Is PLM Software Worth the Cost?

Some still see Product Lifecycle Management software as an unnecessary engineering tool and overlook its ability to easily manage complex business operations. Others recognize the benefits of PLM but struggle to justify the initial costs of software, implementation, and training associated with PLM products. SolidPartners saw the need for a more affordable yet highly effective PLM system so all companies could have the opportunity to increase their efficiency, saving time and money on a daily basis.

Considering Costs

There are two areas to consider when it comes to cost: upfront cost and ongoing cost. Upfront costs include the software itself, data migration, licensing fees, and employee training, whereas ongoing costs include system support, license renewals, maintenance fees, etc. It’s important to understand how costs will be determined for your specific company:

• Software cost is determined by number and type of software users (authors or viewers), the functionality required, deployment option (on-premise or on-demand), floating licenses or. named user licenses, etc.
• Hardware cost is determined by the number of users and sites, configuration and performance requirements, amount of data, amount of needed disk space, required system availability, deployment option (on-premise or on-demand), etc.
• Training cost is determined by factors such as how training is delivered (by a vendor or train-the-trainer model), whether training material is custom or standard, and the location of training (on-site, through a vendor, or online).

Time and Money Saving Benefits of PLM Software

Time is money to most companies, and a successful PLM system can optimize your efficiency, saving more time every day. A PLM system saves time by locating and getting data, and then structuring it in a way that makes it easier to make strategic decisions.

Another time saving benefit of PLM has to do with designing parts. When you have a central, searchable location for managing common parts, it reduces future engineering and validation time, saving significant amounts of money. A PLM system also eliminates the need to track down manual entry errors made along the way.

PLMs increase product quality and improve time to market turnaround, making work quicker, the outcome better, and customers happier. This all translates to higher profits.

PLMs were designed to limit inefficiencies at the design stage as it became apparent how having total visibility of product data all throughout a project was essential. Now it’s possible to maintain this visibility as well as look at a product’s conception, how it fits the market, how best to price it, and how best to deliver it, all using a PLM system. Using PLM to do this speeds time-to-market and lowers cost to market, both of which boost profits.

SolidPartners’ 4G:PLM – Affordable PLM

4G:PLM gives companies the benefits of an PLM system at a fraction of the cost.

How?

4G:PLM goes against traditional PLM system implementations, which require long and tedious implementation solutions and nearly constant maintenance. Instead, 4G:PLM provides a simple yet intuitive PLM tool that is priced for companies of all sizes. That way, companies can reap the rewards of using PLM, without paying the traditionally high PLM price.

Now through June 2016, Solidworks users in North America can get 4G:PLM for only $50 per user per month on the cloud hosting platform. Schedule a free demo or trial today to see how 4G:PLM can increase efficiency, manage and structure data, and minimize design stage errors for your business.