We are often asked by Aerospace & Defense Project Managers why they can’t use engineering Product Data Management (PDM) software or enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems to satisfy all of their program's requirements for full-lifecycle Configuration Management. We originally addressed this topic in a 3-part series of CMsights articles…

In a recent CMsights post we looked back at the history of configuration management software to help understand the impact of PLM solutions when delivered as an open platform of interoperating applications. That is, instead of a single mammoth enterprise solution from a sole provider that attempts to perform every…

This month’s CMsights looks back at the history of Configuration Management software to provide context for understanding the impact of the movement toward PLM being delivered as an open federated platform of interoperating applications. The evolution away from huge monolithic enterprise PLM solutions – promising everything for everyone – offers…

(Part 3 of 3) In our third and final post on “why not use PDM for all CM requirements” we will discuss the three most common strategies over the years for providing configuration management capabilities to users across the OEM enterprise, as well as throughout the supply and service chain. The approaches summarized below…

In our last CMsights post we listed the “Top Ten Requirements” of configuration management software (CM) solutions that CMstat has heard most often from CM practitioners over our many years in business. They were presented in no particular order because their relative importance varies greatly across different industries, product lines…

Configuration Management (CM) is an important function that has often been used to justify investment in PLM by industry. Ironically, however, CM was often not deployed until near the end of many enterprise-wide implementations that often consumed years of planning, budget, and…