Implications of Open Innovation Approaches on Future PLM

Doing business globally causes the increase of very complex and dynamic processes. It demands a high level of flexibility and adaptability from the companies involved. The aim of companies is to find efficient ways in order to produce new products and to better meet customer demands. Open Innovation (OI) approaches contribute to this aim and therefore drive the evolution of future Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Based on four scenarios, developed using scenario planning method, the implications are shown on different levels of PLM. A catalogue of requirements for PLM 2020 was drawn up on the basis of the results of interdisciplinary panels, qualitative and quantitative interviews, and of a sector-specific use case for the automotive industry. The paper discovers ways in which PLM can be made more successful in future and pinpoint challenges that PLM will have to meet with regard to OI concepts.