Organizational adaptation for using PLM systems: Group dynamism and management involvement

New product development (NPD) is often subject to internal and external disruptions due to the complicated nature of the development process. The advent of product lifecycle management (PLM) systems provides an IT platform to streamline NPD related processes, but the lack of approaches to effective adaptation may conceal the true value of PLM. The conventional wisdom of technology adaptation has focused on the pattern of the adaptation process. However, the collaborative work structure embedded in PLM may trigger organizational change. This study analyzes how a project team successfully adapted a PLM system to quickly create a small and low cost panel product. In light of the strategic choice framework, we suggest an integrated model of organizational change innovation and adaptive structuration theory (AST) to investigate the dynamic aspects of PLM system usage. Driven by management vision and involvement, organizational objectives were achieved through interactions between multilevel users and the modification of system features and process flows. The case study presents techniques for analyzing IT usage behavior which may present significant research opportunities regarding the potential impact of PLM systems might affect the firm's ability to manage its relationships with its partners.