Chad Jackson

Chad Jackson, President and Principal Analyst of Lifecycle Insights. Chad has more than 15 years of experience in CAD, CAE, PDM, PLM, and related technologies, and is a subject matter expert (SME) recognized thought leader who has advised companies worldwide, published extensively, and presented at industry events both domestically and internationally.

Data backbone: escape the integration treadmill

Data backbone: escape the integration treadmill

August 21, 2025
How a data backbone transforms IT operations Many IT groups find themselves trapped on a treadmill of cyclical integration maintenance....
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Snapshot: LifeCycle Insights–Leveraging Digital Transformation and Engineering Initiatives To Manage Complex Electrical Systems

Snapshot: LifeCycle Insights–Leveraging Digital Transformation and Engineering Initiatives To Manage Complex Electrical Systems

April 10, 2024
Learn how to manage complex electrical systems with the right tools to design, collaborate, and share important design data. The...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Large Manufacturing Organizations Increase Productivity with CAD and PLM Solutions 

Large Manufacturing Organizations Increase Productivity with CAD and PLM Solutions 

October 27, 2022
The verdict is in: Executives are looking for new ways to boost productivity in their mechanical design teams. Findings from...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Does CAD Integration with PDM/PLM Solutions Increase Productivity for Design Engineers? 

Does CAD Integration with PDM/PLM Solutions Increase Productivity for Design Engineers? 

October 14, 2022
Lifecycle Insights’ 2021 Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Productivity Study demonstrates executives want to see increased productivity from their mechanical design teams....
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Supply chain disruptions: be prepared with real-time, integrated supply chain intelligence solutions

Supply chain disruptions: be prepared with real-time, integrated supply chain intelligence solutions

October 6, 2022
This supply chain intelligence blog was written by Chad Jackson, Chief Analyst & CEO at Lifecycle Insights, and comments have...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
How to leverage design tools with integrated, real-time supply chain intelligence 

How to leverage design tools with integrated, real-time supply chain intelligence 

September 28, 2022
This blog was written by Chad Jackson, Chief Analyst & CEO at Lifecycle Insights, and comments have been provided throughout...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Snapshot: LifeCycle Insights–Collaborate faster to mitigating E/E systems complexity

Snapshot: LifeCycle Insights–Collaborate faster to mitigating E/E systems complexity

September 22, 2022
Learn how E/E systems complexity can be tackled with tight collaboration. The following is a snapshot of an in-depth analyst...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Overcoming the challenges of a volatile supply chain

Overcoming the challenges of a volatile supply chain

September 21, 2022
This blog was written by Chad Jackson, Chief Analyst & CEO at Lifecycle Insights, and comments have been provided throughout...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Can you accelerate the selection of alternate components?

Can you accelerate the selection of alternate components?

September 2, 2022
This blog was written by Chad Jackson, Chief Analyst & CEO at Lifecycle Insights, and comments have been provided throughout...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
The engineer and the electronic component sourcing process – how to streamline that today and streamline BOM verification

The engineer and the electronic component sourcing process – how to streamline that today and streamline BOM verification

August 31, 2022
This blog was written by Chad Jackson, Chief Analyst & CEO at Lifecycle Insights, and comments have been provided throughout...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Design release best practices to hit more project deadlines

Design release best practices to hit more project deadlines

August 28, 2022
Design release processes are becoming increasingly complex. There is a lot of room for improvement for companies to hit design...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Bringing resilience at the point of design

Bringing resilience at the point of design

August 25, 2022
This blog was written by Chad Jackson, Chief Analyst & CEO at Lifecycle Insights, and comments have been provided throughout...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Innovative and Cost-Effective Ways to Train CAD Users on New Capabilities

Innovative and Cost-Effective Ways to Train CAD Users on New Capabilities

August 18, 2022
CAD software providers release new features constantly. These features improve the productivity of engineers and designers. Nevertheless, companies often delay...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Where DX efforts are providing the most value

Where DX efforts are providing the most value

July 26, 2022
Digital transformation (DX) initiatives are spreading across industries, with a strong presence in product development and manufacturing. This raises two...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Top 3 Challenges Companies Face When Updating Their Mechanical CAD Solutions 

Top 3 Challenges Companies Face When Updating Their Mechanical CAD Solutions 

July 21, 2022
Engineers rely on their mechanical CAD solutions to create innovative product designs. And solution providers are constantly updating their offerings...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Implementing virtual tools: how manufacturers are leveraging digital twins and digital threads

Implementing virtual tools: how manufacturers are leveraging digital twins and digital threads

July 20, 2022
More and more, manufacturing organizations around the globe are adopting digital transformation (DX) initiatives to help mitigate the many challenges...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Study reveals targeted Digital Transformation initiatives offer significant benefits to manufacturing organizations

Study reveals targeted Digital Transformation initiatives offer significant benefits to manufacturing organizations

June 30, 2022
Digital transformation (DX) initiatives are gaining momentum among today’s leading manufacturers. Lifecycle Insights’ 2021 Return on Investment (ROI) of DX...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Overcoming Design Complexity with Increased Productivity from your CAD Solutions

Overcoming Design Complexity with Increased Productivity from your CAD Solutions

May 2, 2022
Manufacturers are under more pressure than ever to design innovative products. These products incorporate more electronic and software components. In...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Boosting Mechanical Design Team Productivity with CAD Solutions 

Boosting Mechanical Design Team Productivity with CAD Solutions 

March 17, 2022
Executives are focused on boosting the productivity of mechanical design engineers, and rightfully so.  Engineers persevere through a challenging workload...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
ECO process made easier? Let’s talk about change.

ECO process made easier? Let’s talk about change.

