Client
Leading Sauce and Syrups Manufacturer
Industry
Food & Beverage Manufacturing
Engagement Type
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Readiness & Technology Selection
The Challenge
The organization recognized the need to modernize its product lifecycle management capabilities to support innovation, commercialization, regulatory compliance, formulation management, packaging development, and cross-functional collaboration.
Like many manufacturers, the company faced a crowded technology landscape. Multiple PLM vendors appeared capable on the surface, yet each offered different strengths, operating models, implementation approaches, and industry capabilities.
Without a structured evaluation process, the risks were significant:
- Misaligned technology selection
- Incomplete requirements gathering
- Limited stakeholder alignment
- Vendor-led decision making
- Extended evaluation timelines
- Increased implementation risk
The organization needed a repeatable, objective framework that would allow stakeholders to rapidly evaluate the market while building internal alignment around future-state requirements.
The Frame & Flight Approach
Frame & Flight deployed its PLM Readiness Accelerator to establish the governance, requirements, and evaluation foundation required for a successful technology selection process.
The engagement focused on four core areas:
Governance & Decision Framework
A structured governance model was established to define:
- Executive sponsorship
- Functional ownership
- Decision rights
- Evaluation criteria
- Vendor scoring methodology
This created alignment across business, technical, and operational stakeholders before vendor engagement began.
Requirements Development
Frame & Flight leveraged its proprietary PLM requirements database to accelerate requirements gathering and validation.
The process included:
- Business process assessments
- Future-state capability mapping
- Functional requirement prioritization
- Cross-functional stakeholder workshops
- Gap identification and validation
The result was a comprehensive set of business and technical requirements aligned to organizational objectives.
Use Case Mapping
Critical PLM use cases were documented and mapped to evaluation criteria.
Examples included:
- Product development
- Formula management
- Packaging development
- Regulatory compliance
- Supplier collaboration
- Commercialization workflows
- Change management processes
These use cases became the foundation for vendor demonstrations and solution scoring.
Vendor Evaluation & RFP Management
Frame & Flight managed the market evaluation process, including:
- Vendor long-list development
- RFP creation and distribution
- Vendor questionnaires
- Response analysis
- Capability scoring
- Executive decision support
A structured evaluation methodology ensured every solution was assessed against the same business objectives and requirements.
The Results
Within six weeks, the organization successfully reduced an initial field of eight potential PLM solutions to a final shortlist of two strategic finalists.
Key outcomes included:
- Selection from 8 vendors to 2 finalists within weeks
- Executive alignment on evaluation criteria
- Comprehensive requirements baseline established
- Structured governance model created
- Accelerated technology selection timeline
- Reduced implementation and adoption risk
Most importantly, the organization entered final vendor selection with confidence that the remaining solutions were aligned to its business processes, operational requirements, and long-term digital transformation strategy.
Business Impact
Rather than allowing technology vendors to define the selection process, the organization established a business-led framework for decision making.
The engagement delivered:
- Faster technology selection
- Improved stakeholder alignment
- Increased confidence in vendor evaluations
- Reduced project risk
- Clear implementation readiness
By investing in readiness before software selection, the organization was able to make a more informed technology decision while significantly reducing the time and effort typically associated with enterprise PLM evaluations.
Key Takeaway
Successful PLM programs begin long before software is selected.
Organizations that establish governance, validate requirements, align stakeholders, and create objective evaluation criteria are significantly more likely to select the right technology and realize value from their PLM investment.
Frame & Flight’s PLM Readiness Accelerator enabled this organization to move from uncertainty to a focused shortlist of strategic solutions in just six weeks, creating a foundation for long-term PLM success.