S3 Bonus: Unlocking Human-Centered PLM: A Sneak Peek at the Share PLM Summit 2025

In this special episode of the Share PLM Podcast, Beatriz González and Jos Voskuil introduce the Share PLM Summit 2025, a unique event dedicated to exploring the human side of PLM transformations. 

Taking place in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, the Summit will bring together leading voices in digital transformation, change management, and PLM to discuss how organizations can drive real value by focusing on people, not just technology. 

In this episode, we’ll share: 

⚉ Why we decided to launch the Share PLM Summit and what makes it different 
⚉ Highlights of the agenda: keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and panel discussions 
⚉ How the event will help professionals bridge the gap between technical implementation and human adoption 
⚉ How you can participate and be part of this new community-driven movement in PLM 

If you're passionate about creating meaningful, lasting change in PLM, we would love to have you with us. 

Learn more and register here: https://shareplm.com/the-share-plm-summit-2025/


CONNECT WITH SHARE PLM:
⚉ Website: https://shareplm.com/ 


Join us every month to listen to fascinating interviews, where we cover a wide array of topics, from actionable tips, to personal experiences, to strategies that you can implement into your PLM strategy.

If you have an interesting story to share and want to join the conversation, contact us and let's chat. We can't wait to hear from you!

Transcript

[00:00:12] MARIA MORRIS:
Hello everyone, and welcome to a special episode of the Share PLM podcast. I'm Maria Morris, the business development manager at Share PLM, and today I'll be taking over hosting duties of the podcast to sit down with two very special guests, our co-founder, and CEO Beatriz Gonzalez and longtime PLM thought leader and co-host of this podcast, Jos Voskuil.

So with the share PLM summit, just around the corner, I wanted to dig into what's both Bayer and Joss are most excited about. What themes will be shaping the conversations we'll be having in Jerez, and why this year's event is set to be different from other events you may have attended in the PLM space over the last years.

So during the episode, we will walk through key highlights that you can expect from our speaker lineup. The unique mix of sessions and workshops and the ideas that are inspiring us behind the scenes.

Bea, Jos, it's great to have you both here with us today. Thank you for joining.

[00:01:18] MARIA MORRIS:
So let's get started with the big question on everyone's minds, which is what are you both most looking forward to at this year's summit? And particularly Bea, why should people attend the event?

[00:01:32] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yeah, so we are very excited. We're working hard to have the best conference ever and why people should attend. It's because main topic is people, so we know that the success implementation is not only technology, it's all about people. So we'll have the opportunity to see and learn from different PLM journeys from different high tech companies that they have a strong focus on the human side of the transformation.

And yes, it will be the best some insights of different techniques and approaches in different industries. And also what I'm very excited is that these companies are totally different in the sense of systems. So they have different PLM systems and different cultures and industries. So it's how the human side put everyone together and in a common eh set up so looking forward to to learn from them.

[00:02:28] MARIA MORRIS:
Amazing. Yes, I really like that bringing everyone together with the people side. It doesn't matter which systems they're using, the people, connect us all. And great. So thank you for your answer Bea. And Joss, maybe now you can tell us on a a little deeper level, why should people attend the event? What can they expect?

[00:02:46] JOS VOSKUIL:
Okay. Well, I'm very aligned with Bea. I mean, in the past, we saw conferences that are, I would say, very much technology oriented. I've seen conferences for more than 20 years, and it was often about even how to connect system and specific system technology. It was for IT conferences, less people conferences.

And I think the only generic conference that existed at that time was the PI Innovation Conference. But also due to COVID and industries, it died out. I mean, there was not enough audience. And I think now, if we look at PLM, PLM is much more, about business, and about people and not so much about systems or even not about industries.

Yes we we have the technology, we have the the connectivity but now it's about how do you change and and work in your organization and adapt to those new technology. And that's why I look forward that we are focusing on what is the right organization, what are the right skills and people, and how do we motivate people.

And I think that works most we did like the main topic for me for the conference. We focus on the why and the how instead on the what.

[00:03:51] MARIA MORRIS:
Mm-hmm. Definitely I completely agree.

[00:03:55] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
I agree also that the PI conference was a great conference because indeed it was the reason that we know each other in person, right Jos, the first time?

[00:04:04] JOS VOSKUIL:
Exactly. Yeah. That’s where it started. Yeah.

[00:04:08] MARIA MORRIS:
So if it wasn't for that conference, we wouldn't have the share PLM podcast today. It wouldn't be with both of you together.

[00:04:14] JOS VOSKUIL:
Okay.

[00:04:15] MARIA MORRIS:
Great. Okay. So now I think it would be good to kind of give, um, everyone a little better understanding of what they can expect on each day of the two day conference. So maybe Bea, you could give us a bit of a breakdown of what is going to be happening on day one of the event?

