The role of the demand chain in developing product life cycle strategy

For some time a debate as been conducted concerning the efficacy of the product life cycle. Marketing academics have been polarised between views that accept and/or reject the PLC as a useful marketing concept. More recently the topic has been resurrected by the operations management discipline that have positioned the PLC as a means for life cycle planning of facilities and, for some, of inventories. While this may serve a useful function, particularly in a cost conscious management climate it is suggested that the demand chain may help focus and fine-tune the PLC. Product life cycle management should, and can, consider the possibilities opened up by taking a demand chain approach to planning. Not only does the demand chain take into account resource planning but because it is emerging in a day and age of virtual organisations the model encourages management to consider a broader range of options than were hitherto considered. Hence the notion of managing assets rather than owning them has much to offer management: the skills of communication, integration and coordination are becoming important to product life cycle management.