Assess your PLM maturity – Identify areas for improvement and learn how you can grow

PLM with untapped potential – time to unlock the true value

Many organizations invest significant resources in PLM systems, but advanced capabilities often remain untapped. For example, systems engineering is one of PLM’s core strengths, yet only 19% of companies use the system for this purpose. Usage is equally limited for other critical functions – only 31% use PLM for managing MCAD/ECAD data, 42% for configuration management, and 51% for cross-functional collaboration. (Aras, 2024)

While PLM systems offer powerful capabilities, such as automated synchronization of product structures (BOMar) and real-time collaboration across functions, much of the potential remains untapped. As a result, many companies struggle to realize the full value of their PLM investment.

Even in industries where PLM is central, such as automotive and high-tech manufacturing, we see challenges with siloed processes, outdated workflows, and inadequate training. This prevents organizations from getting maximum value from their investments and implementing best practices.

Why aren't PLM systems reaching their full potential?

By 2023, the global PLM market reached $72.6 billion – a 9% increase over the previous year, clearly demonstrating how much companies are investing in these systems (CIMdata, 2024). Despite significant investments, many organizations are struggling to harness the full potential of PLM systems. Why? Here are some common barriers we often see holding companies back:

• Outdated systems and complexity – Old or heavily customized PLM solutions can make it difficult to adopt modern features, creating barriers to innovation and efficiency
• Lack of training – Without the right training, users lack both insight into the system's full capabilities and the skills to use advanced features
• Limited process integration – When the PLM system is not fully integrated into all relevant workflows, important processes become isolated and suboptimized
• Silo-based working methods – Departments work in silos, focusing on their own needs, thereby missing out on collaboration tools and cross-functional opportunities

Underutilized PLM systems lead to inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and a lower return on investment (ROI). Understanding these challenges is the first step towards breaking free from limited PLM utilization.

Understand the current state of your PLM system

To address the challenges and optimize the use of PLM, it is crucial to first get a clear picture of the current state and maturity level. Three important questions to ask are:

• Are you utilizing your PLM system to its full potential, or are you missing opportunities to create business value?
• Do your processes, roles and competencies fully support your PLM strategy, and are they in line with established working methods?
• When did you last evaluate your performance – both in relation to your internal goals and to industry leaders?

Identifying and addressing these gaps is critical to maximizing the impact of the PLM system and ensuring it delivers real business value.

Evaluate your PLM maturity

Companies that fully embrace the assessment of their PLM maturity often achieve measurable productivity gains, improved collaboration, and shorter time-to-market.

At Prevas, we have worked with Swedish industrial companies in the manufacturing, energy, and telecom sectors (among others) to bridge critical gaps, streamline processes, and unlock the full potential of their PLM investments.

Six areas for PLM evaluation

Based on our experience, we have identified six key focus areas when assessing PLM maturity:

1. Process efficiency – Are your workflows optimized for speed, quality, and seamless collaboration?
2. Data quality – Is your product data consistent, reliable and available across different systems?
3. Role Allocation – Do your teams have clear roles and responsibilities to effectively support PLM processes?
4. Technology utilization – Are you utilizing the full capacity of your PLM system?
5. Benchmarking – How does your organization compare to industry standards and established ways of working?
6. Governance – Is there a structured strategy for maintaining and improving your PLM processes?

By assessing these areas, you will gain insight into where to focus your efforts to increase efficiency, collaboration, and growth. But getting clarity on your PLM maturity is just the beginning. How do you take the next step—from insight to implementation?

From strategy to results – Turning words into action

A well-thought-out PLM strategy is not just about uniting people, processes and technology – it creates full visibility into the entire product lifecycle, where all product data is collected in one place, enabling faster decisions and smarter innovation.

Investing in PLM maturity is about more than fixing inefficiencies – it’s about enabling innovation, driving business improvement, and creating competitive advantage. Streamlined workflows lower costs, shorten time-to-market, and give your company the ability to stay ahead. By breaking down silos, teams can collaborate seamlessly and turn great ideas into measurable results.

Prevas – your strategic partner in PLM transformation

At Prevas, we specialize in guiding organizations through every step of their PLM journey. Whether you’re just getting started or fine-tuning an existing system, our tailored solutions are designed to support your business goals and ensure future success.

This is how we work with PLM transformation:

1. Identify opportunities – Through interactive workshops, stakeholder interviews and data analysis, we find inefficiencies and untapped potential
2. Benchmarking for success – We compare your business with the industry's established ways of working to identify strengths and areas for improvement
3. Tailored solutions that suit you – Every organization is unique – we develop customized strategies to solve your specific challenges
4. Strengthen your teams – With clear roles and needs-based training programs, we ensure that your employees have the tools and confidence to succeed
5. Building for the future – With a framework for continuous improvement, we establish processes for long-term optimization and growth