Manufacturers Risk Product Launch Delays Without Unified Data, Says Info-Tech Research Group

As manufacturers work to accelerate product development, fragmented product data and disconnected systems continue to drive rework, version conflicts, and delayed launches. Recent findings from Info-Tech Research Group show that without a governed source of truth, organizations struggle to coordinate engineering, operations, and IT across the product lifecycle. The firm's Launch Products Faster With Modern Product Lifecycle Management Systems blueprint outlines a structured framework and decision support tools to help CIOs and IT leaders reduce fragmentation, improve traceability, and shorten delivery timelines.

ARLINGTON, Va., April 20, 2026 /CNW/ - Manufacturers are under growing pressure to move products from design to delivery more quickly while managing rising complexity across engineering, operations, and compliance. New insights from Info-Tech Research Group indicate that when teams rely on scattered product information, version control weakens, traceability suffers, and delays become harder to prevent.

Info-Tech Research Group’s “Launch Products Faster With Modern Product Lifecycle Management Systems” blueprint advises organizations to accelerate design-to-delivery processes by tightly integrating engineering, operations, and IT. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

To support organizations in addressing these challenges, the global research and advisory firm has published its Launch Products Faster With Modern Product Lifecycle Management Systems blueprint, which provides CIOs and IT leaders with a methodology to determine where to start, establish a stronger product data foundation, and build greater alignment across engineering, operations, and IT.

The firm's resource highlights that product data is often scattered across design tools, spreadsheets, ERP systems, and supplier portals, leaving teams to work from incomplete or outdated information. These disconnects slow approvals, increase rework, and make it harder to identify bottlenecks or respond to change before delays and downstream risks escalate.

"Manufacturers don't have a speed problem as much as a coordination problem," says Shreyas Shukla, a principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "When product data management and product lifecycle management work as a connected foundation, they provide the visibility, control, and cross-functional coordination needed to accelerate delivery without increasing risk."

Info-Tech's Framework to Reduce Fragmentation and Improve Product Delivery in Manufacturing
The Launch Products Faster With Modern Product Lifecycle Management Systems blueprint shows that isolated product data management (PDM) limits speed, visibility, and decision-making across the lifecycle. To address this, the firm advises organizations to build a digital backbone that links data and workflows across functions.

Info-Tech's blueprint defines three priority actions for CIOs and IT leaders to reduce fragmentation and accelerate product delivery:

1. Prioritize high-impact, business-critical areas first: Rather than launching an enterprise-wide product lifecycle management (PLM) transformation at the outset, CIOs and IT leaders should focus on areas where benefits are most visible and measurable, such as engineering change management, compliance documentation, or supplier collaboration. Early wins help secure executive sponsorship and create momentum for broader adoption.
   
   
2. Establish a single source of truth for product data: CIOs should centralize design, engineering, and operations data in a reliable system, whether that begins with PDM or a broader PLM deployment. Connecting product data across functions helps reduce fragmentation, improve collaboration, and shorten development cycles.
   
   
3. Treat PLM as a business transformation initiative: PLM adoption requires change in governance, process, and culture, not just technology implementation. CIOs should align leadership, standardize processes, and invest in change management and training to support long-term adoption and value realization.

"The cost of fragmentation compounds over time, especially when PLM is repeatedly pushed behind other initiatives," explains Shukla. "Organizations that address product data issues early are better positioned to shorten development cycles and scale more advanced capabilities with confidence."

The blueprint includes a structured framework and practical decision-support tools to help organizations assess where fragmentation is slowing delivery, determine whether PDM, PLM, or both should be prioritized, and prepare for vendor evaluation and implementation planning. By applying Info-Tech's approach, organizations can reduce rework and delays, strengthen lifecycle visibility, and build a stronger foundation for advanced capabilities such as predictive analytics, digital twins, and model-based engineering.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech's experts, including Shreyas Shukla, and access to the complete Launch Products Faster With Modern Product Lifecycle Management Systems blueprint, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is the "get things done" partner for over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing leaders worldwide. The fastest growing research and advisory firm, Info-Tech enables leaders to make well-informed decisions and transform their organizations through AI, strategic foresight, step-by-step methodologies, practical tools, industry-leading advisory, and training programs. For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of private and public organizations have trusted Info-Tech to lead their most important initiatives through periods of change and deliver outcomes that truly matter.

To learn more about Info-Tech's HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm's SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group

Media Contact: Sufyan Al-Hassan, PR Director, Info-Tech Research Group, [email protected], [phone] x2418