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History and Background of the PLMIG
In 2003 around 60 organisations came together to create a funding proposal for what would have been the world's largest PLM research project. The project was known as ICP-35K ("Implementing CPD and PLM for 35000 Manufacturing Companies") and, although the proposal was not successful, it generated a great deal of enthusiasm and common thought about PLM.
One of the deliverables of ICP-35K was to have been a PLM Institute, and it was recognised that the need for this still existed. There could be a role for some type of formal PLM community or Interest Group within Europe. The idea was publicised and support was sufficient that, in September 2003, two inaugural meetings of such a group were held in Oxford, England.
38 delegates from 32 organisations and 13 countries took part. Some delegates came from Canada, New Zealand and the US, as well as from most of the countries in Europe. The meetings were very productive and generated enough ideas and direction for the development of the proposed Group to continue.
All of the delegates agreed on two things: the group would have a world-wide scope, because constraining PLM to Europe made no sense; and the new Group should be forceful and proactive in developing PLM.
A follow-on meeting was held, in Moerfelden, Germany in November in order to discuss a draft Charter and structure for the Group. That meeting was attended by 17 delegates from 16 organisations and 7 countries, plus the 3 organisers.
The Group was formally created in mid-December 2003 and started operating from January 1 2004.
Since then the PLMIG has developed a positive, almost crusading style of operation, leading to new PLM knowledge (such as the Benchmarking Handbook and the PLM-SCM Guidebook), and initiatives such as the 2005 PLM Best Practice events.
This experience now underpins the Benefits Reference Model initiative that will be the main focus of 2006.
Copyright 2008. PLM Interest Group