A process to aid product data management

Successful business organisations operating in today's global markets need to maximise the strategic benefits of information systems. Time to market, improved product quality and flexible manufacturing are common business objectives, yet communication between multifunctional teams is often hindered by the use of functionally focused information systems, resulting in duplicate and consequently inaccurate information amongst different departments. Product Data Management (PDM) systems provide a solution, yet implementations often focus upon technological solutions or have a particular departmental bias. To provide an objective solution, a process that specifies information requirements at different stages of business processes is required. By identifying key decision points, business processes can be simplified and stream-lined to deliver essential information at particular milestones, thereby aiding the transition through decision risk gates. This paper describes a process to aid PDM implementation. First the limitations of disparate information systems are discussed, before outlining the evolution of technological solutions and critiquing the use of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) techniques to improve business performance. A process is then outlined involving the use of business modelling techniques to specify information requirements, thus encouraging information sharing and re-use throughout the process.