"Future of PLM" Panels
- Patrick Hillberg
- Feb 3
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Hosted by Michael (Fino) Finocchiaro
Could a Digital Thread have saved the 737 Max?
In this episode of The Future of PLM, Michael Finocchiaro brings together one of the deepest expert panels in the industry — over 200 years of combined PLM experience — to tackle the most uncomfortable question in modern engineering: Can PLM, digital threads, and model-based systems engineering prevent catastrophic product failures? 
Patrick Hillberg opens with a powerful walkthrough of the GM ignition-switch crisis and the Boeing 737 MAX disasters, showing how siloed decisions, missing requirements traceability, flawed incentives, and organizational dysfunction led to deaths, recalls, and tens of billions in losses. He challenges the panel with three core questions:
• Does PLM actually help prevent failures like GM or Boeing?
• If digital threads are the answer, who owns the business model to operate them?
• Do engineers have a moral obligation to speak truth to power, even when careers are on the line? 
The panel — Rob Ferrone, Oleg Shilovitsky, Jos Voskuil, Martin Eigner, Kenn Hartman, and Brion Carroll — digs into:
• The limits of today’s PLM systems and why ALM often has tighter requirement-to-test linkage
• Why test data, MRO data, and operational feedback loops remain broken
• Digital thread vs. digital twin confusion and where real-time data actually fits
• Vendor incentives, cost-cutting cultures, and why technology alone can’t overcome bad governance
• Whether AI agents could finally close the loop between design, testing, and field operations
• How PLM must expand to include as-used, in-service, and even recycling data for safety-critical systems 
eBOM to mBOM: Why Manufacturing BOM Management Is Still Broken
Why are so many manufacturers still translating eBOM to mBOM in Excel in 2026?
In this episode of The Future of PLM, Michael Finocchiaro brings together a sharp panel including Jonathan Scott, Oleg Shilovitsky, Jos Voskuil, Brion Carroll, Dr. Patrick Hillberg, Richard Kenn Hartman, and David Schultz to tackle one of the oldest and messiest problems in engineering and manufacturing: why the handoff from engineering BOM to manufacturing BOM is still broken.
This is not a polite panel. It is a real argument about ownership, architecture, process, incentives, and whether the problem is even technical anymore. Jonathan Scott lays out the core distinction between eBOM and mBOM. David Schultz brings the manufacturing execution perspective and ISA-95 context. Patrick Hillberg argues the issue is larger than BOMs and points toward the digital thread. Brion Carroll insists the tooling has long been capable. Oleg Shilovitsky argues the real problem is fragmentation, handoffs, and vendor data lock-in. Jos Voskuil cuts to the organizational reality: Excel survives because it fills the gaps between silos.
The result is a lively, blunt discussion on why PLM, ERP, MES, and manufacturing teams still struggle to work from a common model; why “one BOM” remains more slogan than reality; why spreadsheets refuse to die; and what it would actually take to fix the disconnect between design intent, manufacturing intent, and service intent.
If you work in PLM, engineering, manufacturing, ERP, MES, digital thread, product data, or industrial AI, this episode will feel painfully familiar.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Change Management! with the FoPLM Crew Live from Mars!
In this episode, we go deep on Ch-ch-ch-Change Management:
engineering vs enterprise change,
major vs minor changes,
“right-sized” governance,
impact analysis,
and why the real work of change often happens outside PLM (emails, meetings, spreadsheets) — plus what AI does (and doesn’t) change in all of this.
You’ll hear perspectives from Jonathan Scott, Patrick Hillberg, Michelle Stone, Oleg Shilovitsky, Brion Carroll, Jos, and Rob Ferrone — including sharp takes on speed vs rigor, issue management, auditability, and change as a competitive advantage. 
Navigating the Future of Product Lifecycle Management: Insights from Industry Experts
Introduction: In the dynamic world of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), understanding the complexities of Bill of Materials (BOM) is crucial for success. In a recent episode of the Future of PLM podcast, industry veterans gathered to share their insights, experiences, and humorous anecdotes surrounding BOM management. This engaging conversation not only unveiled the intricacies of BOM but also provided valuable lessons for professionals navigating this landscape.
The episode kicks off with Michael Finocchiaro introducing the panelists, including Oleg Shilovitsky, Jonathan Scott, Brion Carroll, and Patrick Hillberg. Each participant shared a brief overview of their backgrounds, highlighting their extensive experience in PLM and BOM across various industries. For instance, Oleg recounted his journey from the construction industry to manufacturing, emphasizing the evolving nature of BOM throughout his career. Jonathan, with his mechanical and systems engineering background, focused on large-scale projects, discussing the unique challenges posed by legacy BOMs in the aerospace sector.
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