Product lifecycle and critical path tracking for a manufacturer that relies on suppliers

About the client

The client develops and manufactures products and sources many components from suppliers to meet customer demand.

The challenge

Product development passes through many stages with different internal and supplier stakeholders. Without a clear view of dependencies, a late supplier step could delay a launch without anyone noticing until it was too late.

What we built

• Lifecycle stages: Each product’s stages defined from concept to release, with owners for each.
• Stakeholders and suppliers: Internal teams and suppliers linked to the tasks they are responsible for.
• Critical path: Task dependencies used to identify the chain of tasks that sets the release date.
• Purchasing link: Supplier purchases tracked in Zoho Books alongside the development plan.

Zoho apps used

• Zoho Creator: PLM stages, tasks, dependencies and critical path
• Zoho Books: Supplier purchasing and bills

What changed for the client

Managers can see which tasks and suppliers control the release date and step in early, helping products launch on time.