Last updated on Oct 11, 2024

How do you communicate and visualize PLM and MM analytics to different stakeholders and audiences?

PLM and MM analytics are essential for managing the lifecycle and inventory of materials in any industry. They help you optimize costs, quality, compliance, and innovation. But how do you communicate and visualize these data-driven insights to different stakeholders and audiences? Here are some tips to make your PLM and MM analytics more effective and engaging.

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1 Know your audience

Before you create any report or dashboard, you need to understand who will use it and what they need to know. Different audiences have different goals, questions, and preferences. For example, executives may want to see the big picture and the impact on the bottom line, while engineers may want to see the details and the technical specifications. You need to tailor your message, language, and format to suit your audience's needs and expectations.

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2 Choose the right metrics

Not all metrics are equally relevant or meaningful for every audience. You need to select the ones that align with your audience's objectives and interests. For example, if you want to show the performance of your PLM process, you may use metrics such as time-to-market, product quality, customer satisfaction, or innovation rate. If you want to show the efficiency of your MM process, you may use metrics such as inventory turnover, stock accuracy, or order fulfillment. You need to define and explain your metrics clearly and consistently, and avoid using too many or too vague ones.

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Piyush Kumar Mohanty

SAP Consultant at Tata Consultancy Services | SAP Materials Management | SAP Procurement | SAP OpenText | SAP VIM | SAP P2P | SAP S2P |
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Tailored Presentations: Customize presentations with relevant data visualizations, ensuring clarity and engagement for each stakeholder, whether they're executives, managers, or operational teams. Interactive Dashboards: Utilize interactive dashboards to display key metrics, allowing stakeholders to explore MM analytics and derive insights relevant to their roles. Storytelling with Data: Use techniques to weave analytics into narratives, making complex data more relatable and highlighting the impact of materials management on overall business objectives. Regular Updates: Provide consistent updates through newsletters or briefings, sharing actionable insights and trends in MM analytics to keep all stakeholders informed and aligned.

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3 Use the right visuals

Visuals can help you communicate and visualize your PLM and MM analytics more effectively and attractively. They can help you highlight trends, patterns, comparisons, or relationships in your data. But you need to use the right visuals for the right data and the right audience. For example, if you want to show the distribution of your materials across locations, you may use a map or a pie chart. If you want to show the change of your materials over time, you may use a line or a bar chart. You need to follow the best practices of data visualization, such as choosing the appropriate colors, scales, labels, and legends.

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4 Tell a story

Data alone is not enough to communicate and visualize your PLM and MM analytics. You need to tell a story that connects the data to the context, the problem, the solution, and the action. A story can help you capture your audience's attention, emotion, and curiosity. It can help you explain the why, the how, and the what of your analytics. You need to structure your story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and use words, images, and sounds that support your story.

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5 Get feedback

Finally, you need to get feedback from your audience and users to improve your communication and visualization of your PLM and MM analytics. Feedback can help you understand how your analytics are perceived, understood, and used. It can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your analytics, and the opportunities and challenges for improvement. You need to collect and analyze feedback from different sources and methods, such as surveys, interviews, tests, or observations.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you communicate and visualize PLM and MM analytics to different stakeholders and audiences?

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1 Know your audience

2 Choose the right metrics

3 Use the right visuals

4 Tell a story

5 Get feedback

6 Here’s what else to consider

Materials Management

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