[00:04:33] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yes. So the first day we will have a combination of industry experts. Also some PLM gurus that are partners of Share PLM and some partners. So from the industry side, we have companies like Assa Abloy and Tetra Pack and they'll be explain as they transformation also with diving into techniques like design thinking.

And they are different type of companies in the way how they are organized. So it will be very interesting how they manage the people change based on how they structure, how are their company values. Right? So I'm looking forward to it.

And then we'll have also a pleasure to listen to Jos, as always, he'll inspire us with the new trends and with sustainability, and people side as always would be looking forward to it. He always brings something new and something to, yeah, like food for the brain.

[00:05:33] JOS VOSKUIL:
Okay. I'll do my best.

[00:05:35] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yeah. And we are also very lucky to have Oleg Shilovitsky participating and speaking. So it's another inspirational time that we'll have with him. So also looking forward to meeting him in person because we haven't meet each other in person yet.

And finally, we'll give the stage also to our partner A Aras. So they are doing a great job on making PLM accessible for all type of companies and putting in a lot of effort in the people sides, so also looking forward to seeing their approach to it.

[00:06:11] MARIA MORRIS:
Wow, it sounds very exciting. And we don't have long left, and I'm counting down the days. Perfect! Jos, so how about day two? What can people expect?

[00:06:20] JOS VOSKUIL:
Well first of all, I join Bea on the fact that finally we meet a lot of people face to face again or for the first time. I think that's also so important for a people conference instead of sitting behind the screen and talking.

And if you look at the day two, we will start again with some insightful keynote talks but also we want to make sure that information and topics can be digested and that's why in the afternoon we have also workshops where people can discuss and also are activated to be a part of all the workshop, not just listen to to presentations.

And we have three interactive workshops in parallel where people can choose and apply what they learned or what they want to learn the most, and find their network. I think that's also crucial. Find the people which can bring you further on the journey.

[00:08:15] MARIA MORRIS:
Amazing. And maybe Jos can you give us a little more insight on some of the workshops we can expect on day two?

[00:08:22] JOS VOSKUIL:
Well some are still a surprise for me, or at least the one from shared PLM.

[00:08:25] MARIA MORRIS:
Some of them are in development?

[00:08:27] JOS VOSKUIL:
Yeah, yeah. But the one I'm working on with Patrick Williamson and Martin Lundquist from ARAS and from QCM is we will focus on our passion. It's using the PLM capabilities to support sustainability. And I mean, it's really a mix of technology, methodology, regulations.

And you have to be educated on this. And I think that that's the stage where we are creating awareness and being prepared for the next steps to come. And in the one and a half hour we'll have, we will briefly discuss with the audience, modularity, the circle economy, which regulations are relevant at the moment, the digital product passport.

And of course, the importance of the digital thread. How do you get there? And for sure, it's not a lecture, but interactive knowledge sharing session. Because some people might be even more advanced than the others and willing to share it. And then Rob Farone, he's also giving in parallel a workshop. I spoke with Rob recently.

And I think Rob is always a very positive moderator in this kind of sessions and it looks like he's going to more in the data driven environments, the area where he's specialized with quick release. So I'm also curious, but unfortunately the sessions are in parallel. So, but we will record them and share the insights with others. I think.

[00:09:46] MARIA MORRIS:
Definitely, yes. We'll be able to share the materials from all of the workshops with all of our participants. So even if they are only able to attend one, they'll be able to learn from the others as well. Good. Thank you for sharing that, Jos. And Bea, so from Share PLM workshop, what can we expect from that?

[00:10:03] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yes. We will focus on the change management methodology, so the thing is to go out of the workshop with a toolkit that it can be applied for every company. So for that, we'll do it as in interactive workshop. So we'll follow a case, business case with the challenges and we will have the audience to solve the challenges. So yeah, it's always very good to have different perspective and ideas on how to solve the challenges and then how the tools can help you to reall solve them. So, but Maria you are already very familiar with the Share PLM workshops, do you have anything to add? 

[00:10:44] MARIA MORRIS:
I think you gave a great kind of overview of what people can expect. But what I would say is I would just emphasize the fact that, and Jos also mentioned this, that all of the workshops are going to be very interactive. And as Jos said, we are not here to lecture you, we're here to give you, as Bea said, a tool set to be able to apply the knowledge you gained from these workshops into your own organization. To inspire you and also, as Jos said, to learn from one another and ask questions. So it's a place where you can all share experiences and take inspiration from the way other organizations are approaching the different topics that will be covered in the workshops.

And yes, I'm very excited to be a part of it. Coming kind of to the more general overview of the conference and Bea, which topics or themes are you most looking forward to hearing about or learning more about?

[00:11:36] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
My interest is always focus on the lesson learned from the different speakers so they keep takeaways from their mind. So this is something that it brings very value because it's something that you learn to try to avoid and commit other mistakes, but at least it makes, it makes the path of the system implementation like easier, easier if you learn from others. So I don't have any topic for a specific speaker itself, but in general, is this lesson learned.

