Stamford, CT, For Immediate Release – Collaborative Product Development Associates (CPDA), a provider of critical analyses for PLM decisions, announces that Christopher L. Blake, Senior Technical Fellow and Deputy to the Vice President of Enterprise Process Integration, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and Stephen M. Bashada, Vice President of Teamcenter, Siemens PLM Software, will make keynote presentations at its annual PLM Road Map™ conference, to be held at The Inn at St. John's, outside of Detroit, Michigan on September 23 and 24.

Is it possible to achieve continuous improvement without institutionalized processes as a standard base for improvement? If we are all so committed to “lean” and “continuous improvement” then why is it we have such a difficult time performing? Chris Blake will consider these questions and more in his keynote presentation Continuous Process Improvement in Driven High Performance Teams. The presentation will serve as a platform for Chris to share his experiences at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, which has set a course to get back to basics, institutionalizing processes by prescribing information hand-offs between stakeholders. Time and time again failures derive directly from not accomplishing the fundamentals. Continuous improvement can not be achieved until the basic process is institutionalized. In a presentation that encourages us to get back to basics Chris Blake will challenge us to “Look around, and talk!”

In his presentation, Next Generation PLM, Steve Bashada will examine the global market trends that drove manufacturers’ demands on their current PLM implementations. These first generation PLM systems have been deployed and reviews are mixed. He will look at the successes to date, and identify the gaps that have become obvious in early results. He will then examine the technology developments that will have the greatest impact on the next evolution of the PLM model and the associated effect that these technologies will have on manufacturers’ product and business processes. The next generation of PLM raises the stakes for product development, production automation, and manufacturing execution. Short and long-term opportunities now exist for manufacturing companies to transform their businesses as a result of new technology that brings these organizations together.

Now in its 15th year, PLM Road Map™ 2008 is a strategic conference focused on the critical trade-offs that shape product development. PLM Road Map™ 2008 will enable attendees to explore first hand the progress, opportunities, and roadblocks leading-edge end-users are confronting.

More information and updates on PLM Road Map™ 2008 may be found at http://www.cpd-associates.com/index.cfm?content=include_conference08.cfm.

About CPDA

Collaborative Product Development Associates (CPDA) is a provider of critical analyses for PLM decisions. CPDA offers the latest in-depth, objective information for assessing technology and business goals. Coordinated by a group of experienced analysts, its cohesive suite of collaborative research programs leverages the efforts of top software designers and leading-edge users. CPDA's differentiation is its specific, deep, and pragmatic approach to the market, and a hands-on understanding of the technology required to drive successful implementations. CPDA’s collaborative research programs include Design Creation and Validation, Design/Simulation Council, PLM-Integration/Product Definition, and Product Value Management.

Contact: Cheryl Peck Cheryl.peck@cpd-associates.com 800-573-4756