How do you evaluate PLM software when a demo is not enough?
A PLM demo shows what the software does. It does not show where your team stands against industry practice, or what to change first. Since around 2021, buyers in food and beverage, cosmetics and personal care, and specialty chemicals have started their PLM evaluations with a different question: how do companies like us handle this? This guide explains how to prepare for that conversation, what to ask a PLM vendor, and how to tell real domain expertise from a sales script. TL;DR A demo answers what the software does. Buyers now need to know where they stand first. Prepare three inputs before an evaluation: how customized your current systems are, which regulations drive your obligations, and what each plant or region needs to keep. Ask the vendor how teams like yours solved the same problem, and where you sit against standard industry practice. Check the people, not only the product. Real domain expertise comes from careers in regulatory affairs, quality and manufacturing. A good evaluation ends with a shared roadmap, not a feature list.
