What Is Product Lifecycle Management Software?

Product lifecycle management (PLM) software was first introduced by automotive and defense companies in the mid-1980s. The goal was to reduce development costs and speed up the product lifecycle.

Integrating different processes into a single system could seemingly solve all challenges from design through manufacturing. For many industries that had well-established methodologies, this has proved true.

But for semiconductor organizations, having a one-size-fits-all approach adds unnecessary bloat to the design process that can compromise productivity. Further, it complicates an already complex design process, creating unnecessary friction and limiting reuse.

PLM Software

Product Lifecycle Software Adoption Challenges

Static Design Environment

In the world of semiconductor design, change is the only constant. With the doubling of component counts every two years, PLM software cannot keep up with the velocity and volume of changes.

Forced & Inflexible Workflows

PLM software is complex and large, meaning any new tools can be too disruptive to properly implement. Teams find that they need to adapt their processes to PLM tools, rather than the other way around.

Increased Cost of Ownership & Maintenance

PLM tools need to be customized for semiconductor organizations, which ramps up costs and requires in-house integrations to be built (and maintained). Often the cost of customizing a generic PLM tool can far outweigh the original cost.

Project-Centric Approach Limits Reuse

Today’s SoC environment requires reuse to expedite time-to-market. When you attempt to expand outside a project with a PLM tool, you run into design silos that prohibit cross-team collaboration. This limits how IP is shared and results in "reinventing the wheel" rather than effective reuse.

Optimize Your PLM Ecosystem

By putting IP in the center of your design process, you can close the gaps in traditional PLM software. With the right tools, you can gather information from all areas of your PLM solution and deliver them in centralized solution.

PLM Ecosystem

Perforce Helix IPLM + Your PLM Strategy

Having an IP-centric workflow re-centers your design workflow, allowing teams to track and manage designs while improving overall quality. Helix IPLM (formerly Methodics IPLM) by Perforce integrates into your existing PLM tool with a flexible API. Designers can easily create a workspace and browse through an IP catalog that spans across teams and projects, for efficient reuse. This drives down costs while providing full traceability across the product lifecycle.

Image Solutions Helix IPLM Strategy

Why Perforce Helix IPLM?

Centralized IP Management

IPs evolve according to their own lifecycle. Helix IPLM provides a centralized, searchable IP catalog for improved IP discovery and reuse. With Helix IPLM, every aspect of the IP lifecycle is tracked in a single, unified location. You get fully traceable designs, from requirements to tapeout.

Scalable Data Management

You can use Helix Core, Git, and Helix IPLM together as a seamless IP and  data management solution. This provides a single source of truth that scales to support complex products and global teams. You can get all the benefits of PLM, plus improved traceability and cross-functional collaboration. 

Workspace & Release Management

Automated IP release flows and global workspace management in Helix IPLM improve visibility, helping developers and designers fully understand the context of an IP for inclusion in their project.

Frictionless Adoption

Helix IPLM is low maintenance with relatively few insertion points into the user workflow. It streamlines your existing design process without disrupting your PLM tool. Plus, it integrates with the tools your teams already use, for frictionless adoption.

Join Industry Leaders Using Perforce

9 of the top 10 semiconductor companies depend on Perforce. That’s because we help conquer challenges to streamline design and development.

Semiconductor

Automotive

Medical Devices

Healthcare

Manufacturing

Hi-Tech

Talk to an IP Lifecycle Management Expert

Discover how to optimize your PLM solution with Perforce. Our experts are industry veterans and are ready to help you streamline design efforts, increase IP reuse, and achieve end-to-end traceability.

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