Product Data Reuse in Product Development: A Practitioner's Perspective

Although much PLM implementations and research have focused Q1Qon data storage and management, real value of data is achieved through its reuse, as data is considered to be an asset that acquires its value only by its consumption [1]. The general data reuse process is described and two variants identified: 1) data reuse that results from stakeholders' personal initiative; and 2) organization-driven data reuse. The data reuse process can lead to two positive outcomes: either the data is reused as-is or it is evolved/adapted to a new context. The data reuse process is analyzed and decomposed into a series of activities. Challenges associated with these activities are identified. Some of these challenges are analyzed so as to identify their constraints and their enablers one of which is data spreading among multiple information systems (PLM, ERP, MPM, file systems, etc.). This paper therefore helps identify the steps toward improving data reuse.