requests (ECR) and engineering change orders (ECO).
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New product introduction (NPI / NPD)
Establish efficient and repeatable NPI processes: offer real-time views of the development status, and track milestones of all products in development.
See how people are using PLM
Watch videos to learn how Autodesk customers are using PLM software to help their businesses. More PLM customer stories
Bringing products to market faster
To bring their products to production faster, Porex uses PLM to link quality data, manufacturing data, product development, and design information. (video: 3:04 min.)
Managing complex BOMs
Swivl uses PLM software to accurately track their complex BOMs with the limited personnel resources often found at a startup.(video: 55 sec.)
Connecting engineering and manufacturing
Memjet integrates PLM and ERP (enterprise resource planning) to maintain product quality, while expanding their manufacturing capabilities across the globe. (video: 3:05 min.)
PLM in the cloud
Cloud-based PLM offers many advantages over traditional on-premise product lifecycle management, including:
- Lower total cost of ownership
- No hardware to purchase or servers to maintain
- No upgrades or associated delays due to redeployment
- Faster implementation
- Instantly on
- Secure access anytime, anywhere
PLM for startups and small businesses
PLM helps build a solid foundation of efficient and repeatable processes to support your startup’s rapid growth. Managing development processes manually with emails and spreadsheets might work in the short term, but not when it's time to ramp up production.
While PLM is often associated with large enterprises, it can be even more important to the success of small and medium sized businesses. With the cloud, the benefits of PLM are finally available to startups and small businesses.
Cloud path to PLM
In this eBook, Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights explores the benefits of cloud-based PLM solutions.
Is PLM right for me?
Take our PLM quiz to see if cloud-based PLM can help your business.
PLM beyond engineering
In this whitepaper, Jim Brown of Tech-Clarity shares survey results exploring the value of PLM.
PLM software by Autodesk
Easy-to-use, affordable, cloud-based PLM software.
Part of the Fusion product innovation platform.
Talk to us about your PLM needs
Questions about product lifecycle management or Fusion Lifecycle? We're happy to answer questions or give you a personal demo.