Landing on this page means you’re interested in maximizing your PLM software with new technology, or you’re a fan of anything and everything product lifecycle management. Rest assured that this article caters to both parties.

We’ll discuss trends like blockchain, digital twin, what PLM looks like in the aftermath of COVID-19 and more.

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Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• Top PLM Trends
  • PLM After COVID-19
  • Blockchain
  • Digital Twin and Digital Thread
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR)
  • Cloud Deployment
  • MCAD and ECAD
• Key PLM Software Features
• Next Steps

Key Takeaways

• Blockchains act as consolidated databases for users to obtain and review information.
• Merging PLM software with MCAD and ECAD tools streamlines the design process.
• Cloud PLM software provides several security measures to safeguard data, such as two-step or multi-factor authentication, data encryption, backups and access control.
• Core PLM software features include collaboration, product data management (PDM), simulation, BOM and quality management.
• Digital twins and digital threads work harmoniously in PLM workflows.

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Top PLM Trends

1. PLM After COVID-19

The PLM market is pushing forward in 2024 as the COVID-19 pandemic is a distant blur in our rearview mirrors.

Tim Green, COO of TeamUp, described to SelectHub how the pandemic helped the PLM industry adopt digital transformation.

I believe the pandemic has accelerated the shift towards digital transformation, with many companies adopting virtual manufacturing concepts to face global competition and major manufacturing challenges. This has led to an increased adoption of PLM solutions, particularly cloud-based ones, to improve efficiency, streamline product-related processes, and accelerate time-to-market.”

David Ciccarelli, CEO and founder of Lake, told us that the pandemic also enhanced PLM solutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the PLM market to adapt to remote collaboration and digitalization. With the imposition of lockdowns and remote work being the norm, PLM software providers have enhanced their solutions to support distributed teams. The popularity of cloud-based PLM systems increased as they allowed teams to access and collaborate on product data anywhere.”

PLM software’s vitality and resourcefulness are likely why SNS Insider estimates the PLM market could reach $54.42 billion in 2030.

2. Blockchain

One noteworthy trend is blockchain, a single database of truth that permits several users to access and study information concurrently. Think of it as a real-time digital filing cabinet.

Green expressed how blockchain’s numerous tools can boost information transparency.

Blockchain can enable transparent data management by chaining data obtained from different phases of PLM to the public ledger. This ensures secure data storage, data transmission and data traceability, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reliability of PLM workflows. Blockchain is emerging as a vital tool in PLM workflows and software due to its unique features such as data traceability, data security, decentralized consensus and decentralized process execution.”

Peter Bilello, president and CEO of CIMdata, defined blockchain as a guarantee for more accurate data.

If you think about PLM and the need to manage information into the supply chain, for example, into the service sector, then there’s application of blockchain to the data so that when the data leaves one PLM solution — for example, goes to another or for another use — blockchain can be used to support that to ensure that the data is still accurate.”

Based on its popularity and resourcefulness, Fortune Business Insights expects the global blockchain market could reach $469.49 billion in value by 2030.

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3. Digital Twin and Digital Thread

Another popular PLM trend is the digital twin, or building a model of a physical product in a virtual space. Digital thread, on the other hand, manages a product’s data from start to finish. Bilello explained that digital twins and digital threads should be closely related.

A digital twin without a digital thread is an orphan. They must be associated. Digital thread is a communication framework that should go from concept through the end of life. It is the connection of the product data and the changes to that data so that you always have, at any given point in time, a baseline that represents what the product is. This, in turn, becomes the digital twin.

“A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical item. Of course, a company has a virtual representation before there’s a physical twin, so in that case, it’s just a virtual representation, but it becomes a digital twin once there’s a physical item that is attached to or associated with it.”

Biello also emphasized that any changes made to a digital twin could alter how the physical product will align with compliances.

If you disconnect requirements from the digital twin, your digital twin could be inaccurate as compared to the physical item. As a result, the physical item could then be noncompliant because you made a change that’s not compliant to a regulation because you don’t have a clear connection back to the artifacts that are needed to validate a change that you made in the field.”

One industry to benefit from implementing a digital twin is healthcare. Doctors and physicians can analyze tailored data provided by digital twins to comprehend how patients or machines manage various circumstances.

Digital twin technology can also forecast and locate patterns and compare one specific data set to a population to examine trends.

Green discussed other benefits of implementing digital twins in PLM workflows.

[A digital twin] allows for efficient management of product design data and bill of materials, keeping data up to date, implementing change management, accelerating design release, enabling collaboration across engineering disciplines and facilitating efficient communication with external stakeholders.”

The digital twin market is also an essential PLM resource, which is likely why Research and Markets predicts the global digital twin market could reach $155.84 billion in 2030.

4. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR)

It’s no surprise that AR and VR are becoming popular outside the video game and entertainment realms because industries like manufacturing are leveraging them regularly.

AR is a form of technology that lets you blanket your environment with differing sounds, images, text and more. Snapchat filters, Pokemon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite apps are just a few examples.

Imagine using AR to visualize blueprints or full-scale products such as vehicles, toys, laptops and more and interact with their various mechanisms instead of buying materials and creating prototypes.

Green weighed in on how AR and VR can streamline product design workflows.

AR and VR can help locate the desired product or parts, evaluate their formation, and comprehend how they work alongside other workpieces. They bring digital information into view for product manufacturing, user training, and the service value chain by leveraging 3D geometry, audio, video, text and other media from multiple sources, including PLM systems, at any point in the product lifecycle.”

Unlike AR, VR is a computer-created model for interaction and altering objects in a 3D atmosphere through goggles or sensor-embedded gloves. Oculus headsets, Google Cardboard and Microsoft HoloLens are examples of modern VR technology.

VR is also suitable in other industries, including the military. Military bases employ VR for combat, aerial, medical, vehicle and other training forms to reproduce life-like battlefield experiences without putting soldiers at risk.

Since AR and VR are revolutionary tools for leisure and the workplace, MarketsandMarkets predicts the AR market could reach $71.2 billion in 2028, and the VR market could hit 29.6 billion in 2028.

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5. Cloud Deployment

Cloud software is becoming popular in various industries, including accounting, manufacturing and ERP. PLM is no exception. The cloud is a third-party server that holds company information instead of hosting it on your computer’s hard drive.

Green mentioned the perks of using cloud solutions over on-premise systems.

Cloud-based PLM software allows users to securely access product information from anywhere, providing a secure, and reliable way of working. For me, this eliminates technical barriers and offers a quicker ROI compared to on-premise solutions. Companies can pay as they go with monthly or annual subscriptions, managing cloud software as operating expenses (OPEX) instead of capital expenses (CAPEX), thereby eliminating the long-term depreciation of larger investments.”

Ciccarelli also discussed how cloud systems maximize PLM operations.

Investing in cloud-based PLM software is essential as it provides teams with scalability, accessibility and collaboration capabilities. Cloud PLM enables employees to work remotely and access data from different locations, increasing flexibility and agility. Also, it ensures automatic updates and backups, ensuring data security and system reliability.”

Cloud solutions also offer numerous security tactics to protect valuable information, such as two-step authentication, encryption, access control and more.

Two-Step or Multi-Factor Authentication

Two-step or multi-factor authentication enables you to establish which pieces of authentication you’d like to exercise when logging into the cloud solution.

Examples include answers to security questions, facial recognition, confirmation codes received through text messages, fingerprint recognition and more.

Various authentication methods add an extra layer of security to ensure that no one outside your company can obtain sensitive data.

Data Encryption

Data encryption jumbles files into an unreadable structure that can only become clear when decoded.

Hackers will have difficulty decoding these unique codes because they don’t have an encryption key — an assortment of formulas — to decipher the information into a legible arrangement.

Backups

Cloud platforms act as digital storage centers.

If something happened to your hard drive or worksite, such as theft, an earthquake, fire or flood, your product data, CRM analytics, KPIs and other information would remain unscathed because it’s accessible through the internet.

However, having multiple sources to store your organization’s information is a good idea. Some cloud services could experience shutdowns, and your data will become unobtainable.

Other backup methods include getting more cloud options, opting for a solution that works with both cloud and on-premise deployment, or investing in an external hard drive.

Current external hard drives hold four or more terabytes of data (one terabyte is equivalent to 1,000 gigabytes). Consider the best backup option for your company and understand that storing data in several safe locations is a wise business decision.

Access Control

Restrict how many employees can access the cloud solution with a reliable access control module. As you browse numerous cloud platforms, consider who you want to use them.

Do you want this solution to be available for product developers, your IT team or both? You may also establish user permissions and restrictions so those who use the software can only manage specific files and information, protecting sensitive data.

Thanks to SaaS’s popularity and affordability, it’s no surprise that Research and Markets predict the global cloud computing market may reach $1,554.94 billion in 2030.

6. MCAD and ECAD

CAD software is a system that allows you to design numerous products, parts, prototypes and more in a 3D space. To gauge resiliency, you can also use this solution to simulate several what-if scenarios on your models and prototypes.

Mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD) systems leverage 2D and 3D geometry tools to craft, evaluate, and record mechanical and sheet metal parts, products and production workflows.

Electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) systems craft electronic components in a digital atmosphere.

Bilello stated that MCAD and ECAD systems within PLM solutions are familiar concepts.

