PLM Collaboration, Social Trend and Lotus Notes Memories

September 1, 2010

There are few terms in enterprise software and specifically in engineering software that was completely overused. In my view, collaboration is one of them. Collaborative design, collaborative PDM, collaborative engineering… what else? Vuuch blog about collaboration made me think about some lessons related to the development of systems that aimed to help people to work together. In addition, I found some interesting patterns in the way term "social" used these days.

Collaboration

When I hear people talking about collaboration, I am always asking them to replace the word "collaboration" to "working together". In my view, it helps them to understand the main reasons and needs. So, you decided to work together? You need to communicate (making phone call, emails, exchange instant messages), share data (documents, 3D models, Bill of materials) and keep track of all these activities (see history of your communications). I can definitely how multiple tools can be used to help me to collaborate… Oops – working together with my colleagues, people in other departments, business partners, etc.

Manufacturing and Collaboration

People in manufacturing organization need to work together… Oops – to collaborate. However, product data and everything related is not as simple as files. CAD, PDM and lately PLM vendors tried to get data under control and manage it in the way that can help people to work together. Engineering and Manufacturing systems never been simple and complication becomes one of the most critical topic in implementation of PDM, PLM and enterprise systems in general.

LotusNotes and SharePoint

I found some interesting parallels in the development of these tools. The focus of both tools is to share data between people and help them to communicate. With some extreme, I can see Lotus as a very good proof of concept used to develop latest versions of SharePoint. What is clear to me is that both products realized the basic need to share data. People need to share data in order to collaborate more efficiently. User interface (or how it now called UX – user experience) became much better in SharePoint 2007. Microsoft’s wizards learned something from Lotus’ past and earlier SharePoint baby steps. PLM companies are trying to repeat the success of SharePoint by adopting SharePoint practices. I can see some potential in this work. But world is moving faster. Web 2.0 is coming…

Drinking The Social Software Kool-Aid?

The next trend is coming – social software. It comes to us out of last 10 years of internet development. Also known as Web 2.0, social software is a cool combination of technologies, web sites and tools that helps people to communicate (they don’t need to work) together.

Blogs, wikis, social networks generated a significant interest of people in enterprise software – can we make PDM, PLM, PxM software as cool as Web 2.0 web sites?

What is my conclusion? Manufacturing enterprise companies are facing an urgent need to work more efficiently. How to work together (to collaborate) becomes one of the most important questions. This is a though one. Companies are run by emails, shared folders and lots of software pieces stitched together. It cost lots of money to companies to keep going. To crack-down a new way to work together by re-using internet technologies and web 2.0 website practices can be kinda cool. Is it possible? Web 2.0 is about pictures, videos, messages. How to make these techniques to work for 3D CAD, Products, Bill of Materials, Suppliers and still keep the same level of coolness? A very interesting question…

Best, Oleg

Leave a Comment » | Daily PLM Think Tank | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

PLM and Supply Chain in Web 2.0 Era

March 29, 2010

I was thinking about supply chain issues during this weekend. When life of manufacturers becomes even more complicated than before, issues related to the supply chain or more, specifically to an ability to control and protect your brand from various supply chain issues raising their priorities. Supplier-related issues can significantly impact the whole product lifecycle starting from time-line and ending by serious quality and regulation issues.

I came across Cristian Verstraetet blog post – Protect Your Brand Through Controlling Your Supply Chain. He is mentioning some interesting ideas that from his standpoint can put a surge protector between supply chain and brands. As such, he mentioned growing need to monitor social activity around your brand in order to identify the possible problems earlier, establishing code of business conduct and dialog between OEMs and suppliers.

I think web and online monitoring are the essentials of the business these days. It is absolutely true for personal brands and for large international companies. When thinking about Web 2.0 trends, I definitely Supply Chain Management 2.0 capabilities to use the information on World Wide Web that can help to organize a more effective supply chain. However, last two issues made me think about some problems where I believe a solution can come from Product Lifecycle Management systems and implementations. I’d like to figure out two important issues related to supplier management: Product Data Integration and Supply Attention Economy.

