1. Budget
“One tip is to think about it in terms of budget. You have to work within the budget that you have defined. You need to have alignment between your budget and the features that you intend to purchase and use. I think that’s important; that’s a key element from the selection process, otherwise you can hurt the excitement of the project as finances might not allow for all of the features your users anticipated.”
2. Broad-based team
“The second key tip is to have a broad-based team in the selection process, as they are the folks who participate through to the implementation. They are the super-users, so the more the merrier! It is absolutely essential that the users participate in the process.”
3. Mind the gap
“Thirdly, timing. As we went through the selection process and then went to senior management versus when the actual funding was approved and the contract finalised, there was a bit of gap. That gap can dampen the overall excitement and enthusiasm about diving into the project quickly. We had to rekindle that as we moved into the implementation phase.”
The overall message? Budget realistically, get people involved and keep the momentum going to ensure a successful PLM selection and implementation. PLM implementations are large projects and partnerships can last for years, so it’s important to get it right.
