product portfolio

Product innovation and development are key capabilities especially for manufacturing industries. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) as a management concept provides processes and methodologies to establish these capabilities based on the dimensions: Organization, processes and technology. This article discusses the development of the PLM concept from an IT system purely supporting the operational level within a company - moving to a concept supporting top-management decisions regarding product strategy and portfolio. Moreover, a framework is introduced to determine an R&D and PLM Strategy based on the Corporate Business Strategy.

Business losses by industrial counterfeiting and product piracy are versatile and substantial. It is a matter of concern for any industry sector [1]. For capital goods manufacturers, almost two of three businesses have already been struck by piracy [2, 3]. Effective countermeasures are, however, not only an issue during product development and production, but require also special consideration in after sales life cycle phases. Thus, PiratPro (www.piratpro.de) aims at holistic concepts that integrate service processes and technical countermeasures into “copy-proof” product bundles.