Increasingly, organizations are moving their PLM and other enterprise systems to the cloud. By offering a faster time to value, the ability to scale up and down as needed, and the ease of management, moving to the cloud is a great investment for organizations. Despite these benefits, there are still many concerns that organizations have with moving to cloud PLM. 

In a recent survey of 172 manufacturers who are currently using – or plan to use – cloud PLM, CIMdata uncovered the top concerns that these manufacturers have with putting their enterprise data in the cloud. While these are major concerns that should be addressed by your cloud provider, there are often simple solutions to ensure a smooth cloud transition and experience. Below are the top 3 concerns that the manufacturers surveyed had with moving PLM to the cloud:

READ THE FULL LIST OF CONCERNS AND WHY THEY SHOULDN'T KEEP YOU FROM THE CLOUD

Integrating Cloud PLM and Enterprise Systems 

Many legacy enterprise systems are custom-built with unique features and capabilities. While these make the system more valuable to the organization, they can also hinder the system’s adaptability to integrate with other systems or with the cloud. Fortunately, many cloud-based PLM applications on the market offer pre-built and configurable enterprise integrations capabilities making the adoption of cloud PLM smoother than ever. 

Security Risks in the Cloud 

According to Stan Przybylinski, VP of CIMdata, each time there is a major public security breach in the news, cloud PLM takes a hit: “Even though credit cards and banking is not PLM, it just raises the paranoia level in general toward the cloud.” In an interview with a PTC consumer packaged goods customer, CIMdata was told: “Security is constantly asked about: where is the data, is it safe, how do we go see it if we want to? It makes them nervous. Security protocols are checked and rechecked. This is a very emotional issue. But if you do it right, security should be at least equal to on-premise, and usually much better.” Be sure that your cloud provider maintains industry-recognized security certifications and that there are security clearance layers so that only specific roles have access to particular information. As the customer above stated, cloud PLM can actually help boost security. By making it possible for all stakeholders to access information, cloud eliminates the need for internal stakeholders to share data through non-sanctioned channels with external stakeholders. 

Lack of Confidence in Performance

Many organizations are afraid that a cloud PLM solution will not perform as strongly as an on-premise solution does. How easily and quickly will users be able to access the information they need? What sort of uptime should they be able to expect? Ensuring accessibility of your product data should be a top concern when choosing a cloud PLM vendor. When choosing a provider, be sure there is continuous systems operation and optimization with at least 99.5% availability. 

When considering a cloud PLM vendor, be sure to voice any concerns you might be having about moving to the cloud: whether you are worried about integration, security, performance, or something else. 

Have other concerns about moving your PLM system to the cloud? Download CIMdata’s e-book “Making the Connection: The Path to Cloud PLM” and get a better understanding of how you can move to the cloud. You can also hear more from Stan Przybylinski on the state of PLM in the cloud in this webcast replay.