Richard Blatcher is global industry marketing manager, manufacturing, for Autodesk Inc. (San Rafael, CA), developer of AutoCAD, PLM and factory design software solutions.
Cloud-Based PLM Software Works to Cut Costs, Speed Time-To-Market
PASSWORD
Manufacturing Engineering: What does the cloud-based PLM 360 announced last year add for manufacturers? Richard Blatcher: Unlike traditional PLM systems, Au- todesk PLM 360 is easily configurable to meet the specific needs of the end user. The cloud platform provides greater visibility to critical information, ensures faster time-to-market, faster response to changing market dynamics and demands, reduces waste, and improves compliance—all of which im- prove a company’s bottom line.
gling to manage and improve their processes with spreadsheets, folders and e-mail now have access to the benefits of PLM. ME: How does this implementation differ from traditional PLM systems, some of which are now offered on the cloud? Blatcher: The most notable differences are cost and ease of use. Traditional PLM systems historically have been expensive, complicated, and difficult to deploy and configure. Autodesk PLM 360 provides a stark contrast. It’s really PLM for everyone and anyone—for around one-tenth the cost of
“The cloud platform provides greater visibility to critical information, ensures faster time-to-market, faster response to changing market dynamics and demands, reduces waste, and improves compliance—all of which improve a company’s bottom line.”
Additionally, cloud-based PLM extends the promise of PLM to companies that might not have considered it before via traditional delivery methods. Historically, the time, cost and complexity associated with implementing traditional PLM systems limited the adoption of PLM to large enterprises. Autodesk PLM 360 changes that. The cloud-based alternative offers businesses of all sizes an affordable and easy-to-imple- ment PLM solution. Another key benefit to cloud-based PLM is speed. Our
customers are up and running in minutes to days, not months to years. Manufacturing companies can truly benefit from an alter- native to traditional PLM. Companies of any size that are strug-
comparable functionality from legacy PLM providers. While other PLM solutions might have some cloud compo-
nents, Autodesk’s solution is housed entirely in the cloud, so it can leverage the virtually limitless power of the cloud—granting customers access to all data anywhere, at any time. It’s also the first cloud-based PLM solution focused on business applica- tions beyond engineering and Bill of Materials management, making it appropriate to more types of businesses and employ- ees in a wider range of roles than any other PLM system. ME: How has acceptance of cloud-based PLM gone so far? Blatcher: We recently completed a survey of Autodesk PLM 360 customers to gage how they’re using the solution, how