Reviewing Product Lifecycle Management Models for Complex Sectors: A Proposal

Abstract

Recently, the tendency of companies to adopt a PLM (product lifecycle management) strategy is increasing and asks for guidelines and reference frameworks to which screen the own organizational situation and drive improvements. Several scholars and managers have argued about PLM using a business and a technological view. Based on the need of Finmeccanica corporate to provide its companies with a reference guidelines on PLM addressing organizational and technological elements, the paper systematically analyzes models and frameworks available in literature and web-sites. The aim is to provide a set of structured key components useful to guide an exploitation of a corporate associates PLM. Models and frameworks have been organized in three categories (Academic Models, Commercial Models and Enterprise Architecture Frameworks) and fully analyzed. A four-sections PLM model has been specified supported by the evidences coming from literature. The paper provides insights for companies working in complex environment and for theoreticians.