PLM has a role in manufacturing?
We all know and understand the strategic role PLM is playing in design and engineering, during the development process from concept to manufacturing (up to manufacturing, not included). Manufacturing sounds to most of us as an ERP arena. Is it true? does PLM ends when a product development is released from engineering?
Before we talk more about the PLM role in the manufacturing world we should agree on the main role PLM and ERP are playing in our organizations. In my days as a customer (working at ELTA systems Ltd.), implementing PLM, I had a lot of visits from other companies wanted to learn about a successful PLM implementation. One of the main questions always were (especially from companies already have ERP implemented) what are the differences, where is the line between PLM and ERP?
The line between PLM and ERP
To my perspective this line is very clear. PLM is about managing the knowledge! ERP is about execution!
ERP is about maximize profits while PLM is about increasing innovation.
I will end this section with a quote from another post by Laila Hirr, The Key Differences between PLM and ERP in meeting corporate objectives:
“…it is a myth to believe that the systems designed to manage your physical inventory with rigor and structure, could be manipulated to become the flexible systems needed to foster innovation. The PLM vendors don’t even pretend to do the business of ERP systems – why is it that ERP systems believe they know how innovation in design should be managed?”
When understanding this, it is clear that also the knowledge of the manufacturing process itself needs to be managed in PLM. The execution of the manufacturing process will be in ERP.
Manufacturing in PLM scope
So, what is the scope of manufacturing support that needed in PLM?
1. Production engineering ‘Release to Manufacturing’
- Manufacturing BOM management
- from Engineering BOM to Manufacturing BOM
- Maturity management
- BOP – Bill of Process management
- Tooling
- Assembling Instructions
- Maintenance Instructions
- Work Instructions (Root Card)
- CAM data management
- NC Management
- FT&A
- Part & Assembly Management
- Operational Sequence (Instance BOM)
- Plant, Station, Operations management
- Resources and Tools management
2. Digital Manufacturing & Production
3. Prototyping
3. “As Shipped” BOM – Packaging BOM
4. “As Build” BOM – Serialized structures
