Optimizing PLM Efficiency for a Hydrogen Solutions Company

Finding the right technology partner can be a complex undertaking, especially for rapidly scaling companies. Plug Power, a leading provider of end-to-end hydrogen solutions, knows this all too well. Its operations span from hydrogen generation and transportation to fuel-cell product development, requiring robust product lifecycle management (PLM) systems to keep pace with its evolving needs. Despite being an early adopter of PTC’s PLM tools, Plug Power found itself at a crossroads. The workflows it had in place no longer aligned with its growing product lines or its need for tighter change management.

This prompted Plug Power to search for a new PTC partner capable of supporting its existing tools and driving improvements in data management, process automation, and organizational alignment. After a thorough selection process, Plug Power chose TriStar, recognizing its deep expertise in PLM and Windchill. What followed was a partnership that transformed Plug Power’s approach to product data management, significantly improving efficiency across its global operations.

The challenge

Plug Power had long used PTC’s Windchill as the backbone of its product data management system. However, as the company grew and added multiple product lines, inconsistencies in its workflows and data management practices began to surface. One of the primary issues was a lack of real-time checks for data quality within the system, leading to frequent rework and extended product release timelines. Plug Power’s existing configuration management processes also did not support the complexities of its configure-to-order and engineer-to-order product offerings, which varied greatly across its customer base.

Another challenge was Plug Power’s disjointed integration between its PLM system and downstream tools. This created data silos and inefficiencies in how product data was shared across teams. As the company continued to scale, these challenges became increasingly problematic, delaying its ability to introduce new products to the market and straining its internal resources.

The engagement

TriStar began its engagement with Plug Power by conducting a series of Kaizen events with its configuration management team. These events provided an opportunity to dive deep into Plug Power’s existing processes, identify inefficiencies, and map out a more effective product data model. Through these collaborative sessions, TriStar helped Plug Power design a new documentation schema and standardize workflows across its global operations.

One key outcome was the implementation of more quality checks for data entering the system, ensuring that errors were caught early in the process rather than downstream during production. This decreased the number of change requests that Plug Power’s engineering team had to manage, saving time and resources.

TriStar also supported Plug Power in creating tighter integrations between Windchill and its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This included setting up automated signals to alert stakeholders of changes, reducing manual effort, and improving communication across departments.

Previously, Plug Power’s engineering team had to rely on manual processes to keep downstream teams informed of changes, which often led to delays and miscommunication. The new automated workflows helped keep all relevant teams up to date in real time, eliminating the need for guesswork and minimizing rework.

The results

The impact of TriStar’s engagement with Plug Power was immediate and measurable. With redesigned workflows and new automation, Plug Power cut its time-to-release for most changes by several weeks. This faster release cycle allowed Plug Power to be more responsive to customer demands and bring new products to market more efficiently.

Plug Power also saw considerable improvements in data quality across its product lines. By implementing new checks early in the process, Plug Power was able to catch issues before they became costly problems downstream. This decreased the number of change requests coming through the system and shortened the time it took to close out change notices.

Another result of the partnership was Plug Power’s newfound ability to integrate its PLM system with downstream tools. This integration was achieved through the creation of custom application programming interfaces (APIs) and system links, which enabled real-time data sharing between Windchill and the ERP system, vastly improving data consistency across departments.

Insights and impacts

Plug Power’s experience with TriStar underscores the importance of having a PLM partner that not only understands the technical side of the system but also takes the time to grasp the organization’s needs. What made this partnership so successful was TriStar’s commitment to listening to Plug Power’s challenges. This allowed TriStar to offer tailored solutions that addressed the technical aspects of PLM and the operational realities of a rapidly growing company with complex product offerings.

Kim Fetcho, Plug Power’s engineering change manager, noted that TriStar’s engagement went beyond providing generic solutions. “What I value most about working with Tristar is their level of engagement with us when we introduce a problem or project to them,” she explained. “Tristar has always tried to dive deep into what our true need is and understand the parameters going into that need, whether it’s our process flow or our team structure, how we would like approvals for drawings or products, and really asking the questions back to us on what we think we want versus what we actually need and giving us the advice that is most relevant.”

By fostering a collaborative environment, TriStar’s team was able to drive meaningful improvements in Plug Power’s processes, reduce inefficiencies, and set the stage for future growth. Their approach to configuration management, change control, and data integration allowed Plug Power to scale its operations without losing control over its product data — a critical advantage as it continues to expand its hydrogen solutions globally.

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