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here. It should be noted, however, that the simple classifications do not
always fit exactly. Many areas overlap, and many software products cover
more than one area or do not it easily into one category. It should also not
be forgotten that one of the main goals of PLM is to collect knowledge that
can be reused for other projects and to coordinate simultaneous concur-
rent development of many products. It is about business processes, people,
and methods as much as software application solutions. Although PLM
is mainly associated with engineering tasks, it also involves marketing
activities such as product portfolio management (PPM), particularly with
regards to new product development (NPD).
There are several life-cycle models in industry to consider, but most are
rather similar. The following discussion presents one possible life-cycle
model. While it emphasizes hardware-oriented products, similar phases
would describe any form of product or service, including nontechnical or
sotware-based products:
Phase 1: Conceive—Imagine, Specify, Plan, Innovate
The first stage is the definition of the product requirements based on cus-
tomer, company, market, and regulatory bodies' viewpoints. From this
specification, the product's major technical parameters can be defined. In
parallel, the initial concept design work is performed defining the aesthet-
ics of the product together with its main functional aspects. Many dif-
ferent media are used for these processes, from pencil and paper to clay
models to 3-D CAID (computer-aided industrial design) software.
In some concepts, the investment of resources into research or the
analysis of options may be included in the conception phase, e.g., bring-
ing the technology to a level of maturity sufficient to move to the next
phase. However, life-cycle engineering is iterative. It is always possible that
something doesn't work well enough in any one phase to back up into a
prior phase—perhaps all the way back to conception or research. There are
many examples to draw from.
Phase 2: Design—Describe, Define, Develop,
Test, Analyze, and Validate
This is where the detailed design and development of the product's form
starts, progressing to prototype testing, through pilot release, to full prod-
uct launch. It can also involve redesign and ramping for improvement to
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