PLMIG

At the beginning of 2004, the PLMIG was little more than an idea in the heads of a few people. Meetings that had been held in Oxford and Frankfurt showed the need for such a Group, and the kind of aims it might have, but at its launch on January 1, 2004, it had no track record and very little industry awareness. During the year it grew steadily, and by the end of 2004 had become a global interest group which actively produced PLM benefits and deliverables for its members. By then it had about 50 members, coming from 15 countries.

In January 2004, the format of the PLM Journal was created. User visits in the first few months gave it the core of its content. As the PLMJ evolved over the course of the year its content changed, and more space was given to reporting what the Group itself was doing.

The PLMIG was active on many fronts, including:-

• reporting on the development of PLM in user companies in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the UK
• holding the first PLM Top Ten meeting in Zurich
• staging three PLM Open Days, in Amsterdam, Hannover and Harrogate
• discussing the role of PLM with the European Commission
• launching a Research Special Interest Group to support academic and industrial research
• submitting PLM research proposals
• devising and running a 3-day Benchmarking Workshop, leading to the
  PLM Benchmarking Handbook

These activities represent a substantial achievement because, at the beginning of the year, there had been only a general agenda to "improve PLM for members". The fact that so many strands of development were followed is the result of rapid reaction by the PLMIG as ideas were generated, and equally rapid response by members as events were often called at less than 6 weeks' notice.

Activities in 2005

In addition to the on-going programme of Open Meetings, Member Meetings and Workshops on subjects of topical interest, the PLMIG identified for 2005 a core programme of participative projects.