PLM Framework for the Development and Management Smart Energy Products

Abstract

Utility industry has been faced with disruptive changes in their value creation process over the last decade. New technologies and regulatory pressure change the business models in the utility sector on a broad scale from power generation to utilities retail business on international markets. As a consequence utility companies need to provide complex product-service systems (PSS) to their customers in order to cope with growing customer needs on service as well as on product level. Successful player are currently introducing new product development techniques being capable to orchestrate innovation processes in complex business networks with multiples partners. As a result those companies can meet the growing need for product individualization. The foundation for implementing such a product development concepts is a comprehensive description of such Smart Energy Products, which enables different suppliers to collaborate effectively and efficiently. In this paper a conceptual product model for Smart Energy Products will be proposed as a foundation for a holistic PLM for the utility industry.

PLM 4.0 – Recalibrating Product Development and Management for the Era of Internet of Everything (IoE)

“…Since a couple of years the topic of IoE has impact on new product development (NPD) as well as PLM which gains quite some attention from management science [1][2][3][4][5]. The detailed consideration and research on IoE and its impact on NPD and PLM are still missing.…”

“…For utility companies, smart products can have major influence even on core elements of their ERP system (e.g. procurement and billing due to smart gateways and grids) [4]. The developed PLM Framework can serve as a basis for further evaluation of the impact of the IoE on the product development and management.…”

Exploring the Benefits of Productization in the Utilities Sector

“…In particular, the utilities segment is considered (water, energy, gas, communication, and waste management supply), given its importance in everyday life for citizens and its recent evolution pushed by liberalization in several countries. Utilities companies are still facing disruptive changes in the sector, due to the massive diffusion of new technologies, as well as national and international regulatory pressures [13]. This is pushing firms to pursue business model innovation, often adopting PSS as a strategy to satisfy customers' requests in innovative ways, exploiting the advantages of digitalization and new technologies to provide a more complex and adaptive offer for their market [14].…”