The PLM market has its roots in mechanical CAD space and the management of mechanical CAD files, models [and] drawings from the early to mid-1980s. It’s the ability to manage the data that’s being created within the mechanical CAD system. So, the drawings, models and so on, but also extracting data.

“For example, bill of material structures that might come out of a CAD system and then manage them within the PLM environment. One other aspect has been very common for three plus decades is engineering change management enablement. The workflows that deal with the change of engineering data, drawings, models and so on.”

Bilello also discussed that ECAD, a mainstay for intricate electrical designing, was less popular five to 10 years ago.

It’s just not about mechanical CAD. Electrical CAD or electrical design automation tools also need to be integrated. That’s, again, fairly commonly understood. As companies design and deliver more complex, smart, connected devices, electrical CAD has become more critical.”

Green described why MCAD and ECAD tools are effective in the PLM industry.

[MCAD and ECAD] allow for the timely exchange of design information to ensure the product can be designed, will function as the requirements dictate, and will meet both the mechanical and electrical constraints. Improved collaboration of design domains through data exchange between ECAD and MCAD tools enables interference and heat exchange analysis multiple times during the design cycle. This reduces time-to-market, decreases costs and improves design quality.”

Ciccarelli stated a few other benefits of merging MCAD and ECAD data across product designs.

Integrating these tools with PLM systems creates a seamless flow of information from design to manufacturing, which leads to better collaboration and faster time-to-market. This integration simplifies the transfer of 3D design data, bill of materials (BOM) and other critical information.”

Since CAD software is a great contributor to the PLM market, it’s no wonder that The Business Research Company foresees the global 3D CAD software market could reach $13.8 billion by 2026.

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Key PLM Software Features

No two PLM software are identical, but there are standard features that most solutions possess. Peter Bilello, the president and CEO of CIMdata, conversed with us about essential PLM software modules and how they vary by industry.

Bilello discussed essential PLM software modules and how they vary by industry.

In the discrete manufacturing world, you’re going to have data management or document management. CAD data management and configuration management are commonplace. Also, workflow. Those would be the core capabilities for most PLM environments and the main starting point. Once you get past that, then you get into simulation data and process management.

“Program and portfolio management capabilities would be the next wave. And then, you get into a whole bunch of other capabilities, including numerous downstream system integrations. Some of that’s commonplace and has been for some years, especially with regards to ERP integration. But then, more recently, integrations into other downstream systems like PIM and MES systems.”

Here’s a breakdown of some must-have PLM system features to consider when browsing for a new system.

Collaboration

When creating products, you likely work with other product designers, marketing analysts, manufacturers, vendors and more.

PLM software offers collaboration tools and real-time data analytics that you can share across your company to keep everyone on the same page.

Product Data Management (PDM)

PDM capabilities enable you to centralize all product information in one place instead of switching between different programs and locations. Most PDM systems document product modifications, change orders and more to streamline tasks.

Bill of Material (BOM) Management

BOMs display all raw materials, parts, assemblies and other information needed to build products. Maintaining these documents ensures manufacturers know how to develop or create the merchandise.

Quality Management

As aforementioned, ensuring quality and compliance rules conformity is key to smooth operations.

You can also search for a standalone enterprise quality management software (EQMS) to integrate with a PLM platform for audit, supplier and training management and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) functionalities.

Simulation

Typically found in computer-aided design (CAD) solutions, simulation tools allow you to develop digital product models and prototypes for what-if scenarios and testing.

This tool saves money on building physical prototypes and offers numerous tests from climate to natural disasters.

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Next Steps

Investing in PLM trends and software that aligns with your company’s values is critical. For more PLM solutions, check out our free, detailed comparison guide. This report offers a non-biased, apples-to-apples evaluation of different systems and their capabilities.

How have these and other PLM trends helped your business? Let us know in the comments.

SME Contributors

Peter Bilello is the president and CEO of CIMdata, a worldwide strategic management consulting and research influencer dedicated to PLM and the digital transformation it provides. He has penned various papers and research reports on PLM and its related subjects and published PLM articles, commentaries and perspectives in several publications across the Americas, Europe and Asia. He also directly participated in consultations for large-scale PLM selections, integrations and implementations.

Tim Green is the COO of TeamUp. He brings over 20 years of business and marketing expertise to the leading fitness management system. His extensive background supports fitness business owners in effectively running their operations, leveraging his deep understanding of the industry’s dynamics. He supervises a broad range of the company’s operations, including, but not limited to, steering the course of product development and management, explicitly strategizing the lifecycle of their products from conception to market launch.

David Ciccarelli is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Lake. He heads the product, technology and finance departments. He is also a member of the Board of Directors. His responsibilities include setting the vision, implementing growth strategies and managing the Lake daily. He regularly shares his views and opinions in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and various podcasts.