This month we are taking a pause from the typical format of the PLM & Sustainability newsletter to ask PLM Green followers for their valued input in a one-question survey that will help guide our initiative forward.

In the way of context for our survey, the PLM Green Global Alliance LinkedIn Group was launched early in 2020 to develop a global network and community between professionals who use, develop, research, market, consult, support or teach Product Lifecycle Management business strategies, enabling technologies and software solutions that have a role in creating a more sustainable low-carbon circular economy.

Our group started with a few gathered around a virtual roundtable and grew to over 600 members

When we started there were very few organizations, consultants, or solution providers talking or writing about sustainability, especially in North America. Our first goal was to make it more acceptable, or normalized, for professionals to consider then converse about the intersection of PLM and Green, especially for those who care about the lifecycles of both products AND planet ecosystems.

“It’s not easy being green.”

Ironically we found in some business circles it was as if the environmental word “green” was a toxic pollutant, especially in the US. Of course, many including myself, believe green is also conservative value that seeks to protect creation and all life forms from harm. While Kermit the frog sings that being green is not easy, I remain hopeful that investing in a green economy will become the common cause that brings red and blue together for the good of the planet, people, and prosperity that is sustainable for all to enjoy.

Our second stated goal was to help educate, advocate, and collaborate for the use of PLM-enabling technologies to assess, reduce, mitigate, and adapt (when necessary) to climate change, the immediate challenge to achieving long-term sustainability.

Example PLM Green commentary in Digital Engineering

We noted there were a rapidly increasing number of examples of how PLM-enabling technologies (PDM, CAE, AM/3DP, LCA, MBSE, MDO, CFD, CLM, PPM, HPC etc. as referenced in the PLM Ecosystem Atlas) are being used to create a greener economy. Yet, there were few focused platforms and forums where resources and applications were collected, shared, discussed, and promoted for the common good.

Dozens of application spaces comprise the PLM ecosystem from the PLM Atlas

And what a difference two years makes as we wrote about in a recent Intersection of PLM & Sustainability post.  It’s been ever so encouraging to witness so many solution providers, industry publications, consultancies, and market analysts begin to address the business and technical challenges to achieving sustainability. While we certainly don’t take credit for reaching that tipping point, we do celebrate our small contribution to it.

Over the past two years PLM Green, in an admittedly modest unfunded volunteer manner, contributed to that conversation in our blog posts, guest commentaries in publications, discussion forums, book reviews, webinar participation, and LinkedIn group activity. We also interviewed solution providers including Aras, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, PTC, SAP, and Sustaira to learn more about their own progress in offering solutions that support sustainability. (Note, we did not neglect Siemens Digital Solutions; they just never responded to our outreach before this post was published.)

These can be accessed in our LinkedIn feeds as well as archived on our non-commercial PLM Green website. We thank all the contributors, volunteers, and followers for making this possible, especially since we wanted to avoid becoming yet another digital-advertising marketing scheme. Our original participants included Jos Voskuil, Klaus Brettschneider, Ilan Madjar, Hannes Lindfred, Bjørn Arvid Fidjeland, Lionel Grealou (グレアルー・リオ), and myself Richard McFall.

So what now should we do given that discussing the issues of climate change, circular economy, green energy and sustainability has “crossed over the chasm” to becoming more mainstream?

Help us decide by telling us what you valued from an initiative like PLM Green, or what you would like to see more of from us, or if not us some other successor organization that seeks to serve our profession. Is it:

• A focused professional community and network for those who share a common interest in PLM & Sustainability?
• The weekly curation and sharing of relevant news by LinkedIn, email and website posts from us and others?
• A monthly newsletter digest of timely news, announcements, events and commentaries from around the world that you might have missed?
• An educational website that serves as a resource center and repository of references and case studies?
• Live and recorded panel discussions, SIG forums, interviews, book discussions, webinars, etc.?
• Informative and original blogs, articles, research, surveys, analysis, and thought leadership?
• Learning about PLM-enabling technologies and solution providers that contribute to sustainability?
• Being part of growing movement to create a sustainable decarbonized circular economy?
• A directory of PLM / sustainability professionals, providers, consultants, resources, and jobs?
• An international group where you can learn what others across the world are thinking and doing?
• Opportunities to participate or volunteer that expands your career and builds your credentials and professional brand?
• Inspiration from others outside of your job and employer that aligns with your personal values?
• A platform to help advance and promote your own interests, writing, research, products, or company?
• None of the above or something else?

Share your opinion now on which of the above are of value in this anonymous one-question survey hosted on SurveyMonkey HERE.

We will soon share the results on our PLM Green LinkedIn Group page which we invite you to join if you have not yet done so.

As always, let us know what you think about our effort by leaving a public comment below or sending a private message to info@plmgreenalliance.com.