[00:12:05] MARIA MORRIS:
Yes. Great. And the same question for you Jos.

[00:12:09] JOS VOSKUIL:
Well, I hope first of all that it's going to be an inspiring conference and that it helped people to move forward. But also I often went to conferences and I was very inspired. There was a big list of lectures and discussions and you hear a lot of stories. But then when you come back to work two weeks later business continues and then you remember this nice event but nothing has happend and I think this is what we try to change.

We want to make this conference a kind of setup for an ongoing process of communication and learning. I know all the speakers and also you as Share PLM are also approachable for follow-up events. I mean it's not a one -time event and I think that's what I hope that we can achieve that really by making it people-centric, people get energized and start their journey and get to find the right people.

And the beauty of this conference they have the time to to meet the people and to find their peers and in other companies.

[00:13:03] MARIA MORRIS:
Definitely.

[00:13:04] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Totally and building relationships between people that really understand how the human side is important in the PLM transformation right? So, yeah, we have something in common with all of the speakers and of course the attendees.

[00:13:19] JOS VOSKUIL:
Exactly. And we can always have Zoom sessions afterwards but the first people contact is so important in building networks I think. And that's what this conference I think is a great starting point.

[00:13:30] MARIA MORRIS:
For sure. And is there anything else either of you would like to add in regards to what makes this event truly unique and what makes it stand out?

[00:13:40] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
I think we already have mentioned that we want to make it interactive and connect people that serve common interests and inspiring them and also focusing on real examples, real failures, real stories.

Also make it having fun, we are going have also let's say, team building activities or how it's called. You will have a team after the conference. And yes,  and that's it. I think Jos what would you add?

[00:14:10] JOS VOSKUIL:
Yeah, I think this conference is going to give the people the confidence that they are not alone. I mean, sometimes in conferences you see lectures from very huge companies that have perfect and big staff in place. And here we will meet the people and not the technology. And I think, that will build the journey for the future.

And the other points you have mentioned the unique things. It's people centric, it's organization and business centric and not IT centric.

[00:14:35] MARIA MORRIS:
Definitely.

[00:14:37] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yes. But also I want to, of course, the technology part, it's also very important because people without technology and technology without people, they cannot success. Right. So, of course, keeping also the technology, but connected to the people.

[00:14:52] JOS VOSKUIL:
Yeah yeah, you need to understand the technology, but not to be a geek.

[00:14:56] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yeah. The right level of understanding.

[00:14:59] JOS VOSKUIL:
Exactly.

[00:15:00] MARIA MORRIS:
Great, and I think we're missing one very important point to add here, the location of event, Bea, maybe a lot of our participants and attendees will have never visited the South of Spain or Jerez. What can they expect?

[00:15:15] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Oh, it's a small city, but it's very antique. It’s very interesting, it feels like traveling to…

[00:15:24] MARIA MORRIS:
…a different time.

[00:15:25] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Yeah, a different time. Exactly. So, but you have also very nice restaurants. The weather, the light of the city. I think it's very manageable for visiting it and spending some times, and you can walk everywhere. So that's also important, I would say.

[00:15:46] MARIA MORRIS:
Yes. And also another thing we can mention is that the event is taking place in a winery, in a very famous winery in Jerez, and so that's very exciting. It's not your standard location for a PLM conference. And of course, we are going to have some time to have some wine tasting after day one of the event as well. So that's always something to look forward to. And connect us.

[00:16:09] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
Maria why, can you tell why we have chosen Jerez?
 
[00:16:14] MARIA MORRIS:
Yes, of course. So the reason we chose Jerez as our event location is not just because the weather is beautiful and the food is amazing in the south of Spain, but also because share PLM have recently started a new kind of a journey or project in the development of The Nest.

And essentially this is a building that is currently under construction in Jerez that will be used as a way for us to have more of that people, in person contact with our customers. A place where they can come for their team offsites. To have in-person workshops, team building. And yes, it's also a great opportunity for us to be able to introduce our event attendees and customers to the space.

And so the day before, day one of the conference on the 26th, we will also be enjoying a nice tapas evening networking party at The Nest itself, so people can get to know the space and learn more about what they can expect from our journey there.

[00:17:17] BEATRIZ GONZALEZ:
very exciting.

[00:17:19] MARIA MORRIS:
Exactly. And perfect. Well, I think we've given away enough spoilers for the Share PLM summit. I don't think we should give any more information away. I think people will have to get their tickets and come and join us in Jerez in just about a month's time. And before we wrap up, I just wanted to say first of all, a big thank you to Bea and Jos for giving us more information on the event and what we can expect and also for participating in the event.

And also a big thank you to our sponsors of the event, Aras, Razor Leaf, QCM, and XPLM. Obviously this event wouldn't be possible without our sponsors supporting us. So thank you all very much and we look forward to seeing everybody in Jerez, in a month's time.