Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an essential means to cope with the challenges of global competition. This is the first English-language book on PLM that introduces the reader to the basic terms and fundamentals of PLM. The text provides a solid foundation for starting a PLM development project. It gives ideas and examples of how PLM can be utilized. In addition, it offers insight into how PLM can assist in creating opportunities and in making real eBusiness possible.

Zusammenfassung
The significance of product lifecycle management (PLM Product Lifecycle Management, formerly referred to, in a narrower frame of reference, as PDM Product Data Management) is increasing, especially for companies in the manufacturing, high technology, and service industries. Product and component lifecycles are shortening while, at the same time, new products must be delivered to market more quickly than before. Many manufacturing and service companies are also trying to grow out of a bulk provider role. In the future they will be p- viding configurable and flexible solutions rather than just individual products. This leads companies to form networks in which each actor specializes in the planning, manufacture or integration of products in a certain field. Information concerning common products must pass quickly, faultlessly, and automatically between companies so that they can compete effectively in international markets. In today's industrial production, therefore, PLM is an essential tool for coping with the challenges of more demanding global competition and ever-shortening product and component lifecycles and growing customer needs. New, better and more flexible products must be introduced into markets more quickly, with more profit and less labor, and the lifecycle of each product must be better controlled, for example, from financial and environmental perspectives. Fierce competition in global markets drives companies to perform better. In order to perform well financially, companies must be able to make informed decisions concerning the lifecycle of each product in their portfolio.

Inhalt
Fundamentals.- Product lifecycle management systems.- Product structures.- Integration of the PLM system with other applications.- Deployment of the PLM system.- Business benefits of a PLM system.- Challenges of product management in manufacturing industry.- Service industry and PLM.- The role of product information management in collaborative business development.- Understanding the product lifecycle.- Product and product management strategy as a part of business strategy.- e-Business: electronic business and PLM.- Digest.