Comments on: PLM vs. ERP: Weird or Different?

By: ERP vs. PLM: More Competition in The Future? | microclicker.com

ERP vs. PLM: More Competition in The Future? | microclicker.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:57:41 +0000

[...] between PLM and ERP in this white paper reminded me one of my old posts from the last year – PLM vs. ER: Weird or Different? Even so, I discussed few very specific differentiations, in my view, it becomes less relevant in a [...]

By: ERP vs. PLM: More Competition in The Future? « Daily PLM Think Tank Blog

ERP vs. PLM: More Competition in The Future? « Daily PLM Think Tank Blog — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:18:50 +0000

By: ERP vs. PLM: More Competition in The Future?

ERP vs. PLM: More Competition in The Future? — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:16:52 +0000

[...] between PLM and ERP in this white paper reminded me one of my old posts from the last year - PLM vs. ER: Weird or Different? Even so, I discussed few very specific differentiations, in my view, it becomes less relevant in a [...]

By: olegshilovitsky

olegshilovitsky — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:46:53 +0000

Madhusudan, Thanks for commenting! In my view, Enterprise Assets Management has no clear position space. I had chance to see multiple approaches – ERP, PLM… Most of them works and hugely depends on whole environment of deployed systems. Best, Oleg

By: Madhusudan

Madhusudan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:17:21 +0000

Hi Oleg
Where do you place Enterprise Asset Management solutions in this paradigm. For e.g. OEMs use a PLM tool to develop power generation equipment and this equipment is in turn maintained by a power utilities with a EAM tool.

By: olegshilovitsky

olegshilovitsky — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:21:01 +0000

Catherine, Thanks for your comment and welcome to PLM Think Tank! Yes, I agree, PLM and ERP should work together. However, approaches might be different. To have them work in sync can create a situation when systems can be literally blocked. So, my preference is to have the most flexible connection between systems. Mashup, as a technological approach is the most interesting. Best, Oleg

By: Catherine Graham

Catherine Graham — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:16:45 +0000

I agree with Lokendra. When PLM and the correct ERP are working in sync, there is better communications, leading to a ‘cleaner’ system.

By: olegshilovitsky

olegshilovitsky — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:33:02 +0000

Andy, Thanks! What you are saying make a perfect sense to me. However, the obvious mashup’s problem (and not only for PLM, but for the enterprise in general too) is the complexity of data you need to mash-up. If you haven’t had chance to see one of my posts about that, please take a look here – http://plmtwine.com/2009/02/23/is-plm-too-complex-to-mashup/

What do you think about that?
Best, Oleg

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:36:46 +0000

Oleg, from what I’ve seen the issue gets complicated when someone demands a “single source of record”. When one system has to be the official source of record then things get sticky.

On the other hand, the mashup concept of delivering information to the desktop for decision making is much easier to implement. In the mashup model you can grab info from multiple sources of record without disturbing the existing processes. In the mashup model the engineer gets the necessary info to design the part and everyone still gets to plug info into their existing systems.

I don’t see any way today to integrate PLM and ERP systems in a large company other than some sort of mashup approach. Existing ERP systems such as Oracle are a joke in the PLM space, especially as you get over to PDM functions. PLM systems such as TeamCenter or Windchill can’t run a planning system or handle the financial transactions.

About the only thing that can be implemented without spending a fortune is some sort of data mashup where information is pulled out of the big systems as needed and routed to the desktop for consumption.

By: olegshilovitsky

olegshilovitsky — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:43:35 +0000

Martijn, The vision of PLM+ERP is important. However, today it looks as a dream. Those systems that work more efficiently are based completely on ERP platforms and at the same time missing points and capabilities related to product development. Mixed PLM/ERP implementations are expensive and not happens in the mainstream. The need of both systems today is obvious (before the main point was about no actual need for PLM). So, both systems need to work in their environment. To make integration cheaper from the technological standpoint can be an interesting step to see. Best, Oleg