In today’s fast-paced and competitive industrial landscape, staying stagnant is no longer an option. Companies that continue to rely on outdated processes and fragmented technologies risk being outpaced by those who embrace smarter, faster, and more sustainable solutions. Enter Digital PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and Digital Thread, two strategic enablers reshaping how businesses ideate, design, develop, manufacture, deliver, and service products.
This is more than just an upgrade—it’s a fundamental shift in how organizations connect data, people, and processes across the entire product lifecycle. If you haven’t yet embraced this transformation, now is the time to explore how it can revolutionize your operations.
The Evolution of PLM: Beyond Data Management to AI-powered Digital Thread
For over 40 years, PDM/PLM has been primarily associated with managing product data. However, with products becoming more intelligent and customer demands increasing, traditional PLM alone is no longer sufficient.
This is where Digital Thread comes in. Digital Thread weaves a continuous data flow across all stages of a product’s lifecycle—from concept and design to manufacturing, supply chain, and service. When paired with Digital PLM, it enables businesses to:
- Eliminate data silos by ensuring seamless information flow across departments.
- Enhance collaboration by integrating marketing & sales, product management, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, quality, regulatory and service teams in real time.
- Enable AI-driven decision-making, allowing businesses to optimize operations, reduce waste, and accelerate innovation.
This isn’t just an evolution—it’s a step forward in realizing the full potential of product data and process integration at scale.
Why Hitachi Digital Services Stands Out
At Hitachi Digital Services, we don’t just theorize about Digital PLM and Digital Thread—we implement proven, real-world solutions that drive measurable impact. Our expertise spans industries including automotive, transportation, energy, high-tech, med-tech, and more.
Here’s how we’re making a difference:
- End-to-End Integration: We break down silos, creating seamless connectivity across marketing & sales, product engineering & development, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and service operations.
- AI-Powered Innovation: We integrate AI and GenAI to enhance every phase of the product lifecycle—from predictive quality inspections to AI-driven generative design and systems engineering.
- Proven Playbook for Success: Our HDPLM Transformation Playbook provides a structured, scalable roadmap to accelerate adoption and maximize ROI.
Case Study: How Digital PLM, Digital Thread & AI Transformed Operations
A market leader in discrete manufacturing was challenged with inefficiencies caused by fragmented systems, manual processes, and missed opportunities. By partnering with Hitachi Digital Services, they were able to completely redefine their operations:
- Identified digital maturity gaps and mapped vulnerabilities across their product lifecycle.
- Developed a multi-year transformation roadmap, starting with small wins and scaling rapidly.
- Leveraged AI-powered Digital PLM and Digital Thread strategy, methodology and technologies, resulting in:
- 55% reduction in cycle times
- 45% improvement in product quality
- Elimination of redundant manual processes
These aren’t just numbers—they’re proof of how Digital PLM, Digital Thread, and AI can drive real business transformation.
Why AI & GenAI are Essential for Success
AI is no longer just a buzzword—it’s the cornerstone of digital transformation. At Hitachi Digital Services, we integrate AI and GenAI with Digital PLM and Digital Thread to address critical business challenges:
- AI-Driven Quality Control: Automating inspections across industries—from railcars to microchips—to eliminate inefficiencies and defects.
- System Engineering Assistance: Using AI to streamline design processes, reducing time-to-market and enhancing product performance.
- Generative Design at Scale: Leveraging GenAI to create smarter, more optimized product designs with reduced material waste and enhanced efficiency.
- AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance: Utilizing real-time data analytics and AI to predict failures before they happen, reducing downtime and increasing operational efficiency.
With over 60 AI use cases and 10 scalable solutions already transforming industries, we’re not just adopting AI—we’re delivering tangible results.
Overcoming Challenges in Digital Transformation
Every business faces obstacles—fragmented processes, siloed systems, and resistance to change. These barriers can slow innovation, but Digital PLM and Digital Thread provide a clear pathway to overcome them.
At Hitachi Digital Services, we work with you to:
- Reimagine business processes from the ground up
- Enable seamless data integration across product lifecycle stages
- Leverage AI and Digital Thread for real-time visibility and predictive insights
The result? A connected, intelligent enterprise that thrives in today’s fast-moving market.
The Time to Act is Now
In today’s landscape, agility, speed, and sustainability define success. Digital PLM and
Digital Thread are not optional—they’re essential.
By partnering with Hitachi Digital Services, you gain access to a future-ready approach that ensures you not only keep up with the competition—but lead the way.
The future of digital transformation is here—are you ready to embrace it?
Let’s discuss how Digital PLM, Digital Thread, and AI can reshape your organization and propel your business to the next level.
- About Sankar Natarajan
- About Hitachi Digital Services
Sankar Natarajan is the Senior Director and Global Head of Digital PLM and Smart Manufacturing Practice at Hitachi Digital Services. He leads teams that drive integrated digital transformation across products, factories, and operations for both the Hitachi Group of Companies and Hitachi Digital Services’ vast and ever-expanding clientele.
With over 20 years of experience, Sankar is a recognized industry thought leader. He partners with leading companies to shape outcome-driven digital transformation strategies, focusing on engineering and product development, manufacturing and operations, quality and regulatory compliance, and environmental sustainability. By leveraging design thinking, digital capabilities, and cutting-edge technologies, he helps businesses achieve meaningful and lasting transformation.
Hitachi Digital Services is an independent services business that focuses on delivering a unified operating model for cloud, data, IoT and managed services. Playing a pivotal role in Hitachi’s digital transformation strategy, Hitachi Digital Services places a strong emphasis on Generative AI to deliver an integrated end-to-end digital transformation for enterprises. The company is strategically positioned within the Hitachi Digital portfolio of companies to leverage the synergies between operational technology (OT), information technology (IT), and product and service offerings. Such positioning allows Hitachi Digital Services to work closely with Hitachi Digital, the new Hitachi Vantara and Hitachi group businesses, including GlobalLogic, to create an integrated end-to-end digital transformation solution for enterprises.
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