According to the definition of CIMDATA(www.cimdata.com), PLM is a series of application solutions that are applied to enterprises in a single location, enterprises scattered in multiple locations and enterprises with product R&D cooperation, and support the creation, management, distribution and application of the whole product life cycle information. It can integrate human resources, processes, application systems and information related to products. PLM includes the following aspects:
★ Basic technologies and standards (such as XML, visualization, collaboration and enterprise application integration);
★ Information creation and analysis tools (such as mechanical CAD, electrical CAD, CAM, CAE, computer-aided software engineering cases, information publishing tools, etc. );
★ Core functions (such as data warehouse, document and content management, workflow and task management, etc. );
★ Application functions (such as configuration management);
★ Solutions and consulting services for businesses/industries (such as automobiles and high-tech industries).
According to the definition of CIMDATA, PLM mainly includes three parts, namely CAX software (tool software for product innovation), cPDM software (management software for product innovation, including PDM and collaboration software for enjoying product model information on the Internet) and related consulting services. In essence, PLM and China's C4P(CAD/CAPP/CAM/CAE/PDM), or technical informatization, basically refer to the same field, that is, the floorboard of information technology related to product innovation.
From another point of view, PLM is an idea, that is, the idea of managing product data information in the whole life cycle from creation to use to final scrapping. Before the idea of PLM came into being, PDM was mainly aimed at data and process management of product development process. Under the PLM concept, the concept of PDM is extended to cPDM, that is, PDM based on collaboration, which can realize the collaborative application of product data among R&D departments, related departments of enterprises and even enterprises.
PLM software introduced by software vendors is the third-level concept of PLM. These software parts cover the functions that cPDM should include in the definition of CIMDATA, that is, not only the management of product data in R&D process, but also the application of product data in production, marketing, procurement, service, maintenance and other departments.
Therefore, in essence, PLM has three concepts, namely, PLM field, PLM concept and PLM software products. The function of PLM software is an extension of PDM software, the core of which is PDM software.