Even with the best of intentions, it’s easy for organizations to lose sight of the big picture when embarking on a PLM program. Program and IT managers get bogged down in the weeds of tactical project management; business sponsors move on to other priorities once the basic direction is set. But it is the companies that sustain a strategic approach to managing long-term transformation with PLM that reap the real rewards.

1. Global Services Insight
PTC.comPage 1 of 3 | Strategic Approach to PLM
How a Strategic, Big-Picture
Approach to PLM Pays Off
By Rob Leavitt
Even with the best of intentions, it’s easy for
organizations to lose sight of the big picture when
embarking on a PLM program. Program and IT
managers get bogged down in the weeds of tactical
project management; business sponsors move on
to other priorities once the basic direction is set.
But it is the companies that sustain a strategic
approach to managing long-term transformation
with PLM that reap the real rewards.

2. Global Services Insight
PTC.comPage 2 of 3 | Strategic Approach to PLM
A global manufacturer of parts for automotive, industrial, and aerospace industries
provides a great example of the benefits of shifting from tactical to strategic.
Bogged down in phase one. The company began its current PLM journey back in
2008 with the general idea of improving efficiency in product development and
production as it expanded in key markets around the world.
In practical terms, however, the actual program focused on replacing an old product
data management application with a new one. In other words, program leadership
zeroed in on a narrow IT project with little attention to the potentially more valu-
able issues of improving business processes and fleshing out a longer term plan to
achieve strategic advantage with a new approach to product development.
Refocusing on the strategic. In what turned out to be a blessing in disguise, the com-
pany put its software migration project on hold when the economic crisis hit in 2009.
During that time, the company was able to step back and reassess its approach to
and goals for the program. Working closely with PTC Global Services, business lead-
ers realized that they needed to shift focus from an IT replacement project to one
focused on transforming the business with PLM.
The new, more strategic focus empowered engineering and IT leadership to be more
ambitious in planning to achieve the company’s ultimate business goals of realiz-
ing improvements in product development efficiency. Rather than focusing mainly
on near-term software migration at company headquarters, the program agenda
broadened. This expanded scope included the longer term development of a common
PLM platform and harmonized processes to decentralize and accelerate product
development across all of the company’s business units worldwide.
Over the next several years, the company invested in strategic planning and
alignment to enable this vision, including:
• Developing a detailed, multi-year, multi-phase roadmap
• Recruiting the necessary resources – including the CTO and VP of
Corporate Engineering – to ensure executive-level governance
• Defining a value scorecard to measure business impact and success
Managing strategic transformation. By 2012, the program was in solid shape, with
governance working well and process transformation moving forward. The early-
phase migration was complete with strong adoption across the organization and
follow-on capabilities being implemented. An updated roadmap outlined the next
major steps through 2014. A new focus on systems engineering was integrated into
the overall plan, with initial steps underway.
Overall, the company is on track and confident of achieving significant gains in prod-
uct development efficiency, as desired in its initial vision. Looking back, it seems
clear that the shift in mind-set and focus from near-term migration to long-term
transformation has made all the difference.

3. Global Services Insight
PTC.comPage 3 of 3 | Strategic Approach to PLM
About PTC Global Services
The 1400 professionals at PTC Global Services help the world’s
leading manufacturing companies gain product and service advan-
tage through solution strategy and design, process transformation,
technology configuration, and organizational training and adoption.
Our in-house experts and premium services partners work over-
time to ensure the best possible results and maximum return on
investment. Learn more at PTC.com/consulting.
For more Insights from the Global Services team, please visit:
http://blogs.ptc.com/category/strategy/. Or scan this code with
your mobile device:
© 2013, PTC Inc. (PTC). All rights reserved. Information described
herein is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change
without notice, and should not be taken as a guarantee, commit-
ment, condition or offer by PTC. PTC, the PTC logo, Windchill,
and all other PTC product names and logos are trademarks or
registered trademarks of PTC and/or its subsidiaries in the United
States and other countries. All other product or company names
are property of their respective owners. The timing of any prod-
uct release, including any features or functionality, is subject to
change at PTC’s discretion.
J1808–GS_Insight_StratApproPLM–EN–0313
About the Author
Rob Leavitt is Director of Thought Leadership
at PTC Global Services, the consulting arm
of PTC. A long-time advisor to top technology
and IT services firms, Rob works with PTC
consultants, partners, and customers
to advance understanding of key issues
and challenges in product development,
manufacturing, and after-market service.
Contact Rob at rleavitt@ptc.com. Follow Rob
on Twitter at @PTC_Consulting.