About DemystifyingPLM

DemystifyingPLM is an independent publication launched in June 2025 by Michael Finocchiaro. It covers the history, strategy, architecture, and AI-driven future of Product Lifecycle Management — the software category that runs aerospace, automotive, and industrial manufacturing, and the one most engineers outside it have never quite understood.

The work here is opinionated and primary-source. Vendor histories trace lineage through acquisitions and product code rather than press releases. Architectural arguments are built on what the platforms actually do, not what they advertise. The series on geometry kernels, the Geography of PLM, PLM History 101, and Agentic AI in PLM are all extended investigations — written to be the canonical reference on each topic, not a quick news take.

What you'll find here

• In-depth analysis of the major PLM vendors — Dassault Systèmes, Siemens, PTC, Aras, and the cloud-native challengers — including architecture, M&A lineage, and competitive positioning.
• Long-form series including The Kernel Wars (the geometry engines underneath every CAD system), Geography of PLM, PLM History 101, and Agentic AI in PLM.
• A canonical PLM Glossary — definitions, why each term matters, and links to the longer articles.
• Conference coverage from Threaded, CDFAM, 3DEXPERIENCE World, and the smaller events where the real product roadmaps get discussed.
• The AI Across the Product Lifecycle podcast — interviews with founders, engineers, and operators building the next generation of engineering software.

Who it's for

Engineers, founders, analysts, and operators who need to understand the PLM industry as it actually is — not as the marketing departments describe it. If you're sizing up a vendor, planning a digital transformation, building a startup that touches the engineering stack, or just trying to make sense of why PLM looks the way it does, this is for you.

Subscribe

Free subscribers get every new article in their inbox and full access to the archive. Paid subscribers support the work and get early access to the long-form investigations. Either way, no algorithm decides whether you see the next post — it goes straight to your inbox when it ships.