In Episode 13 of Razorleaf’s Stay Sharp podcast, Insights on PLM and the Industry with Peter Schroer, Jen Ferello and Razorleaf CEO Eric Doubell talk with Peter Schroer, Aras Corporation’s founder and former CEO, about what has and hasn’t changed in PLM over the past two decades. Peter’s experience in PLM and the technologies that are driving innovation in product manufacturing sparks a wide-ranging discussion that includes where the digital manufacturing industry is headed, misconceptions and missed opportunities in PLM, and how everyone involved in the industry should be talking and thinking about PLM and digital transformations.
PLM: More Than CAD Files
Jonathan starts the discussion by asking Peter about the most impressive thing he’s seen implemented and done in his years in the industry. Peter explains that what got him the most excited was seeing companies that moved beyond CAD and used PLM in different, creative ways. “We’ve had customers that have done everything from requirements management, BOM management, supplier management, all the way through,” he says. Ten to 15 years ago, he adds, “They actually built a CRM system on the platform.”
Another example, the U.S. Army using a PLM system as a tool crib, leads to the idea of PLM as potentially the ultimate configuration management tool. Peter notes, “I think that’s the secret sauce that most of our industry has lost sight of. This never really was just about a folder full of 3D CAD files. Configuration management is a ton of information that has to get matched to the version of the product that you’re building or supporting out in the field.”
The Ongoing Evolution of PLM Systems
Jen, Eric, and Peter switch focus to how PLM systems are evolving and changing. Peter’s opinion is, “They’re not changing fast enough. We’ve had incremental improvements, to be sure. The digital transformation of manufacturing is still not done, and we’re not getting to it fast enough.” Jen pushes to understand what’s not moving quickly, whether it’s the tools not improving, people not implementing, or people not changing their approach.
Peter feels vendors bear a good portion of the blame for marketing PLM as an out-of-the-box solution. “Are the vendors or even the customers doing it wrong? Frankly, it’s a lot of both. The idea that PLM is a piece of software I can buy, it’s going to come with best practices, and then we’re done. It’s a project, and when the project’s done, that part of my business is fixed. That’s just a myth. PLM is more of a philosophy. It’s a process of continuous improvement.”
Peter goes on to say that in his experience, the companies that are successfully making quality products are those doing continuous improvement, and that’s at odds with the plug-and-play mentality people have after implementing ERP or CRM systems, for example. He thinks the way we talk about and present PLM needs to change. The customers he’s seen be the most successful, who “did incredible things in terms of driving optimization, their design process, their manufacturing, the product quality got better—they were treating PLM almost like it’s an approach or a methodology or a philosophy.” The industry would be better off if PLM wasn’t considered a project, but more of a mindset or a continuous improvement project supported by software.
The Single Source of Truth
Another industry misconception Peter identifies concerns the concept of the “single source of truth.” The single source of truth has been thought to reside in a single platform or a single system. To Peter’s way of thinking, however, as we enter our Big Data era, no one’s ever going to have a single, monolithic system. Instead, we’re going to have multiple systems with integrations everywhere. So the single source of truth is really the digital thread.
“And maybe, all the way at the end of the process, you’ve also got a digital twin representing instances of the product out in the field,” he says. “The single source of truth is still our North Star. It’s the direction we’re headed in. But it’s not a single piece of software, it’s going to be a network of applications and processes and training the employees.” This idea supports another concept that Peter shares, that the digital transformation is a journey of continuous improvement. “The PLM is a philosophy of this journey or the transformation that you’re embarking on.”
Learn More About PLM and the Industry
The full podcast episode offers many more details on what the industry needs to do to support manufacturers’ digital journeys, where he sees opportunities for entrepreneurs or new companies to innovate in the industry, what he thinks will be different about the lifecycle of products in the next 10 years and beyond, and much more.
Check out Stay Sharp Episode 13: Insights on PLM and the Industry with Peter Schroer and join us each week for a new episode.
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