Alphabet Soup

This article focuses on how acronyms serve a useful purpose to people in a certain industry because they know right away what area is being referred to without having to go into a long, elaborate explanation. For the record, CAD stands for “computer-aided design,” CAM for “computer-aided manufacturing,” and PLM for “product lifecycle management,” which are all software applications used by engineers. Acronyms that are bandied about without ever being defined can make all but seasoned veterans feel as if they are in a subject over their heads. Manufacturers have an ongoing task of sorting through acronyms and finding those that have meanings for them, as opposed to those that are merely flavors of the day and will ultimately fall by the wayside.