Blog post -
3 Significant Trends in the PLM Market
Being ranked as one of the most innovative companies in the world by Forbes, and being a world leader for Product Lifecycle Management software, staying on the top is not taken for granted at Dassault Systèmes. ”It is easy to be a leader but it is very difficult to stay as a number one. To be able to keep the continuous sustainable growth, what we need to do is always to change, to stay on the edge, to create the trend, and to lead the trend,” says Vivian Kimiko IMAI. In 2012, Dassault Systèmes launched the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, promising a social industry experience for their customers. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is really based on our understanding about the customer, and even customers’ customers’ needs in terms of innovation, and this is what we are trying to provide to the market, to support the bigger meaning for the customer,” she explains. “The 3DEXPERIENCE is a must for us. It is our nature and we need to make it to a success in our ecosystem.”
Experience Economy
According to Vivian Kimiko, there are three significant trends that are currently influencing the PLM market. “Firstly, if you listen to what people are talking about today, they are talking about the experience. We are living in the era of experience.” she explains. The needs of a customer have changed. “The customers are no longer talking about what they want to change in a design tool or which simulation tool they want to use. They are talking about their business challenges. And this is why the 3DEXPERIENCE speeds the post-PLM wave for all the industrial customers,“ she says. “We want to address the business problems by using our 3DEXPERIENCE platform, our social industry experience.”
Big Data
“Secondly, if we look at the economy today, many people are talking about big data. Big data is not just about having the information. Having the information is the base. The most important thing is how to use the information to make the right business decisions. And this is all about our business platform,” Vivian Kimiko explains. According to her the 3DXPERIENCE platform is a key element in being able to both handle the information, and then being able to create value of it.
The Cloud
“Another big change is the cloud. The cloud will totally transform the way we do business, and change the way people connect with each other. Even here we can provide value to the customers by using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform,“ says Vivian Kimiko.
Coming from the partner side herself, Vivian Kimiko understands the importance of the partner network driving the business globally. “There are more than
350 000 middle sized companies in the world. At Dassault we cannot cover all these companies by ourselves, and this is one of the reasons why we want to address these customer’s needs through our partner ecosystem.” Vivian Kimiko says. While having an international background, and being proficient in many languages, Vivian Kimiko realizes the importance of understanding the cultural as-pects in the international business. “The customers want people who can support them shoulder to sh-oulder, with the local language, and with the understanding of their local culture. And this is why we think our local partners can create a lot of value to them,” she says. “And it is especially the partners who understand the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, and are able to deliver it to the end customers.”
Vivian Kimiko has a clear picture of what the perfect partner to Dassault Systèmes looks like. “Our ideal partner is a partner who understands the needs of the customers in their industry vertical, and we want our partner to be able to deliver the value the customer is looking for,“ she explains. “It is very important not just to answer to what the customer is asking for. In some cases we need to be able to articulate what the customer could not see or was not able to express by themselves, and even go beyond,” says Vivian Kimiko. “I believe that Technia is an excellent partner, and has the capability to deliver our 3DEXPERIENCE platform to the customers,” she says. “TUI is a great example of how you are not just delivering a tool to the customer. Technia is delivering an experience, also to TUI’s end customers. I believe that we have a very good match also in term of the vision. We are sharing the same vision, and Technia have the capability to deliver it,” she says.
Technia has during the last couple of years invested in their CATIA business and in advanced functionality like systems engineering. Vivian Kimiko sees this as a typical change for the partner. “You are transforming yourself from a product selling approach to industry solution selling approach. I believe this can create much better value to the customer,“ she says. “When you are going into systems engineering, you are going to play a more important role also in the automotive, aerospace and energy sector,” she says. She also emphasizes the importance of being dedicated in what we do. “Stay focused and differentiate. Every industry have their specific needs, their specific processes, and specific key points for innovation. You need to understand, and keep focused on that. Once you are being focused, then you get deep knowledge of the industry, and you can be different from the competitor. And the customer can understand, and better recognize your value as a company. I think this is very important, to always have a clear proposition to the customer.”Vivian Kimiko IMAI, Dassault Systèmes
Vivian Kimiko IMAI worked at Fasotec, a Dassault Systèmes Value Added Reseller in Japan, before joining Dassault Systèmes in Japan (DSKK) in 2003 to manage key accounts in the High Tech industry (Nikon, Sony, Nokia AP) and then to lead business development in Asia-Pacific. She then became head of the PLM Division for Asia Pacific at Nokia. She rejoined 3DS in 2010 as VP for Industrial Equipment where she defined the solutions strategy for the SMB market. Vivian Kimiko IMAI is now in charge of 3DS Value Solutions Channel globally.
Topics
- Data, Telecom, IT
