PLM Is Evolving—Here’s What We Learned in Santa Clara

On March 26th, GoSaaS and Oracle hosted an exclusive PLM Luncheon at the Santa Clara Marriott, bringing together industry leaders to explore how organizations are modernizing Product Lifecycle Management with Oracle Cloud PLM.

The key themes were:

• Rethinking Legacy PLM: From Incremental to Exponential Change
• PLM Beyond Engineering
• AI, Redwood, and the Modern PLM Experience
• From Siloed Systems to a Connected Digital Thread
• Plus Why GoSaaS has always lead the OCPLM adoption - Start Your Journey Now

The event featured a panel discussion with

• Ashish Shah - VP of Information Technology at MacLean Power Systems
• John Kelley - VP, Product Strategy & Value Chain Solutions, Oracle
• Sunil Poonen - Group Vice President, Oracle Agentic AI and SCM Applications Development
• LIVE DEMO of Oracle Redwood UX and AI capabilities led by
• Guinevere Swiencicki - Senior Product Strategy Manager, Product Lifecycle Management, Oracle

Through expert insights, live demonstrations, and customer perspectives, one message stood out:

PLM is evolving into a connected, enterprise-wide platform—powered by AI and the digital thread.

Rethinking Legacy PLM: From Incremental to Exponential Change

During the session I (Avery De Marr -VP of Oracle Solutions, GoSaaS) challenged the audience with a simple question:

“If you could stay on Agile forever, would you?”

Nearly 80% of the room said yes.

I followed with a powerful reminder:

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” — Henry Ford

The takeaway was clear—organizations often think in incremental improvements because they’re focused on maintaining the status quo.

But the shift to Cloud PLM isn’t incremental.

I made a simple comparison of Agile PLM to a really great fast horse, while Cloud PLM is closer to an F1 car and evolving into your spacecraft for the future, on Oracle’s unique Cloud Platform.

It’s not 30–40% better.

It’s orders of magnitude better.

The move to Cloud isn’t about replicating what you had—it’s about unlocking what was never possible before.

PLM Beyond Engineering

Intuitive Surgical, a leading medical device manufacturer, emphasized the importance of collaboration in driving PLM success:

“Having partners and Oracle in the room to demonstrate capabilities helped answer our business partners’ questions and build confidence.”

PLM today extends far beyond engineering—connecting supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and post-market functions into a unified process.

For organizations like Intuitive Surgical, that shift is especially meaningful.

It’s not just about improving engineering workflows—it’s about connecting an entire ecosystem. By extending PLM across the full product lifecycle, teams can align engineering with manufacturing, quality, and post-market activities—ensuring that every part of the business is working from the same source of truth.

A key focus was closed-loop engineering:

“When data flows back from manufacturing and quality into engineering, you get better engineering.”

That feedback loop becomes a powerful driver of continuous improvement—helping teams refine products faster, maintain high quality standards, and respond more effectively to real-world performance.

In a highly regulated MedTech environment, this also strengthens compliance and traceability—where insights from the field can flow directly back into engineering without delay.

AI is accelerating that shift even further. By reducing reliance on heavy customization—often seen as long-term technical debt—organizations can scale without adding complexity. Instead of rigid systems, they’re building a foundation that supports faster decisions, easier collaboration, and long-term adaptability.

AI, Redwood, and the Modern PLM Experience

SambaNova Systems, a leader in AI-driven computing, highlighted how innovation in Oracle Cloud PLM is improving both usability and efficiency:

“We’re seeing capabilities like BOM comparisons and lookups all within a single view—it’s a big step forward.”

The live demo, led by Guinevere Swiencicki, showcased how Redwood UX and out of the box AI capabilities are transforming the user experience.

What stood out is how these innovations are changing the day-to-day experience for users.

With Redwood and AI, teams are no longer navigating multiple systems or relying on manual steps to get answers. Super users can access BOM comparisons and redline insights instantly within a single view, giving them immediate clarity without disrupting their workflow.

Change management is also becoming more seamless. Engineers can generate change orders directly within ECAD or MCAD environments, complete with summaries and descriptions—allowing them to stay focused on design rather than administrative tasks.

Communication improves as well. Instead of chasing updates, teams receive automated change summaries and notifications, ensuring that stakeholders across the organization stay aligned in real time.

As noted:

“This is about true collaboration across the supply chain—not just within engineering.”

That collaboration is what drives real impact.

SambaNova is seeing a shift toward a more connected and responsive way of working—where information flows automatically, decisions happen faster, and teams operate with shared visibility across functions.

The result is not just a better interface—it’s a more efficient, aligned, and scalable system that supports a modern approach to PLM.

From Siloed Systems to a Connected Digital Thread

A central theme of the event—reinforced by both customer and Oracle leadership—was the move toward a connected digital thread.

Moving into Oracle Cloud PLM enables organizations to bring data and processes together as part of a true digital thread. This shift from System of Record to a true Digital Thread allows organizations to leverage the Oracle platform as a System of Outcomes!

By unifying data and processes across the enterprise, organizations can improve collaboration, increase visibility, and make smarter, more connected decisions.

The GoSaaS Advantage: Pragmatic, Rapid, Adaptable

What came through clearly in Santa Clara is that PLM transformation doesn’t need to be overcomplicated to be effective.

At GoSaaS, we take a pragmatic, rapid, and adaptable approach—helping teams move forward without disrupting what’s already working.

That’s where our 3 E’s come in:

• Enable — Start using AI and Cloud capabilities right away
• Elevate — Build on that foundation with tailored automation and agents
• Enrich — Continue evolving with scalable solutions as your needs grow

It’s not about a massive overhaul all at once.
It’s about making smart moves quickly—and staying flexible as your business evolves.

That’s how we help organizations realize the value of Oracle Cloud PLM—not just implement it.

What This Means for Your Organization

If you're evaluating the future of your PLM strategy, here are a few key takeaways:

• Move beyond legacy thinking — Cloud PLM is more than upgrade, it’s transformative
• Connect your enterprise — Align engineering, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing through a unified digital thread
• Leverage AI where it matters — Reduce manual work and accelerate decision-making
• Prioritize usability — Modern experiences like Redwood UX drive adoption and efficiency
• Start small, scale fast — Focus on quick wins that build toward long-term transformation

Ready to take the next step?

Connect with GoSaaS today to explore how Oracle Cloud PLM can support your transformation—at your pace, and on your terms.

👉 Check out highlights from the event on the GoSaaS LinkedIn page.