Abstract:

The aim of the paper is to demonstrate the importance of using the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) method in the projects of students and master students from technical faculties. To begin with, I have made a presentation of the PLM method, according to literature, insisting especially on the steps to apply it in the development of new products. Those steps consist of: analysis of the customer's need for the product, its design, manufacture, use and withdrawal from the market or recycling. Then, I have presented the results obtained in the experience of teaching the subject of Marketing Management in two master engineering programs and other management subjects at different undergraduate engineering majors, where students used the PLM method to carry out different projects and homework. Thus, in this research based on secondary sources I have analyzed the projects/work carried out by students under my coordination who have used the PLM method in the last five academic years. I have also analyzed their opinions on the use of this method, collected through interviews after passing the exams. Following the suggestions received, I had some informal discussions with academic colleagues from the Faculty of Engineering and found that the PLM method would be useful in many other technical or economic disciplines, or that some steps of it are already used in other disciplines, but without mentioning this to the students. I personally believe that a future engineer would be much more motivated in their professional training if they would understand the connection between the theory taught and the steps of its application in industrial practice. Therefore, I have proposed a scheme to connect several subjects from the Industrial Engineering and Management field of study to the PLM method.

One of the conclusions of the paper is that there are more subjects in master's engineering programmes to which the PLM method can be applied to, compared to bachelor's programmes. The main reason for this is that the basic training of specialists in the technical fields covered by the bachelor's programmes has ended, and the master's programmes, in addition to further training, offer engineers many opportunities for self-training. Another conclusion is that the PLM method not only help students develop their organizational skills, but it also lead to an improvement when it comes to skills like communication, creativity, teamwork and lifelong learning.

Keywords:

Project, lifecycle, management, team.