Making Change Management Work for SMBs

Dear DE Reader:

This guy Aristotle I’ve heard about said “change in all things is sweet.” Obviously, he’s not at an SMB (small- to mid-size business) where engineering change requests (ECRs) and engineering change orders (ECOs) can be a constant nag like fleas on a dog. Often an SMB’s change management and key lifecycle processes are an ad hoc olio of homegrown solutions and adapted technologies—spreadsheets, email etc. Today’s Check it Out link takes you to a resource on how SMBs can move their processes into the present era.

Yes, the resource, created by IMAGINiT Technologies, is talking PLM (product lifecycle management) for the rest of us. Simply put, improvised processes for managing change, spreadsheet-based bills of materials and the like are productivity drags undermining competitiveness and profitability.

The resource, called PLM Services, could be named “Dispelling the Myths of PLM for SMBs,” the title of a video on the page. Watch it, it’s 3 minutes.

The video first busts common fables about PLM: It’s an engineering application and it’s only for big outfits with large checking account balances. It’s point: PLM doesn’t mean a complex, expensive, IT-intensive sprawl of processes that you don’t need.

The video then segues into what the Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle (née PLM 360) cloud-based platform can do for SMBs, such as automate ECOs. BTW, you don’t have to wield Autodesk’s solutions to use it.

Good stuff, but only a start. Below the video is a quick summary of some of the benefits of a PLM such as streamlined workflows. It also runs through how IMAGINiT can help you identify process pain points then plan and deploy affordable PLM remedies rapidly. But keep scrolling.

The short video “Dispelling the Myths of PLM for SMBs” is just one component in an online resource focused on how small- and mid-sized engineering firms can modernize their product lifecycle management processes and gain additional productivity. Image courtesy of IMAGINiT Technologies.

At the bottom is an array of papers, videos, an on-demand webinar and other materials to fill your knowledge base. Read “The Executive’s Guide to Managing ECOs.” It explains how you can automate change processes and not blow out your wallet or staff. The 12-minute video “Change Management—Why You Need a Strategy” complements the paper well. It focuses on managing change for your firm’s culture rather than squeezing you into a one-size-fits-all approach.

Stephen Hawking, another guy I’ve heard about, once said that “intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” If you know your SMB’s change management and other vital processes need to change, hit today’s Check it Out link and see how much you could do to make some sweet changes.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, DE