Overcoming Product Lifecycle Hurdles: Key Challenges and Strategies

by Shivangi

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) has proven to be the most vital enterprise IT application that supports product and service innovation. The worldwide PLM market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.4% between 2019 and 2024. This growth will result in the market size increasing from $19.97 billion in 2019 to more than $28.58 billion by 2024.

While PLM can bring significant benefits to organizations, such as increased efficiency and cost savings, it also comes with its own set of challenges. In this article, we'll explore some of the common challenges in product lifecycle management and provide insights into how organizations can overcome them.

What is Product Lifecycle Management?

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is the process of tracking the entire life cycle of your product, right from its emergence in the market to its retrieval from the market. This is done in order to extend the product's growth phase so that you can maximize your revenue. Product Life Cycle Management comprises the following phases of the product:

  1. Concept
  2. Design & Develop
  3. Prototype & Pilot
  4. Launch & Ramp
  5. Production
  6. Service & Support
  7. Phase out & Retrials

Most Common Challenges in Product Lifecycle Management

The following are some of the most common challenges in Product Lifecycle Management. We have also provided possible solutions to Product Lifecycle Management challenges:

1. Challenge: Fostering collaboration between different teams involved in the product development process becomes difficult.

Solution: Organizations should adopt tools and processes that facilitate effective communication between teams. This may involve utilizing various project management software and collaboration tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams and organizing regular check-ins and meetings to enhance teamwork and collaboration.

2. Challenge: Limited resources and conflicting priorities can be a major challenge in product lifecycle management.

Solution: To address this, organizations can use resource management tools and processes to prioritize and allocate resources effectively. This can be done by using project management software and resource allocation frameworks.

3. Challenge: Lack of alignment between product development and business objectives.

Solution: Organizations should establish clear communication channels between product development teams and business leaders to ensure product development activities align with business goals. One way to address this is by facilitating regular meetings between product development teams and business leaders and by utilizing product portfolio management tools that prioritize product development activities based on business objectives.

4. Challenge: Managing large volumes of data from multiple sources can lead to data inconsistencies and errors.

Solution: To effectively manage the vast amounts of data generated in the product life cycle, organizations need to implement data management tools. These tools can streamline data collection, storage, and analysis. For instance, organizations can leverage data visualization software, data analytics platforms, and data governance frameworks to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights.

Role Of Technology In Efficient Product Lifecycle Management

Technology is one of the key components of successful Product Lifecycle Management. It is used at various stages in the PLM system. Below are some real-world examples of how technology has contributed to PLM.

Tesla uses digital 3D models and simulations to design and iterate its electric vehicles faster and more cost-effectively. This allows them to analyze and optimize vital components before building physical prototypes, ensuring high-quality performance.

Coca-Cola employs digital marketing techniques such as social media and targeted advertising to boost customer engagement and sales. By analyzing the performance of their campaigns, they can optimize their strategies and enhance their return on investment (ROI).

Walmart has implemented blockchain technology to improve the transparency and security of its supply chain network. This has enabled them to track the origin and movement of products in real time, reducing the risk of fraud and improving trust between stakeholders.

Improved Data Visibility And Analysis

With PLM, organizations can have a centralized repository for all product-related data, including design files, bills of materials, manufacturing instructions, and quality records. This centralized data makes it easy for teams to access and collaborate on product information, regardless of their location or time zone, thus improving efficiency in Product Lifecycle Management.

It also provides advanced analytical capabilities that enable organizations to derive insights from their product data. For example, teams can use data analytics to identify patterns and trends in customer feedback, quality issues, and sales performance. They can also perform root cause analyses to identify the underlying causes of product defects or failures.

It can help organizations optimize product development processes by providing real-time visibility into project status, resource utilization, and task completion. This visibility enables teams to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in their processes and make data-driven decisions to improve their performance

Importance Of Efficient Product Lifecycle Management

Efficient PLM is essential for any business that wants to succeed in today's fast-paced and ever-changing market. It ensures that products are developed and delivered to market on time, within budget, and with the desired quality. It also helps businesses identify and mitigate potential risks throughout the product's lifecycle, reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction. By managing the entire product lifecycle, businesses can better understand the market, develop more innovative products, and maintain a competitive edge.

By streamlining the product development process, improving collaboration, reducing costs, and increasing quality and risk management, PLM helps companies stay competitive and innovative. PLM helps provide better visibility and data management and thus aids businesses in achieving their goals.

Tips To Track Your Success In Product Lifecycle Management Strategies

  1. Define clear objectives for your PLM strategy. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
  2. Set key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards achieving them.
  3. Collect data on your KPIs over time. This can be done through various means, such as surveys, user logs, or system reports.
  4. Analyze the data collected to identify trends and areas for improvement. Look for patterns that suggest success or failure and investigate the reasons behind them.
  5. Based on your analysis, adjust your PLM strategy to address any shortcomings and improve efficiency in Product Lifecycle Management.
  6. Continuously monitor your KPIs and refine your PLM strategy to optimize performance.
  7. Calculate the Return On Investment (ROI) of your PLM strategy to determine whether it's delivering value to your organization.
  8. Monitor user adoption rates and identify any areas where employees may be struggling to adopt the system.
  9. Evaluate how your PLM strategy affects supplier collaboration, inventory management, and order fulfillment.
  10. Gather feedback from stakeholders across the organization, including product development teams, engineering teams, and executive leadership.

PLM is an excellent tool for planning and controlling the entire life cycle of your product. Though its implementation is easy, there are certain challenges your team can face. Each PLM strategy is unique in its own way. And thus, it requires personalized solutions to implement, use, track progress, modify, and more. But there’s nothing that cannot be sorted out by employing relevant solutions. Challenges faced in each stage can be easily solved using the right Product Lifecycle Management optimization strategies.

Explore our article on title, Top Strategies for Launching Successful Digital Products .