What is digital transformation, exactly though? It is a phrase that you’ve probably heard, but pinning down what it really means is a bit tricky. That’s because digital transformation can look different for each company. It also isn’t an endpoint that is achieved once-and-for-all; it is continually evolving. But no matter what the definition, it always involves data and it always encompasses the digitalization of processes to make a company more agile and efficient.
More and more companies are finding that the old standard method of developing products using spreadsheets, email and paper is becoming too cumbersome in light of the growth they are experiencing and today’s shifting realities.
Digging a little deeper, what are some of the steps to determine if your company is ready for digital transformation?
Colleen Grass, Regional Director at Centric Software says, “Take a closer look at your processes to define your challenges. Ask each functional area to come up with their own lists. Then analyze the responses to see if there are any recurring themes.” Grass continues, “From my experience, we see pitfalls that are common to many companies, like too much time spent entering data, costly errors that go along with that, and having to search for information in spreadsheets, emails, Google docs, Dropboxes and more. With important information silo’ed across different tools, there is no way to make meaningful use of the data.”
Once the issues have been identified, the next step should be to research potential solutions. And that’s where Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) comes into play.
PLM solutions connect every phase of design, development, sourcing, manufacturing and retail in the same digital space with the most up-to-date and accurate “single source of actionable truth.” PLM provides real-time, online product data access for design and product development teams and the ability to collaborate with suppliers and partners. And a modern PLM solution should becloud-based, market-driven, mobile, completely configurable, focused on innovation and best practices to help you achieve faster time to market and higher product margins.
But how do you go about selecting the right PLM partner?
This is important, as not all PLM solutions are the same. Centric Software is sponsoring an event entitled, “Webinar for Emerging Brands: Finding the Right PLM Partner.” In this live discussion Centric experts covered:
- The top signs you need to move away from emails and spreadsheets.
- How to research and evaluate PLM vendors.
- What you should expect from a modern PLM solution.
You can watch the replay here.
If you have any questions or wish to have a personalized demo contact jforsythe@centricsoftware.com.