Product Data Integration
In my view, the issue of data integration between OEMs and Suppliers will come to the emergent level of the attention very soon. The ugly truths of this issue is that nobody these days can provide a consistent product data landscape from OEM (or Tier 1) side on what is going on in the supply chains. The complexity of the system is so high that companies are mostly focused on procedures of data transfer between OEMs and Suppliers. However, the data quality will start alarming very soon. It stats from various regulation topics and need to provide up-to-date information related to product bill of materials and ends from the ability to optimize product behavior.

Attention Economy and Cost Control
This one is a bit more complicated. Nevertheless, I see it as an emergent trend in a couple of years. The supplier relationships G-forces are moving from centrally controlled OEM-Supplier model to somewhat I’d call Supplier-Focused. It means that we’ll see a growing number of suppliers and much more complicated supply chain network. Internet, online business, globalization will play an additional role in helping to create a more granular supply chain. However, how possible to optimize this network. Here what is called “Economy of Attention” will come. In simple words the relationships between OEM and Suppliers are going to change. It won’t be completely controlled by upper supplier level anymore. The suppliers will be pro-actively looking how to optimize their business by offering their business online. It will come in design, supply, manufacturing. However, it will also change upper OEM/Supplier level. Their systems will need to come to the higher level of optimization. Such structural changes will allow to optimize cost and improve the quality of products and services.

Image by www.brandingstrategyinsider.com

The PLM domain is the best candidate to think about such a type of system development. The obvious advantage of PLM is an ability to handle Product related data. However, PLM will need to learn a lot in order to move into this interesting journey.

Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg

Share

1 Comment | Daily PLM Think Tank, Future Trends, Supply Chain | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

PLM Prompt: Mashups open up for PLM business?

August 4, 2009

Mashups are new technologies came to us with The Web 2.0 era.

Wikipedia: In web development, a mashup is a web page or application that combines data or functionality from two or more external sources to create a new service. The term mashup implies easy, fast integration, frequently using open APIs and data sources to produce results that were not the original reason for producing the raw source data. An example of a mashup is the use of cartographic data to add location information to real estate data, thereby creating a new and distinct Web service that was not originally provided by either source.

Interesting article drove my attention today. Some time ago I already wrote about Mashups and I want to get back to this theme again. It looks like mashup were very successful in applications like Google Map, but failed to start in enterprise applications and PLM is one of them.

What do you think? Have you had chance to meet Mashup implementations in organization around ERP, CRM, PDM, PLM?

I’m going to come with more stuff about mashups. Stay tuned…

Best, Oleg

9 Comments | Enterprise 2.0, PLM Prompt | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

What will be the future potential cost saving with PLM 2.0?

May 27, 2009

Web 2.0 and following 2.0 technologies came to us a few years ago (around 2003 and 2004) and changed the way people interact with the Web. Web 2.0 created a massive wave of 2.0 and social technologies (including Enterprise 2.0) and changed the way people work in many areas in our lives. Back in 2008, PLM companies such as DS and PTC introduced new offerings (PLM 2.0 and Social Product Development) based on concepts of Web 2.0 and social development. I’d like to discuss the various aspects where future PLM 2.0 technologies can impact what we are doing today in and around PLM.

One of the important characteristics of the future PLM 2.0 is the potential cost saving factor for enterprises. Usage of Web 2.0 has changed the way enterprises work. Here are my potential cost saving factors for companies implementing future PLM 2.0 technologies:

1. Optimize communication, reduce email, streamline processes

Social tools and the internet can simplify communication. People are more connected and easily communicating. Open social communication reduces the need for email and simplifies processes. Collaboration will be easy. You will easily be able to find relevant people to communicate to inside and outside the organization. Companies will reduce online storages (i.e. for mails) and will move gradually to cloud-based services.

