The decision-making process for implementing Teamcenter PLM is crucial for businesses of all sizes, from small startups managing CAD libraries to large enterprises pursuing a digital twin environment. While the specifics vary by scale, the same considerations apply.
The early stages of implementation focus on understanding business needs, current processes, and long-term goals. However, these are often rushed due to pressure to start using the system immediately.
Regardless of size, industry, or PLM maturity, this blog post outlines common pain points in Teamcenter adoption to help organizations make well-informed decisions upfront.
1. Define “success” clearly upfront
Defining success is critical for PLM implementation to avoid failure. Without clear, measurable metrics, different parts of an organization may interpret success differently. This can lead to confusion about achievements, changes, and next steps.
For example, engineering may see success as more efficient CAD file management, while procurement, finance, or manufacturing may prioritize better data integrations and cross-functional collaboration.
While improvements in CAD management benefit all business units, failing to gather feedback from all stakeholders and communicate the impact can lead to the perception that the implementation’s ROI was not realized for certain groups.
2. Establish & maintain organizational buy-in
For smaller companies, gaining buy-in for PLM adoption may involve conversations with a few key stakeholders, while larger organizations require a more complex approach. To combat this complexity, it is essential to appoint internal subject matter experts (SMEs) or “PLM champions” within departments.
These champions understand their group’s needs, can drive change, and act as liaisons to the implementation team. They manage expectations, communicate requirements, and ensure that the value of the new system is understood across the organization.
3. Don’t limit your gains to one group
While many Teamcenter implementations start with engineering or product design, focusing solely on these areas can limit the system’s value. Additionally, PLM is often mistakenly viewed as an “engineering-only” tool, which leads to missed opportunities in other functional areas like quality control, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
For example, engineering may benefit from reduced error rates and faster release cycles, but if the quality control group or other departments remain tied to legacy systems, they miss out on the full ROI of the implementation.
PLM’s true potential lies in serving as an enterprise-wide platform that integrates all business functions, breaking down silos and maximizing efficiency through seamless data sharing across departments.
4. Prioritize data quality and integration
A successful PLM implementation depends on accurate, high-quality data. Legacy systems often create data silos with unstandardized, inaccessible information, making it crucial to clean and structure existing data before migrating to Teamcenter. Without a solid data foundation, the implementation will fail to meet expectations.
Additionally, companies often underestimate the complexity of integrating Teamcenter with other systems like ERP, CRM, and MES, which is essential for ensuring seamless enterprise-wide information flow.
5. Don’t rush the implementation timeline
Rushing a PLM implementation can result in incomplete solutions, unprepared users, and low adoption rates. It’s crucial to carefully progress through each deployment stage and resist cutting corners to save time.
Issues like poor training, data problems, or system bugs from a rushed rollout can lead to greater long-term costs. Address inefficiencies and finalize system configurations in a development environment before full deployment to ensure readiness and success.
Conclusion
The principles of a successful Teamcenter PLM implementation apply universally, whether for a small startup or a large enterprise. Key steps include:
- Clearly defining success metrics.
- Securing buy-in from all departments.
- Including all stakeholders contributing to ROI in the planning phase.
- Prioritizing data quality and integration planning.
- Avoiding a rushed deployment.
Want to learn how to avoid these common pitfalls? Download our full PLM guide here to smoothly transition to an integrated PLM environment.
By Jeff Churchey
Senior PLM Engineer