1.2   What is 4G:PLM?

Product Lifecycle Manage (PLM)

PLM software integrates information systems, individuals and processes to improve the product development process.

It supports the creation, management and distribution of product and product-related data through an extended enterprise.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is the process of managing people, data, processes and business systems and provides a product information backbone for companies and their extended enterprise.

Production Stages

In the industry, PLM works in stage of workflow that is defined by the production. The stages are defined as follows:

 

Stage 1: Computer Aided Design (CAD). Engineers and/or designers work to create a design for a product. These designs, 3D or 2D, are often created in CAD formats or in other authoring tools.

Stage 2: Product Data Management (PDM). PDM is used to track and control data related to a particular product. The focus is file version management.  For SolidWorks users, Activault from SolidPartners, is a PDM or vaulting tool which handles the file relationships used in SolidWorks CAD.

Stage 3: Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). PLM works to define the lifecycle of the product, and in contrast to PDM, focuses on managing items that can be ordered or built, as opposed to simple file version.

Stage 4: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP help with all of the extended enterprise processes needed to procure, build product or deliver it.