Managing a software product from concept to launch and beyond can be challenging. With rapidly evolving technology and shifting customer demands, projects often face delays and budget overruns. In fact, research indicates that more than half of software development projects fail to meet deadlines or stay within budget.
To solve this, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) has been implemented. By tracking the right metrics and using advanced tools, software companies can improve efficiency, reduce risks, and deliver high-quality products on time.
PLM helps streamline the entire development process, ensuring better collaboration and faster decision-making. With the right PLM system, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and meet customer expectations effectively. Let’s see the seven key metrics that every software business must track.
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Understanding Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in 2025
In 2025, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) has evolved from a basic management tool to a comprehensive strategy that integrates design, development, testing, and maintenance into a seamless process. As software development becomes more complex and fast-paced, PLM now leverages advanced technologies like cloud computing, AI, and digital twins to track and optimize every stage of a product’s lifecycle.
With these tools, companies can simulate product performance, forecast issues, and make real-time adjustments, ultimately reducing costs and improving product quality. PLM in 2025 focuses on data-driven decisions, continuous integration, and faster time-to-market, helping software companies stay agile and competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
Why Metrics Matter in Product Lifecycle Management
Metrics are crucial in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) because they provide valuable insights into the efficiency, quality, and profitability of each stage of the product journey. By tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), software companies can identify bottlenecks, measure progress, and make informed decisions that drive improvements.
Metrics help teams stay aligned with goals, optimize resources, and ensure that the product meets customer expectations, ultimately leading to faster delivery, reduced costs, and enhanced product quality. In today’s competitive landscape, these data points are essential for maintaining an edge and delivering high-value products.
7 Key Metrics Every Software Business Must Track
As a developer, tracking advanced metrics is essential for improving the efficiency, quality, and performance of your software throughout its lifecycle. Here are seven key metrics from a developer’s perspective:
1. Cycle Time for Key Features
- Measures how long it takes to develop and release specific features.
- Helps identify bottlenecks in the development process, whether in coding, testing, or integration.
- PLM tools track and break down development phases for better time management.
2. Change Failure Rate (CFR)
- Tracks the percentage of changes (updates, bug fixes, new features) that result in failures after deployment.
- A high CFR suggests issues with the quality of code or testing practices.
- Continuous integration (CI) tools within PLM software can help detect issues early, improving stability.
3. Technical Debt Ratio
- Measures the amount of rework needed due to quick, suboptimal solutions.
- High technical debt can hinder future development and maintenance.
- PLM systems provide insights into the accumulation of technical debt, helping prioritize refactoring.
4. Test Automation Coverage
- Tracks the percentage of your code covered by automated tests.
- Higher automation coverage leads to faster feedback, fewer bugs, and better overall quality.
- PLM software integrated with test automation frameworks provides real-time tracking of test coverage.
5. Velocity and Throughput
- Velocity measures how much work (in story points) your team completes per sprint.
- Throughput tracks the overall output (features, bugs, tasks) over a longer period.
- Both metrics help developers assess team performance, estimate timelines, and adjust development processes.
- PLM tools give real-time visibility into team efficiency and resource allocation.
6. Product Impact Score
Measures how well a feature aligns with customer needs and business goals.
Comes from customer feedback, adoption rates, and impact on revenue or user engagement.
Digital twin technology simulates real-world usage to predict product impact before release.
7. Operational Efficiency Ratio
- Tracks how efficiently development resources (time, cost, people) are used to produce results.
- Helps developers optimize their workflows and identify resource waste.
- PLM software can analyze resource utilization, time spent in each phase, and other key performance indicators for better efficiency.
By tracking these metrics, developers can make data-driven decisions to improve code quality, enhance efficiency, and deliver better software faster.
Advanced PLM software and technologies like digital twins make it easier to monitor these metrics and optimize your development lifecycle.
Challenges Involved in Measuring Product Management KPIs
Measuring KPIs effectively within Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) can be challenging due to several factors that impact the accuracy and relevance of data. Here are some of the key challenges businesses face:
- Data Fragmentation: KPIs are often spread across different tools and platforms, making it difficult to gather and analyze data from a single source, leading to incomplete insights.
- Lack of Real-Time Insights: Many businesses still rely on manual tracking or outdated systems, which delay decision-making and prevent timely actions based on real-time data.
- Misalignment with Business Goals: KPIs can sometimes be disconnected from overarching business objectives, causing teams to focus on metrics that don’t drive the desired outcomes.
- Overcomplicating Metrics: Tracking too many KPIs or overly complex metrics can overwhelm teams, making it hard to prioritize the most important data for actionable insights.
How PLM Software Services Simplify Metric Tracking
PLM software services simplify metric tracking by centralizing data from across the entire product lifecycle into one unified platform. These services provide real-time insights into key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling businesses to track and analyze metrics such as time-to-market, product quality, and customer adoption.
With automated reporting and integrated dashboards, teams can quickly identify bottlenecks, make data-driven decisions, and align their efforts with business goals. By streamlining the process of collecting and interpreting data, PLM software services help companies save time, reduce errors, and improve overall product management efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Tracking the right metrics is essential for success in software development. By using PLM software services and advanced tools, businesses can improve product quality, speed up launches, and stay competitive.
If you want to improve your product development process, Helixbeat’s product development service will guide you in each and every step.
Our team combines the best technologies and expertise to make sure your product meets customer needs and expectations. Helixbeat helps you build a solid product that stands out in a competitive market. Contact us now.
FAQs
1. What is Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and why is it important?
PLM is the process of managing a product from concept to retirement. It helps streamline workflows, improve collaboration, reduce time-to-market, and optimize costs, ensuring better product quality and data-driven decisions.
2. How can PLM software services improve the efficiency of my software development process?
PLM software centralizes product data, automates workflows, and tracks metrics, helping identify bottlenecks early. It improves team collaboration, speeds up decision-making, and ensures more efficient use of resources.
3. What are the benefits of using digital twin technology in product development?
Digital twin technology creates a virtual replica of a product to simulate and optimize its performance. It reduces risks, improves quality, and speeds up development by testing scenarios before physical production.
4. How do I choose the right PLM software for my business needs?
Choose PLM software that aligns with your workflow, integrates with other tools, and scales with your growth. Key features include ease of use, collaboration tools, analytics, and customization to fit your product lifecycle stages.
5. What key metrics should I focus on for better product management and performance tracking?
Focus on time-to-market, product quality index, innovation rate, and cost efficiency to track product progress, identify issues, and align with business goals for better decision-making.
