Imperial Brands Embraces PLM to Drive Efficiency and Productivity Across 20 Manufacturing Sites

Imperial Brands, founded in 1901, is the fourth largest international tobacco company worldwide, with approximately 26,000 employees globally. Though they had long produced a wide variety of traditional tobacco products, the organization pivoted to build a next-generation portfolio of smoke-free products. This shift led their PLM Processes and Systems Team to embrace the Aras PLM platform, Aras Innovator®, to overcome systems and collaboration challenges and transform the business on a global scale.

“The Aras platform has been instrumental in our PLM transformation, enabling us to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and lay the foundation for future digitalization efforts. Its flexibility and customization capabilities have truly revolutionized our ways of working.”

DAVID EVERSON, SENIOR MANAGER PLM PROCESS AND SYSTEMS, IMPERIAL BRANDS

Pain Points

Imperial Brands faced significant challenges due to its fragmented product lifecycle management (PLM) strategy. Different teams used disconnected tools and systems, impeding collaboration and reducing efficiency. The need to comply with evolving global regulations added even more complexity, especially given the short lifecycle of their products and the high volume of annual changes to product specifications. This fragmentation created difficulties in maintaining consistency and coherence across the organization, ultimately hindering productivity and regulatory compliance efforts.

Operating in over 100 markets, Imperial Brands navigates diverse and stringent regulatory environments. The company had to manage and track numerous product specifications and changes annually, which was overwhelming given the disjointed nature of its existing systems. The lack of a unified PLM system made it challenging to stay compliant and respond swiftly to regulatory changes, risking potential non-compliance and operational disruptions.

The complexity of its product portfolio, resulting from numerous acquisitions and the introduction of new smoke-free products, further exacerbated these challenges. Managing such a diverse range of products required a more cohesive and integrated PLM system to ensure smooth operations from product development to market delivery. Without a robust PLM solution, the organization struggled with inefficiencies and data management issues.

The existing systems also lacked the capability to support the company’s growth and innovation goals. As Imperial Brands aimed to expand its product lines and enter new markets, the need for a more adaptable and scalable PLM solution became undeniable. The old systems were not equipped to handle the dynamic requirements of modern product lifecycle management, leading to operational bottlenecks and missed opportunities for innovation.

PLM Requirements

When searching for a solution to the pain points above, Imperial Brand’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) requirements focused on:

• Unifying its fragmented systems to facilitate seamless collaboration across different teams and departments.
• Supporting efficient workflow management, ensuring tasks and data flow smoothly between various stages of the product lifecycle to reduce delays and improve overall productivity.
• Solving unique business processes and evolving market requirements with the ability to create custom applications on top of standard functionality.

The solution also needed to enhance regulatory compliance by providing robust tracking and reporting capabilities. Given the high volume of product specifications and regulatory changes, the PLM system had to offer strong revision control, traceability, and data integrity features. This would enable Imperial Brands to maintain compliance more efficiently and reduce the risk of regulatory noncompliance.

Successes with Aras Innovator

Implementing the Aras Innovator PLM platform allowed Imperial Brands to streamline its processes and significantly enhance collaboration. The platform’s powerful workflow capabilities enabled the integration of a variety of systems, facilitating better data flow and process management across departments. This integration helped overcome the inefficiencies caused by the previously fragmented systems.

The customization capabilities of the Aras platform were particularly beneficial. Imperial Brands could build numerous custom applications to address their specific needs, aligning the PLM system with their unique business processes. This flexibility ensured that the system could support the company’s requirements without forcing them to conform to rigid, predefined workflows, thus enhancing user adoption and satisfaction.

“You can really make it what you want. You have the standard out-of-the-box functionality; you can take that as it comes or you can customize on top of this functionality as well.”

DAVID EVERSON, SENIOR MANAGER PLM PROCESS AND SYSTEMS, IMPERIAL BRANDS

The successful implementation of the Aras platform also positioned Imperial Brands for future growth and digital transformation. By leveraging the platform’s capabilities, the company improved data quality and operational efficiency. This foundation allowed them to explore additional applications and digital initiatives, such as integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data management within the same PLM system, further streamlining their operations and supporting broader organizational goals.

Results: Imperial Brands Becomes More Compliant, Productive, and Innovative

The transformation with Aras Innovator led to significant improvements in efficiency and productivity for Imperial Brands. By unifying PLM systems and streamlining workflows, the company could better manage its product lifecycles and ensure compliance with global regulations. The enhanced data quality and traceability provided by the platform reduced the risk of non-compliance and operational disruptions.

The successful deployment of the Aras platform also enabled Imperial Brands to support its ambitious growth and innovation goals. With a more adaptable and scalable PLM system, the company could effectively manage its diverse product portfolio and respond swiftly to market demands and regulatory changes. This adaptability is crucial for maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly evolving industry.

Looking ahead, Imperial Brands plans to leverage the Aras platform to enhance its digital transformation efforts further. The platform’s flexibility and customization capabilities will allow the company to continuously improve its product lifecycle management processes and explore new digital opportunities. This ongoing innovation will support Imperial Brands in achieving long-term success and maintaining its leadership position in the global market.