2. Improve information transparency

Product data and related information will become more available. You will be able to easy share information outside of the engineering organization, collaborating with people downstream – in manufacturing and sales – as well as with people in the value chain. Social tools such as wikis, blogs and others will establish a more transparent layer of information sharing.

3. Reduce IT costs

There are two main sources of IT cost reduction. First of all, PLM 2.0 rely more on internet and other social resources that have a much lower cost compared to dedicated corporate IT expenses. Secondly, the ability to share resources (corporate and public clouds) will bring additional IT savings.

4. Reduce integration costs

Usage of Internet technologies will lower the cost of integration. The use of open Web-based technologies will streamline the ability to integrate data and systems across the enterprise and value chain. You can use Mashup and other Web tools to manipulate, mix, and share data among people and applications.

5. Reduce printing services

Development of various connectivity and information share options will decrease the need for printing services. This will happen in organizations as a result of the wider availability of information outside of an organization – in the sales and supply chains. Wide usage of internet and mobile devices will reduce the need for paper materials.

6. Change trend in software cost

Last, but not least. The leverage of Internet, Web 2.0 and other 2.0 technologies brings a stream of new providers to the PLM eco-system. These providers are less dependent on legacy, on-premise product offering and maintenance revenue streams. These companies will be more dynamic and will drive the software cost trend down. Many companies will be leveraging this new trend.

I think that the future of PLM 2.0 is good, but still very challenging. We have seen dramatic changes in Web 2.0 and changes that the following technologies made in our life and on social communication. I’m sure that PLM 2.0 has a great potential and am looking forward to your opinions and discussions.

Leave a Comment » | Daily PLM Think Tank, PLM User Experience | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

PLM 2.0: Technology or Facelift?

February 26, 2009

Since last year, I have seen many discussions on the Web about PLM 2.0. The number of posts is growing…

I searched on the PLM side, starting from the initial Dassault Systems announcements last year: Dassault Systems: PLM 2.0 Online for all based on V6 Platform. This topic was continued by multiple blogs and news articles PLM 2.0 – lifelike experience. In addition, I found a section in a Wikipedia article about PLM 2.0. Wikipedia outlines PLM 2.0 as Web-based SaaS applications focusing on collaboration, social networking and easy created business processes. At the same time, lifelike experience (i.e. handling of CAD-based models in virtual reality using game controllers like Wii) wasn’t mentioned. A few months ago, PTC came out with a SharePoint based on Windchill ProductPoint, enabling social product development. This is based on the usage of SharePoint User Interface and the ability to share CAD data in social networks. Actually, I didn’t find a consolidated view about how PLM 2.0 is defined.

On the Web side, analyzing Web 2.0, in a nutshell, I can summarize a technological short list of Web 2.0 as following:

RSS Feeds for data syndication allows the manipulation data coming from different sources (i.e. web services etc.)

Web Services for interoperability and APIs

Rich User Experience also, maybe, known as Rich Internet Applications

Folksonomies – the ability to make data classification based on a user’s definitions of tags, social indexes etc.

Mashups – technology that allows you to mix data delivered by multiple sources (i.e. web services, websites…)

Blogs – user generated content that can be easy created, shared and used for collaboration purposes.  

So, where is PLM 2.0 going? Is it new technology that will create a revolution in product development or facelift existing PLM by reusing of Web 2.0 technologies? Or maybe this is just an “Everything 2.0” marketing buzz?

Comparing the above Web 2.0 technological with the announced capabilities of PLM products has not shown me any similarities. Lifelike experience and the ability of DS V6 to run everything on top of an application server backed up with RDBMS allows me to think that RSS and Web Services can be enabled to deliver data to relevant social communities. But, at the same time, PLM content continues to be complex and not easy to Mashup. Therefore, I see that there’s a long way to go for PLM in order to solve these problems and crash the barriers among today’s PLM people and the larger communities of manufacturers, supply chain users and consumers. 

3 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, PLM and organization, Technology | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

Is PLM too Complex to Mashup?