January 24, 2022
ECO process, or engineering change orders, can be one of the most time-consuming and costly processes of product development. You...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Design management software brings together engineering domains and disciplines

Design management software brings together engineering domains and disciplines

January 5, 2022
Design management software is essential for product development, a collaborative process involving internal and external stakeholders. Every party, from engineering...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Digital Threads and Business Processes

Digital Threads and Business Processes

August 20, 2021
Manufacturers of all stripes are pursuing digital transformation efforts to meet the evolving needs of product development. The digital thread...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Bill of Material (BOM) Management across Departments, Domains, and Disciplines

Bill of Material (BOM) Management across Departments, Domains, and Disciplines

June 24, 2021
Watch the video to learn the benefits of creating and managing a multi-disciplinary BOM.
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Product Development Project Management with SaaS PLM

Product Development Project Management with SaaS PLM

May 10, 2021
Project managers have a mantra: Keep things on time and under budget.
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Product Development Startup Secrets for Success

Product Development Startup Secrets for Success

April 29, 2021
For most product development startup companies, an investment in software to drive innovation is critical to success. Cloud-based product lifecycle...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
The Role of the Digital Thread and Digital Twin in Digital Transformation

The Role of the Digital Thread and Digital Twin in Digital Transformation

April 29, 2021
Manufacturing organizations across the globe are sinking significant investments into digital transformation to improve development of products and manufacturing plants....
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
The digital twin’s changing role

The digital twin’s changing role

April 27, 2021
Over the past few years, the manufacturing industry has spent a lot of time discussing the value of the digital...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Product Requirements Management across Domains for the Lifecycle

Product Requirements Management across Domains for the Lifecycle

April 7, 2021
Product requirements management is a vital part of the development process. New challenges can be addressed by SaaS PLM.
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Effective Embedded Software Development in the Midst of Exploding Complexity

Effective Embedded Software Development in the Midst of Exploding Complexity

December 17, 2020
Mechanical and electrical engineers have traditionally relied on engineering physics to design, build, and test novel devices and processes. They...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Generative Engineering: Automation for Electrical Distribution Systems

Generative Engineering: Automation for Electrical Distribution Systems

December 9, 2020
Products are becoming more connected. To address the rising user demands, manufacturers are adding more and more smart features to...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
An Advanced Approach for E/E Systems Development

An Advanced Approach for E/E Systems Development

December 3, 2020
Developing electrical/electronic (E/E) systems has never been easy. But as clients and consumers demand new smart, connected features, things are...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Simulation Reuse: The Key to Analysis Productivity?

Simulation Reuse: The Key to Analysis Productivity?

May 2, 2019
    Analysis is no longer the purview of highly trained experts. For more than a decade, engineers have been able to run simulations of the models they’ve designed. Now, their simulatio...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Simulation Automation

Simulation Automation

April 19, 2019
  There’s no doubt about it: simulation is delivering value in product development.   Some are avoiding multiple rounds of prototypes. Some are reducing the cost of goods in produc...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Meaningful Analysis Requires Control

Meaningful Analysis Requires Control

April 4, 2019
How important is accuracy to simulation?   It depends.   In the past, that sort of answer would be immediately dismissed. The purpose of simulation has traditionally been to val...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
The Expanding Simulation Needs of Engineers

The Expanding Simulation Needs of Engineers

March 20, 2019
In modern product development, most everyone knows how important simulation is to successful design. Run analyses early to drive better design decisions. Run analyses late to verify performance. Do t...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Empowering Design Simulation in a Multi-CAD World

Empowering Design Simulation in a Multi-CAD World

March 6, 2019
If it feels like your job is speeding up, you’re not alone. Engineers are a first-hand witness to the accelerated product development cycles manufacturer’s face today. While there’s a number of moder...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Help Us Help You: Support Our Research

Help Us Help You: Support Our Research

November 29, 2016
Help Lifecycle Insights' research efforts into machining practices and technologies by completing our online survey. Findings will be reported in this community as blog posts.  You'll also a rec...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Supporting MBD with the Right Technology

Supporting MBD with the Right Technology

October 3, 2016
This blog post on MBD and MCAD design management has been posted by Industry Analyst Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights © LC Insights LLC. The concepts, ideas and positions of this post have been dev...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Is It Harder to Manage Manufacturing Data than Design Data?

Is It Harder to Manage Manufacturing Data than Design Data?

June 24, 2013
This blog post has been licensed for hosting by Siemens PLM. The concepts, ideas and positions of this post have been developed independently by Industry Analyst Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights. ©...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
The Misnomer of Feature-Based Machining

The Misnomer of Feature-Based Machining

May 31, 2013
This blog post has been licensed for hosting by Siemens PLM. The concepts, ideas and positions of this post have been developed independently by Industry Analyst Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights. ©...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Features or Direct Modeling- Which is Better for Mold and Tool Design?

Features or Direct Modeling- Which is Better for Mold and Tool Design?

May 13, 2013
This blog post has been licensed for hosting by Siemens PLM. The concepts, ideas and positions of this post have been developed independently by Industry Analyst Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights. ©...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Will Machinists Capitalize on the PMI Opportunity?

Will Machinists Capitalize on the PMI Opportunity?

April 24, 2013
This blog post has been licensed for hosting by Siemens PLM. The concepts, ideas and positions of this post have been developed independently by Industry Analyst Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights. ©...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ
Dealing with Geometry: The Machinist’s Cost of Doing Business?

Dealing with Geometry: The Machinist’s Cost of Doing Business?

April 16, 2013
This blog post has been licensed for hosting by Siemens PLM. The concepts, ideas and positions of this post have been developed independently by Industry Analyst Chad Jackson of Lifecycle Insights. ©...
By Chad Jackson
< 1 MIN READ