在ERP、SCM、CRM以及PLM这四个系统中，PLM的成长和成熟花费了最长的时间，并且最不容易被人所理解。它也与其它系统有着较大的区别，这是因为迄今为止，它是惟一面向产品创新的系统，也是最具互操作性的系统。
例如，如果企业为了制造的用途，使用PLM软件来真正管理一个产品的全生命周期，它需要与SCM、CRM特别是ERP进行集成。如果作为一个概念来说，PLM出现的时间已经很长了。但是作为一个整体解决方案的范畴，它仅仅是在最近一两年刚刚成为可行。之所以花费了数年的时间来确立产品生命周期管理的市场定位，部分原因是由于它的来历甚至名字都与PDM和CAD软件系统有密切的关系。因为从技术角度上来说，PLM是一种对所有与产品相关的数据、在其整个生命周期内进行管理的技术。
产品生命周期管理（PLM）-并不只是另一种企业应用产品。
许多企业解决方案－如ERP(企业资源规划)、CRM（客户关系管理）和SCM（供应链管理）－侧重于优化实物产品和事务或交易的流程。对于涉及到反复地按照相同的方式做相同的事情的过程，这些应用程序和工作效果还好。而实际上，对于成功开发产品所需的那一类快速迭代和创新工作而言，它们就无能为力了。
对于此类工作，产品开发者需要的是擅长于支持许多互相依赖的过程和灵活解决方案，这些过程是将成功的产品推向市场所必需的。PLM提供了从规划到支持的解决方案，范围覆盖所有相应的部门以及整个供应链。通过使用完整的数字化产品表示形式，开发小组能够快速进行试验分析、更改设计、运行假设分析方案、细化设计，以及执行其他更多操作。通过为所有利益相关者提供内容的个性化视力，可以使数字化产品逐渐完善、引人注目并且性能稳定－而这一切都是在费用高昂的实际制造过程开始之前完成的。
翻译：
What is the history of PLM?
Of the four systems – ERP, SCM, CRM, and PLM – PLM has taken the longest to grow and mature and is the least understood. It is also very different from other systems because it is the only system oriented to product innovation and the most interoperable system to date. Digital transformation network szhzxw.cn
For example, if an enterprise is using PLM software to really manage the full lifecycle of a product for manufacturing purposes, it needs to integrate with SCM, CRM, and especially ERP. As a concept, PLM has been around for a long time. But as a category of overall solutions, it has only become feasible in the last year or two. It took years to establish a market position for product lifecycle management, in part because its origins and even its name are closely related to PDM and CAD software systems. Because, from a technical point of view, PLM is a technology that manages all product-related data throughout its lifecycle. Digital transformation network szhzxw.cn
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) – not just another enterprise application product. Digital transformation network szhzxw.cn
Many enterprise solutions – such as ERP(enterprise resource planning), CRM (customer relationship management). And SCM (supply chain management) – focus on optimizing the flow of physical products and transactions or transactions. For processes that involve doing the same thing in the same way over and over again. These applications and jobs work just fine. In practice, they are not capable of the kind of rapid iteration and innovation required to successfully develop a product.
For this type of work, product developers need to be adept at supporting the many interdependent processes and flexible solutions that are necessary to bring a successful product to market. PLM provides solutions from planning to support, covering all relevant departments and the entire supply chain. By using a complete digital product representation, development teams can quickly perform experimental analysis, change designs, run what-if analysis scenarios, refine designs, and much more. By providing a personalized vision of content to all stakeholders. Digital products can be made progressively better, compelling, and consistently performant-all before the costly actual manufacturing process begins.
