Using of the Concepts of Roles and Context in a Project Management/PLM Solution: The Real Case Study of LASCOM

The software tools for PLM and project management are often built around several classical concepts: Processes, Activities, Phases, Artefacts, Workflows, Resources and Relationships. This approach does not really consider the team concept and the particular dynamics of the project management. This leads to a paradox with PLM and project management software tools. They tend to reduce risk and improve performance by structuring, streamlining, automating and scheduling projects without considering projects are not well-structured and have their own dynamic. The negation of project management mode increases the risks of project failures, adds stress to team members and requires the addition of complex mechanisms of collaboration and delegation. PLM Software sometimes becomes a limitation for project management. Our partner, LASCOM, a French PLM software developer, decided to make evolve its solutions to provide customers more efficient PLM solutions. LASCOM initiated a reflection around new concepts for enrich its existing models and tools since few years. The company particularly has an interest on the practical use of the concepts of roles and contexts. This paper deals with the addition of these concepts in the models used by LASCOM. This addition is intended to partially solve the problems posed by the generalization of work by project in organizations.