## 2 Research Framework  
This section defines the research framework consisting of the research objectives, scope, and the research design. The paper introduces a methodology designed to set and adequately ground a PLM strategy for companies aiming to enhance their innovation potential. The research aims to provide a context that helps companies comprehend the priorities of PLM implementation efforts, offering objective guidelines for setting a PLM strategy. Achieving this requires a robust scientific methodology capable of capturing the latent needs related to NPD optimization and mapping them with specific PLM functional aspects. It is important to note that this approach is not intended to generate explicit instructions for future PLM implementation activities, but its use is expected to aid companies in prioritizing implementation efforts from the perspective of enhancing NPD capabilities. The NPD capabilities in this research are understood as a set of distinct company competencies, which, acting in a mutually synergistic manner, create conditions for product development and commercialization in a way that ensures high levels of production/economic/market product performance and encourages the efficiency and effectiveness of the product development process. There are several earlier approaches to developing a PLM implementation project roadmap in which a focus has been made on the NPD processes. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [9] introduced a methodology designed to quantify the impact of PLM features on a company's New Product Introduction (NPI) processes. This approach involves formalizing the NPI process, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and assessing the needs of stakeholders involved in NPI. The identified requirements are then linked to the PLM features to evaluate the benefits that could result from adopting the PLM strategy. [PERSON] [10] established a method to evaluate the readiness of the new product development process for integrating product data management. The methodology was intended to identify and evaluate the PDM functionalities and practices that would most effectively support an organization's specific business needs. Similar to the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), the proposed model measures NPD maturity through five maturity stages: ad hoc, repeatable, characterized, manageable, and optimizing. [PERSON] et al. [11] introduced a methodology designed to set a PLM project roadmap for companies seeking to adopt digitization. The methodology is aimed at assessing the maturity level of manufacturing industries in integrating digital technologies throughout their value-adding processes, with a special focus on the NPD process. This methodology integrates assessment models (DREAMY and CLIMB) and analytical techniques (MyWaste and MyTime). It focuses on readiness and maturity regarding digitization and design practices, alongside waste reduction and ongoing improvement rooted in lean theory. Starting from the research objectives and the theory observation results, the concept of the methodology is developed. The proposed methodological framework (Figure 1) integrates the following:  
* Reference PLM functional model;
* A mechanism for mapping a company's latent needs related to NPD process optimization;
* A methodology for quantifying the impact of PLM functional aspects on NPD capabilities. The paper introduces a theoretical model that defines the functional scope of PLM, systematizing specific areas of PLM competency development. The model provides a reference frame for defining the PLM strategy scope, which can be adapted for application in different contexts. Also, the paper's contribution is the introduction of a normative-contingent NPD evaluation model grounded in best practice frameworks. Based on prevalent theoretical insights from the literature and supported by contributions from experts, the model maps and categorizes the practices to foster successful product development, using them as benchmark standards.