February 23, 2009

 I was amazed to discover that there is almost no reference to PLM systems using Mashup technologies. So, what is wrong with Mashups? My impression was this is a very successful technology since Mashup usage is growing in multiple vertical industries. Starting with Google Maps, Mashups show their power through their ability to combine data coming from multiple sources. So, why don’t PLM systems understand this value?

 My initial assumption takes me back to PLM content management. PLM absolutely dislikes the ability of foreign systems to touch and manipulate content – design, bill of materials etc. The core perception is that this content is complex and cannot be simply extracted from a PLM system. At the same time, most of the successful Mashup technologies are based on their ability to take data from multiple systems and merge them together – in other words “mash” them “up”.

 So, what we can do to improve this?  How can we popularize PLM content? – by allowing multiple functions in PLM software to extract content such as models and drawings,  Bill of Materials etc., and make them available in formats and representations that can mash-them-up to something people will actually use. I can find multiple use cases for this such as mash-up design information with CRM systems – to see what parts of a design are most problematic in customer reports. I’m sure you will be able to find more applications and use cases for such Mashups…

 What is a Mashup? – ZDNet

 Let me know if you have experience with Mashups and have found them useful…

26 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, Technology | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

My favorite PLM and PLM-related technologies for 2008

January 5, 2009

At the end of the year and at the beginning of the new year, there are a log of posts that are generated summarizing the past and predicting the future. Since I’ve already covered the future in my first post of 2009,  “PLM Dream Technologies for 2009”, now I’d like to talk about the past.

 The following is my top 5 list for the “PLM technological jungles” in 2008.

 1.    PLM 2.0 concept

Technologically, PLM 2.0, in my view, takes product lifecycle management to the next level of capabilities by adding “openness”. My main concern about Enterprise PLM today is about the disconnection of people and processes within an organization.  PLM 2.0 breathes new, fresh air into this space. Now all data is available online for all, with transparent tools. Although there are still a  lot of issues related to interoperability that need to be resolved, the technical achievements presented today in PLM 2.0 allow users to work online on the same components and assemblies.  These  (technological achievements) are very interesting and impressive.

 2.    Direct Modeling

This technology is trying to make 3D more user friendly and, as a result, widely available for people. This technological trend was presented by multiple existing, new and leading providers in the CAD/PLM space. Overall, this technology, popularizes 3D to the masses and definitely takes CAD/PLM downstream. With the development of this technology, more users in CAD/PLM eco-systems will be able to use 3D in their daily lives – manufacturing, marketing, customer support etc.

 3.    Web 2.0

Rather than being a  particular technology, Web 2.0 provides a specific set of technological capabilities that has changed the Web into a ‘Web of participation’. One of the top technological needs in PLM, in my view, is the ability to connect people. The Web 2.0 technological trend majorly impacted and influenced PLM 2.0 definitions. The success of Web 2.0 technologies and awareness (such as blogs, Wikis etc.) has impacted and will continue to impact the PLM community significantly.

 4.    Mashups

The peak of excitement around Mashups came from Google maps. This is the first and foremost example of successful and practical Mashups. There are additional vendors in the Mashup world such as Yahoo Pipes, Microsoft Popfly and others. In my view, Mashups is heavily under-invested in PLM. Moreover, there are some very serious technological and community oriented influencers that are preventing some Mashups from succeeding . I’m excited about it, but this still needs to happen.

 5.    RIA

Rich Internet Application is a very important technology. In my opinion, RIA marks the end of discussion regarding what’s the best Web or Desktop solution. RIA moves the Web from an application name to technology, allowing access over Web only. What’s more, it also provides an overall agreement about users’ needs regarding user experience and user acceptance – this is one of the top priorities of PLM

 This sums up is my “top -five”. I’d be interested in knowing if you agree with my ranking, or what other technologies to add to this list.

