Mobile PLM Discussions From COFES

One of the more interesting discussions for me at COFES was on mobile applications in the PLM environment. With our launch of Teamcenter Mobility two weeks ago, we wanted to discuss mobile PDM and PLM. While today our app is focused on mobile PDM, there were numerous cases to take it beyond access and workflow signoff. Below are two video interviews and additional comments from the discussion.

Dave Taylor is our senior director of portfolio solutions and led the discussion. Here he shares several outtakes and why we may need to edit our Teamcenter Mobility tagline to add “anyone” to “anytime, anywhere.”



Christine Longwell is a process engineer with startup electric transit manufacture Proterra. She noted mobile devices enable digital data travel.

“deploying a contextually appropriate digital medium means that we can roll changes out…it seems minor but the simply the fact that you can tactiley interface with the engineering data and the drawings is something our manufacturing people really enjoy.”

Here are others comments from the mobile PLM discussion:

“searching and socialization goes away”

“a mobile device is the perfect metaphor to talk about other things…gets people thinking about the data in a new way”

“like the the ability to have a camera on the mobile device so you can snap a picture and immediately show where the problem is”

“it opens up different classes of products in the future – they can be more custom and short run with more educated customers”

“the app helps us overcome the wireframe mentality”

one person asked “what’s really different other than the UI?” Another answered “do you have an iPad?” I thought we might have a little PC vs. Mac debate but they went on to note “it’s all about a different way of interacting.”

Another noted “it’s a language or communication art form.”

We also discussed IT issues like security. Someone noted “the danger of an IT department trying to control or limit mobile apps is that the younger generation will find workarounds. But we need this tension out there to solve this problem.”

Then someone recommended the book Growing Up Digital.

What do you think? What use cases do you see for mobile PDM and PLM in your company? What issues does it raise? Please leave a comment.

As I mentioned in my Reporting from COFES post, this event was the first time I met some fellow Tweeters. Christine was one I have had online discussions with but never met in person. It’s one of the things I love about social media – you feel like you already know someone by the time you meet in person. You can get to know Christine via her blog and on Twitter. Also, check out more on the green transit buses Proterra is building.

– Dora