plmLab

Articles

Longer-form writing on PLM, RAMS, and digital engineering.

Practical, depth-first articles drawn from real engineering programs. New articles are added as topics are researched and written — there is no publication schedule.

RAMS CorePlanned

PHM and the product record — closing the loop

How in-service sensor data, reliability models, and the PLM record can stay connected — and why most architectures break this connection by accident.

9 min read
RAMS CorePlanned

RCM in 500 words (and what they don't teach in 500)

A short introduction to Reliability Centered Maintenance — and the practical traps that turn an RCM exercise into shelfware.

6 min read
Digital ThreadIn progress

The digital thread: three integration contracts that usually break first

Most digital thread initiatives fail at the same three handoffs — PLM ↔ ERP, PLM ↔ MES, and PLM ↔ quality. What they are and how to specify them up front.

11 min read
Best PracticesIn progress

How to prepare for a PLM migration project

A pre-migration checklist: source profiling, mapping rules, dry runs, reconciliation, and the cutover habits that prevent week-one regret.

10 min read
PLM CoreIn progress

Effectivity in plain language

Date effectivity, serial-number effectivity, lot effectivity — what they are, when each is the right choice, and how Windchill represents them.

8 min read
RAMS CoreIn progress

FMEA without the spreadsheet fatigue

A short guide to running Failure Modes and Effects Analysis that engineers actually engage with — and what to do about the 'this is just bureaucracy' reflex.

10 min read
PLM CoreIn progress

EBOM, MBOM, SBOM — in one sitting

Why engineering, manufacturing, and service BOMs exist as distinct structures, what transforms between them, and where teams typically lose synchronization.

11 min read
Best PracticesIn progress

Part numbering: meaningful, meaningless, or hybrid?

The three approaches, what each one costs in year three, and how to choose without re-litigating the decision every quarter.

9 min read
PLM CoreIn progress

What is PLM, and why do people misunderstand it?

A grounded definition of Product Lifecycle Management, its boundary with ERP and MES, and the five misunderstandings that show up in almost every conversation about it.

8 min read