033: The Future of PLM from the Next Generation Perspective

Jan 1, 2020

Digital Enterprise Society is the authority on the transformation to a digital enterprise, impacting all areas of an organization. Tune in for discussions among industry leaders about operations and action needed to drive digitization principles forward for the future of product development and life cycles. 

 

On this episode, Thom Singer and Craig Brown interview Eric Kozikowsk, Kevin Del Re, and Soho Yun, three Purdue University students and soon to be working professionals in PLM.  They each share some of their education and work experiences, questions they have about the industry, and advice to help even younger students successfully enter the world of PLM.  The conversation wraps up with exceptional advice about the value of securing and fostering mentor relationships. This panel discussion offers valuable career advice for professionals at every experience level and proves that the future of PLM is in very capable hands. 

 

On today’s podcast, you will learn:

 

Opportunities, lessons learned, and surprises from current PLM students 

• A look at automation in the factory — comparing the work of robots vs. humans. 
• Virtual product integration challenges require new skill sets and toolsets to complete complex tasks.

• The expanse of information gathered at every step of processes requires specialized handling and computing skills.
• There is a wide variety of opportunities available within PLM, and evolution to a PLM career can originate anywhere from pharmacy to engineering. 

 

PLM Q & A from next-generation professionals

• What data is essential and what data doesn’t actually need to be tracked?
• What skill sets will set new professionals apart from their competition?
• What computing skills are most essential for success in the future of PLM?

 

Advice from graduate students for high schoolers 

• Secure internships to increase your knowledge of available opportunities. 
• Get involved with teams to maximize your exposure to PLM. 
• Explore and enhance a wide variety of skill sets.
• Mentor relationships are invaluable and most successful when started early and engaged in often.  

 

Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.

Guest Bios:

Eric Kozikowski is a Purdue University graduate student studying Product Lifecycle Management.  He came to Purdue in 2018 after graduating from Illinois State University with a degree in Engineering Technology focused on Manufacturing Engineering and Automation. He has interned as a design engineer intern at Midland OPW Dover in Skokie, IL as well as an industrial engineering intern at Bridgestone Tires in Normal, IL. 

Kevin Del Re is a second-year master’s student at Purdue University.  His undergraduate focused on different areas in Computer Aided Design (CAD), he received a certificate in leadership from Purdue University and His master’s studies focus on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). He has volunteered at Siemens PLM conferences, worked as a Production and design associate at S4 Industries, and collaborated with other construction trades, created custom Revit families and modeled electrical plans at Prime Electric. He is currently searching for a position after graduation where he can build upon the skills that he developed during his undergraduate and graduate degrees and be at the forefront of new developments in the CAD-PLM world.

Soho Yun is a Master's student at Purdue University in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology with a focus in Product Lifecycle Management. She works at the Digital Enterprise Center as a research assistant under Dr. Nathan Hartman. During her undergrad years, Soho focused on gaining internship experiences in different fields including CAD modeling and graphic design/marketing. Her plans after graduation include looking for job opportunities in PLM consulting and hopefully spend some time with her family back home in Korea.

Purdue's Digital Enterprise Center (DEC) is an interdisciplinary research center founded in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. The Center works in conjunction with the Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center to operate a digital manufacturing research testbed. The Center fuses the talents and expertise of university faculty to serve as a resource for the manufacturing industry's transformation to the digital enterprise and Industry 4.0.  Through research and practice around the tools, processes, and information models used in digital manufacturing across the lifecycle, the Digital Enterprise Center draws industry and academia together to enhance manufacturing competitiveness.