2 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

Micro-blogs and Micro-content for PLM

December 18, 2008

 I was looking at the evolution of content-based communication and found the association between micro-blogging and micro-content interesting. The idea I’d like to raise is the possible evolution of micro-blogs and micro-content services as communication between people during the product lifecycle process. The most popular way that people communicate today is messaging. Messaging in various forms – emails, messages connected to processes, and instant messaging is a dominant way of communication for people in manufacturing organizations irrespective of their sizes. But it remains the most inefficient way of corporate communication. Overflowing mail boxes, disconnected processes etc. definitely require improvement. 

A micro-blog is a way to communicate via a short text of multimedia messages between a registered group of people. Micro-blogs provide a way of communicating a short commentary to communicate between people for different purposes. By Connecting to micro-blogs micro-content has emerged. Micro-content can be defined as content available via single available URL. Successful adoption of consumer-oriented micro-blogs such as Twitter (what are doing?) service has raised the question about the possible usage of micro-blogs and related content technologies for business.

 Possible scenarios of usage for product design and manufacturing can include cross-functional team notification for groups of designers, product promotion via sales and marketing channel communications, maintenance operation notification, and others. That being said, the availability of PLM micro-content in lightweight compatible design formats, aggregated content and combination of various product related information at a single point of access (micro-content URL) can optimize communication among people.

 

14 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

PLM Structured World in Web 2.0 Language

December 17, 2008

I’d like to get back to my ideas related to structured data. I touched it in my previous posts related to Tagging and Structured vs. Unstructured.

There are two Web 2.0 related technologies I’d like to touch today – Folksonomies and Tag Clouds.

Folksonomies is method to create classification of data based on user generated input. In opposite to taxonomy, that created before actually data already exist, folksonomy can be applied on existing set of data and can reflect way specific user classify this data. So, without changing of data, you can apply classification reflecting needs of customers and, what is very important – created by customers. This Folksonomies can be created by customers directly as well as generated by you application based on attributes and other type of data (also 3D data).

Tag cloud is visual presentation of data based on Folksonomy classification. Tag cloud presents weighted tags (words), normally ordered by particular criteria. Weight used to present frequency or amount of data and can help users in analyzing of information, filtering of big data sets or selection of results.  

These two technologies can be used together to create user interface for data discovery. Such user experience can be customized to preference of each user, since each particular user will be able to correct and modify folksonomy initially generated by system. I like this approach as way to create unique data selection and analyzes experience. This is also excellent filtering user interface you can use together with search. Example of visualization can be cloud of tags/words representing changes in the product including change frequency.

 

 You can try the following web service that can allow you to generate tag cloud from any data set or web site:  http://www.tagcloud-generator.com/.

 Your comments?

3 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, PLM User Experience | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

How to reinforce PLM by additional technologies – round #2 – Tagging

December 12, 2008

 

In one of my previous posts (Structured vs. Unstructured) I wrote about ability of PLM to bring additional advantages to users by leveraging technologies emerged in consumer market and web applications. In particular I talked about ability to manage flat view on product data. We are so regular to see all data structured and sometime to manage flat look on what we are doing brings excellent results. 

Topic I’d like to bring today to discussion is tagging. In context of data management – metadata tagging is most relevant in my view. Tag is non-hierarchical keyword associated with particular piece of information. In my view tagging can simplify way users can reach PLM-related information. You can tag things across regular information structures (Projects, Assemblies, Documents, EBOMs etc.). By using tags you can bring flat list of TODO actions for today pointing on different Item Masters, BOMs, Assemblies. 

Tagging is very popular in web 2.0 applications and used widely in blogs, web sites and wikis. Del.icio.us is probably most known service to tag web links. So, I think it will be good idea to bring tagging to PLM applications.

What is your opinion on this? 

PS. I almost finished to write this post and worked on links when I’ve seen last product came out of SolidWorks Labs – Tagger. I liked way you can tag part of SolidWorks assmeblies. So, if you are SolidWorks user you can try to experiment with this and hope it will come in other applications too.


7 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, PLM User Experience | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

« Previous Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 71 other followers