Product platform management is the process of developing and managing a product platform. A product platform is a collection of products that share a common architecture or are based on common components. product platform management includes activities such as identifying the product platform strategy, developing the product platform architecture, and managing the product platform over the product life cycle.
The goal of product platform management is to create a product platform that can be leveraged to create a family of products. A product platform enables companies to reduce development costs, accelerate time to market, and improve product quality.
Product platform management is a key part of product lifecycle management (PLM). PLM is a strategy for managing the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation and design through manufacturing and support.