Let’s try this definition:

  • Management of the Design of a product and of all the processes and artefacts relating to, or which are involved in the lifecycle of the product (specifications, design, manufacturing, operations, maintenance, repair, recycling …).
    In this context, Design includes all the simulation, verification, validation, and quality processes that guarantee the quality of the designs listed above
  • Management of the results of these designs : notion of dynamic product repository. Why dynamic: because it is one of the aims of PLM to manage information about the product « AS IT IS », but also « AS IT WAS » and ‘AS IT WILL BE ». And even in some cases , « AS IT COULD BE ».
  • Management of the projects relating to the designs and repositories mentioned above.

PLM has an holistic view of the Product Information, that goes far beyond the definition of the product and its associated means and processes. It also manages all the intents, all the assumptions, all the studies, all the verifications, relating to the product.