Product Lifecycle Management Matrix: Progress Report

The core of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is in the creation and central management of all product data and the technology used to access this information and knowledge. The Product Lifecycle Management Matrix was developed to offer a list of the process steps associated with a product from concept through design, production and launch as they pertain to companies with limited, some or many resources (or, alternatively small, medium and large companies). The processes illustrated in the matrix are not theoretical but are ones that have been successfully used by members of the PLM Technical Group of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The matrix shares several features with other PLM lists, including those from the Product Development and Management Association and Advanced Product Quality Planning. In addition, project management categories from the Project Management Association are also referenced. Two glossaries are provided to aid the reader. The first defines the APQP steps, and the second defines the process terms used in the matrix itself. The PLM Technical Group welcomes ongoing comments on the matrix.