Future-proofing Product Lifecycle Management

Product Lifecycle Management

Product Lifecycle Management

The enabler of the business of tomorrow

The management of product data across the entire product life cycle and all areas of the value chain is of central importance. With a 360-degree view of products, processes, organization and IT, UNITY leads your PLM projects to success. Our supplier-neutral role guarantees you independence and objectivity. Based on your corporate strategy and goals, we successfully set up your Product Lifecycle Management for the future. Together with you, we develop your PLM strategy, evaluate your PLM systems, support you in the selection and introduction of PLM systems and qualify your PLM team. We also advise you on additional topics such as digital business models and the digital twin in the development, production and operational phases.

PLM in R&D

Optimize your product development with the proven method for efficient Product Lifecycle Management. Manage the entire lifecycle of your products precisely and consistent, from the initial idea to market readiness. Seamless integration of processes and data enables you to achieve effective control of product development, fast approvals and a high product quality. With "PLM in R&D" you lay the foundation for your success and secure a competitive advantage. Bring your innovations to market faster and maintain an overview at all times.

PLM in Product Development

Expand your focus beyond R&D and integrate areas of expertise such as manufacturing engineering, production and service into your Product Lifecycle Management approach. Benefit from optimal collaboration and use the synergies between all relevant areas along the internal value creation process. This comprehensive integration creates profitable closed-loop scenarios, such as closed-loop manufacturing. Increase your efficiency, quality and customer satisfaction once again.

PLM in Product Use

For business models such as Product-as-a-Service (XaaS), it is essential to have comprehensive knowledge about the product in the field. This includes, for example, product lifecycle information such as operating status, service life, upcoming service intervals or recycling information in the context of "second life". With the help of PLM and systemic implementation, this information can be consolidated and targeted decisions can be made, such as triggering a service interval. PLM enables you to provide customized digital services, maximize customer value and develop sustainable digital business strategies.

30
years
of PLM experience
>
350
PLM projects
>
60
PLM experts

Consulting Services for PLM

Sustainable added value for your company

Your challenges:

  • Ensure mastery of product complexity due to the influence of software & hardware as well as digital business models
  • (Global) cooperation in the context of data integrity & security 
  • Ensure agility and flexibility with regard to changing market requirements (time-to-market)

UNITY solution approach:

  • Derive the PLM strategy based on the corporate strategy and objectives to identify the areas of action
  • Determine the status quo with regard to processes, methods, IT & organization to identify the need for transformation
  • Present the economic benefits and the transformation plan 
Concrete. Efficient. Realizable

Your challenges:

  • Integration of the PLM strategy into the company organization and business processes in order to develop its full potential 
  • Efficient and future-oriented mapping of PLM specialist concepts, such as elements of systems engineering, integration of software & hardware, closed-loop scenarios or configuration management

UNITY solution approach:

  • Definition of PLM relevant business processes on the basis of "Leading Practices" and derivation of an implementation plan 
  • Development of feasible business concepts with your employees for a holistic PLM approach, based on the corporate strategy
  • Deduction of organizational models and specific roles for an efficient application of the business concepts and processes to be implemented
Future-proof alignment of your system landscape

Your challenges:

  • Your IT landscape must meet the future requirements of an extended product life cycle from the initial requirement to the end-of-life 
  • The use of modern IT systems to cope with increased requirements and regulations in a networked working environment stands in contrast to integration into an established IT environment

UNITY solution approach:

  • Holistic analysis of the system landscape (e.g. CAx, ERP, CPQ, PIM), taking into account your future business models 
  • Conception of an integrated, smart and service-oriented IT architecture with future-oriented technologies to support your product life cycle 
  • Development and implementation of a transformation plan to build up your PLM IT landscape
Kickstart your organization

Your challenges:

  • Your PLM project must be implemented on time and on budget
  • Create support for the PLM strategy within the organization 
  • Technical concepts must be implemented correctly, employees empowered and roll-out scenarios planned & go-lives ensured

UNITY solution approach:

  • Operationalization of your PLM projects with the help of agile project methodology
  • Conception and establishment of a change management concept and governance model for your product lifecycle management
  • Support, control and safeguarding of the technical implementation by UNITY Business & IT Solution Experts based on our "Leading Practices"

PLM Compact Course

In a three-day training course, you will acquire relevant knowledge and skills for practical work in PLM projects. Your trainers from Fraunhofer IEM and the UNITY management consultancy will show you how a future-proof, digital consistency can be systematically established across the relevant company processes in order to use product data effectively and thus ensure sustainable product success.

In 6 valuable modules, you will get to know the most important PLM processes and core applications step by step. At the same time, you will apply the knowledge you have gained directly in a real product development project with the other course participants. This will give you the foundations for managing complex systems and lay the foundations for digital engineering. 

Learn more

Project Stories in Digital R&D

  • Development of Future Scenarios
  • Process analysis for an integrated view of the DMU equipment process
  • Successful Technology Strategy Delivers Comfort in the Cabin Area
  • Graduated scheme to establish an integrated Systems Engineering approach
  • Uniformly defined product development process
  • Systems Engineering Quick Check
  • Systems Engineering Certification Training
  • Innovative sewing and assistance system
  • Systems Engineering Training & Coaching
  • Systems Engineering Training Program
  • Efficiency Increase in Development Projects
  • Reduced project duration by restructuring the R&D Department
  • Products and the R&D organization positioned for the future
  • Systems Engineering Certification Training
  • Worldwide PDM System Replacement
  • External Project Management and Coaching for PLM Implementation
Thanks to UNITY, we were able to develop a suitable PLM strategy and demonstrate the benefit in a short period of time. In the next phase, UNITY guided us through the vendor selection process all the way to implementation – this is where we benefited from their methodology and technical know-how.
Darius Gasiorek
Responsible for IT applications
HOPPE-Gruppe

Master Plan of Action

We have developed the Master Plan of Action (MoA) for Engineering Excellence as a scalable and robust framework for the measurable transformation of your engineering. Due to its effectiveness and transparency, we now use this methodology across the board in almost all of our transformation projects. Based on the actual state, strategies and target images are designed that shape processes, products and technologies, your organization and engineering IT as well as future business models. The achievement of the target images is ensured by providing concrete capability descriptions and use cases in the form of implementation profiles. These are the starting point for a business case.

The Masterplan of Action therefore focuses on answering the questions of "Why, What and How" of digital transformation. You too can benefit from this.

Insights into Digital R&D

Your contacts for PLM

Dr.-Ing. Jens Standke

Principal, Head of PLM & Digital Twin

Cologne, Germany
Contact us

Markus J. Kelch

Principal

Munich, Germany
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Jörg Greitemeyer

Partner, Head of Business Area

Braunschweig/Paderborn/Stuttgart, Germany
Contact us

Magnus Meier

Partner, Head of Business Area

Munich/Stuttgart, Germany
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Michael Wolf

Partner, Head of Business Area

Hamburg, Germany
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Daniel Baldus

Principal

Stuttgart, Germany
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Walter Heydari

Senior Manager

Frankfurt, Germany
Contact us