The third workshop in the PLM Standardisation series was held in Milan on 27-28 September 2011, hosted by the user company Nearchimica. The Agenda built on the results of the workshops in the Nordic and German regions, with special emphasis on the PLM Best Practice Library.  It leveraged the SME predominance in the Italian region to generate a new PLM approach for small and medium-sized businesses, and generated new material for PLM in the process industries. The Workshop also featured the role of data models and advanced technology in improving the scope and accuracy of PLM.

On Day 1 the PLMIG presented the current standards scenario, together with the Gothenburg and Munich results. The growing body of standard PLM material provided the structure against which delegates presented their own themes to the group. These included a range of areas in which the specific, detailed problems of PLM can hold up the overall implementation.

On Day 2, presentations and a tour of the factory gave fresh insights into the factors that affect PLM within the process industries.  The group then concentrated on three working sessions, covering: Metrics & ROI; a process industry model for PDM and data management; and specific PLM tools to enable SMEs to adopt PLM.

Although the largest company represented had sales of over $80bn, the majority of participants were from the Italian SME sector.  Moreover, this was the first workshop at which the delegates were all from the process industries, which meant that they had a viewpoint of PLM that was not governed by CAD, CAM, or transfer of the Engineering BOM to Manufacturing.

This made for a very productive environment in which a lot of new ideas were raised. The group was able to review the existing Product Structure Standard and its data model, and propose ways in which process industry companies can adapt and apply it. The core of the current model was deemed to work well, but there are new concepts such as 'product metamorphosis' and 'product containment' that need to be tested over the next few months in a working environment.

The group was then able to contrast the corporate view of PLM with that of small businesses, and work on the structure of a new approach to PLM that is in line with SME needs.  The resulting PLM Handbook for SMEs is a practical textbook on how to adopt and implement PLM in smaller businesses, and will be published as the Q3 PLM Journal.

The workshop series moved forward to London on 01-02 December, at which participants covered PLM Governance, the Value Chain, and the wider issues of PLM awareness and adoption.

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