Experiencing the potential of closed-loop PLM systems enabled by Industrial Internet of Things

Abstract

Due to increasing customization and complexity of products and shorter product lifecycles, companies need a more flexible and cost-effective product development as well as new business models to stay competitive. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems help to address this need, spanning from conceptualization to the end of a product’s life. While technologies to connect production and product data have been developed and described as “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT), most established Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems cannot efficiently process these data and implementing PLM systems successfully is both a technical and a business challenge. This contribution presents a closed-loop PLM system at the Digital Capability Center (DCC) Aachen that ensures visibility and traceability with a virtual single source of truth, and a corresponding capability building workshop. The capability building workshop is based on interviews and a survey assessing companies’ challenges with regard to PLM. It consists of practical, immersive exercises supported by theoretical foundations to help senior and middle management understand the benefits of IIoT-enabled PLM systems, the importance of connected IT-systems and systematic implementation strategies.