Product lifecycle management in the field of tension of digitalization

The challenges of digitization place unprecedented demands on the process and IT landscape in the PLM environment. The digital twin, smart IoT products, Industry 4.0 applications and especially software-driven products are causing product complexity to grow so rapidly that the internal PLM backbone is needed to to cope with the increasing product complexity can can hardly keep pace.

Processes and IT have often grown historically. A clear architecture that aligns all disciplines with the product strategy is missing. The PLM catalyst tends to prevent this from happening.

We often see unclear responsibilities and undefined competencies in companies as one of the important triggers. While the need for change is recognized. However, the actual tasks are distributed to the departments and functional areas by “watering can” with insufficient scope and interface definition, without ensuring central coordination.

The result is a fragmented PLM landscape of isolated solutions. This leads to process and media breaks, as well as multi-source and redundant data storage. This slows down processes and inhibits the company’s innovative strength.

Companies are tempted to apply traditional PLM methods to the management of software and E/E artifacts. There is a lack of awareness that their lifecycle differs considerably from that of mechanical components and that they require their own methods.

Ultimately, IT faces the challenge of holding together disparate systems and a multitude of data pots. It literally finds itself in interface “hell”, where errors, frictional losses and high costs arise. However, IT can only minimally curb this through its own efforts.

Our Services

We address these areas of tension and help your company to untie the knots. Our goal is to align processes and IT with your product strategy towards an integrated and powerful PLM. PLM thus becomes the enabler of your digitization strategy.

For us, PLM is not just IT, but we understand PLM as a holistic view of products, processes and IT.
All-inclusive service or modular, according to your needs:

Create awareness

PLM Discovery Workshops

With our Discovery Workshops we support you to take new perspectives, to broaden your horizons and to find the right approach to solve your challenges. We offer the following workshops specifically for the topic of PLM – but we would also be happy to design workshops individually according to your wishes:

PLM in a nutshell
Do you also have frequent discussions in your company about what PLM actually is? What is involved? And what is the state of the art? We show you the world of modern PLM IT and process methods and reflect this with you on the needs in your company.

Result: Shared understanding of PLM processes and methods, and how they work in the company.

Target group: Business units, IT, multipliers along the PLM-relevant process chains.

PLM maturity analysis – Is your PLM fit for digitization?
You give us an insight into your product strategy and we then create a fingerprint with you to determine whether your current PLM processes and IT are already at a sufficient level of maturity for implementation.

Result: Identification of the essential fields of action in the PLM environment to enable the progressive digitization of your product.

Target group: Product managers as well as representatives of the business units and IT.

Pain points in PLM
Do you have an overview of the pain your PLM landscape is already causing today? To build awareness, we conduct interviews with your employees.

Result: Clear report for use in your decision making.

Target group: departments, especially development and supply chain.

Project consolidation

We take a close look at your current PLM activities and check where they have intersections or dependencies with regard to your scope.

Result: Identification of where activities can cross-fertilize in a synergistic way, or where there is a risk of conflicting approaches.

Target group: Internal project managers and management

As-is analysis of your PLM system and process landscape

Are you aware of all processes, systems and their dependencies in the PLM environment? Or is the knowledge distributed among many heads, departments and files? We also bring transparency to your current state as a starting point for roadmapping towards the PLM Big Picture.

Result: Process and/or system map

Target group: IT and business departments

Shape the future

Big Picture Alignment

From your product strategy, we derive the target picture for a future-proof PLM landscape together with the product managers and representatives of the specialist departments.

Result: Target picture in the form of a big picture

Target group: Product managers, specialist departments and IT, with the participation of management

Support in IT system selection

Together with you, we will find the PLM solutions that are right for your company and that optimally support your PLM big picture.

Result: Documented shortlist with recommendations

Target group: IT with user participation

Roadmapping

Rome wasn’t built in a day – and a PLM landscape can’t be completely transformed overnight either.
Together, we’ll create a roadmap for moving purposefully from your current state to your Big Picture.

Result: Roadmap with documentation of dependencies

Target group: Business units and IT

Hit the road

Project management and control

BHC is happy to take over project management in change or IT projects. We work together with your internal departments as well as your IT service providers. If necessary, we will put you in touch with trusted partners to provide additional developer resources.

Result and target group: depending on the project

Agilization of processes - without dogmatism

Mechanical engineering in particular is characterized by classic waterfall systems. Benefit from our expertise to make your processes fit for shorter time to market of digital products. We sound out the potentials and limits of agile methods with you.
Our experts take into account the different needs of mechanical and software development – and believe us: in mechanics, agile works more often than you might think.

Result: Agilized processes – where it makes sense.

Target group: departments, especially development

Ensure sustainable success

Success Reviews

The project is successfully completed, everyday life returns. In order not to fall back into old patterns of thinking, a sustainable success control is important. An appropriate time after project completion, we compare the achieved actual state against the original project scope for you.

Result: Target/actual analysis, if necessary with recommendation of readjustment or stabilization measures.

Target group: Project participants

External sparring partner

Your internal key users are motivated, but lack someone with whom they can discuss PLM-specific topics at eye level? We enter the ring with your employees and offer them the opportunity to question the tried and true and discuss new approaches.

Result: Motivation and professional strengthening of your key users to increase employee satisfaction and willingness to innovate.

Target group: Internal key users and multipliers

Train the Trainer

The project has been successfully completed, but the newly introduced processes could sit even better across the board? We make your internal key users extra-fit so that they can independently pass on the knowledge and methods they have acquired to all participants.

Result: Training and education of your key users to sustainably anchor and stabilize your newly introduced processes.

Target group: Internal key users and multipliers

The BHC Benefit

  • 17 years of consulting experience in PLM for mechatronic products and software.
  • BHC process and method building kit to support a tailored approach
  • Software and electrical/electronic (E/E) are our daily business and we know their specifics in the lifecycle.
  • Holistic knowledge of process, method and IT implementation.
  • Experience from strategy development to operational implementation.
  • PLM and ALM experts with experience in mechanical, electronic and software development under one roof.
Do you have any questions? With pleasure I am at your disposal.
Philipp Holzner

philipp.holzner@b-h-c.de
Mobile: + 49 (0) 176 43231758