In the gaming world, we all know "that guy" who customizes his game character with anything and everything for no good reason, and to the point of absurdity. But to them, adding just one more enhancement will make their character even better. They forget to look at what is lost with the new addition. Maybe thicker armor protects him better but slows him down, or adding one more gun provides more ammo but impacts his hand-to-hand combat ability. Customizing your Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system can be viewed in the same way. The goal, of course, is to customize your system to optimize its performance in the context of your specific company's desired outcomes without increasing your workload or being trapped in one-off PXs. In other words, build it to run effectively for YOUR users and scale as YOUR PLM grows, while saving YOU time and money. Isn't it true, "less is more"? In this blog we'll examine the pros and cons of Oracle Agile PLM customization. 

Why Customize Your Oracle Agile PLM system?

Let's start with the bad and the ugly: Challenges 

• #1: PX Proliferation
• • Each customization requires a separate Java or Groovy PX
  • Numerous PXs require complex synchronization and dependency management
  • Agile PLM user experience is slowed down by multiple PXs running for a given
     function
  • Complex Agile configuration requirements for Agile administrator

• #2: Cost of Development and Maintenance

  • Each PX is a separate mini IT project to track
  • Requires dedicated or vendor resources to develop and maintain PXs
  • Changes to PX requires tracking down scarce IT resources

  #3: Customization Can Cause Version Lock

  • Limits your ability to upgrade
  • Extensive testing requirements
  • Functionality changes break customizations

Let's finish with the good: Opportunities for Gains 

• #1: Increased Productivity

  • Makes Agile PLM tool easier and more efficient to use, increasing likelihood
     of adoption of new processes within Agile PLM
  • Prevents users from making mistakes in data entry and process
  • Facilitates organizational change – which is the single biggest barrier to
     success in PLM programs

• #2: Improved Data Quality

  • Attribute values can be derived and set automatically
  • Automated validation of PLM data such as Item, BOM, and Manufacturer
     attributes BOM
  • Transformation from engineering (EBOM) into manufacturing (MBOM)
• #3: Cost Reduction
• • Automation decreases time to perform repetitive and time-consuming tasks
     in Agile PLM
  • Increased accuracy in data entry which avoids time spent in data checking
     and correction
  • Simplification and streamlining of key business processes within Agile PLM

How do you balance the need for customization against the drawbacks, and convince your boss the Pros are worth it? How do you dig out of all those one-off PX holes? What have you done to mod your vanilla PLM to run more efficiently? Is it true that "less is more"?