PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT

It was a fascinating article (Better by design) on Product Lifecycle Management in the technology quarterly issue of the Economist. I am sure that this type of software could be integrated into a business management system. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Where next for PLM? The next step, says Mr Donaldson of IBM, will be to broaden access to the technology and bring medium-sized companies, not just engineering and consumer giants, into the world of PLM. It is shaking off its engineering origins and is moving, he says, into the mainstream parts of business. IBM is currently working to help business and engineering schools better understand the technology. Clearly, if lots of newly minted business graduates have been taught about PLM, they are more likely to want to use it when they get jobs. ...

This is a testament to PLM's success, but paradoxically could cause it to disappear. "I'm not sure PLM will survive as a stand-alone category," says Mr Radjou. Instead, he says, PLM functions will be broken down and bundled into other applications, such as supply-chain management systems and even desktop productivity software. (Economist.com 09/15/05.)

I would be interested in coordinating these kind of tasks at my next job. It would fit greatly with my background as purchaser and long experience of supply chain management, and also be a natural next step after my studies in international project management.