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Successful PLM deployment can hinge on efficiently solving these problems. If not properly managed, the conflicts drag out and can quickly consume the project's entire budget and schedule. Worse yet, if a delivered "solution" is ever realized, it will likely consist of a hodge-podge of localized bureaucratic processes and incompatible features. IntegWare has developed a process known as Global Harmonization to efficiently and comprehensively address the natural conflicts that may exist between the various sites involved. This process is designed to invigorate the development of a common progressive solution, which can be understood and utilized in the same way globally. The goal is to reconcile both business and functional Product Lifecycle Management requirements between all divisions of a global organization. The Global Harmonization process involves a number of unique techniques and procedures, flexible to the specific circumstances of the customer. The process begins with the selection of a cross-functional and often international Global Harmonization team. This team is often made up of members of the broader PLM team (including several PLM experts from IntegWare) but should (and typically does) include selective user advocates, representatives from each site as well as process and personnel experts. It is important that the team be encouraged to develop a strong synergy, transcending barriers that may exist due to regional or corporate culture differences. The Global Harmonization Team spends time early on, extensively interviewing departments and workgroups from each site. The team is also chartered with the study and evaluation of existing PLM systems, PLM initiatives and other related enterprise IT systems. The learnings from this Global Harmonization audit process are captured in an in-depth document called a Needs Analysis and Process Evaluation. This document is hierarchically based on the relationships between business and business success drivers as well as technological and functional requirements. Once the process and goals are defined in accordance with the needs analysis, the Global Harmonization team meets on a rapid and strictly controlled schedule to reconcile conflicting requirements. The culmination of these efforts is a Global Harmonization Document, developed and signed by the Global Harmonization Team. The process continues and is threaded throughout each aspect of the project lifecycle. At the core, Global Harmonization is about people coming together and recognizing what common and site-specific business factors drive success throughout the organization. The Global Harmonization process leverages the recognized strengths of each division and takes practical steps to define common, global processes to improve the organization as a whole. Only through a process like this can the truest rewards of a global PLM system be realized. |
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