Data Management is a wide range of functionality; it includes the Document and Workflow Management functions in the base. Features that are important for the management of product data, such as Parts Management and Product Structure and Configuration Management, for the management of product structures and bills of materials (BOM) can be added to this. The integral management of product data takes place in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems; these are systems that are ideally suited for the management of product data from idea, through design, realization and management to demolition. The following section further discusses the functionality within Data Management.
Document- en Workflow Management
The Document and Workflow Management functionalities form the basis of Data management:
Document Management includes the management and (long term) archiving of all documents with technical, project and / or departmental information. The features that are important for Document Management include: Version management; being able to keep track of the different versions and history of stored information. Status management; managing the various stages that the information goes through and, if possible, automatically adjusting the status based on the cycle. Meta data management; the ability to store and retrieve information based on the correct meta data (attribute data). Authorization; identifying groups and roles with people who may or may not have access to specific parts of information. Search; the easy retrieval of stored information.
Workflow Management includes functionality for: Review and approval of information; the controlled review and approval of (draft) information to approved (approved) information. Transmission of information; the registered sending and receiving of information in such a way that the traceability is guaranteed. The processes that are run through are actively triggered by the Workflow Management system; This means that actions lead to new actions where notification of tasks (in the mail or inbox) plays an important role. The goal of Workflow management is the integral management of all processes around creating, reviewing, sending, approving, changing and storing information.
Product Data / Lifecycle Management (PDM / PLM)
Product Data / Lifecycle Management (PDM / PLM) is a further deepening of the (basic) functionality of Document and Workflow Management for the structured development of products. The functionality of PLM includes:
Product Structure Management; the ability to manage (multiple) product structures (as-designed, as-produced, as-built, as-maintained) in order to enable integral management of the product in all its aspects.
Parts management; managing part libraries that make up the various products, here is the functionality for Parts Classification; classifying and managing parts catalogs.
Configuration Management: managing product trends over time. This results in version trees that can be traversed back in time or versions to the then-shared configuration. Configuration Management is particularly important in the aircraft and automotive industry, such as recall actions of produced models, but also to be able to effectively implement spare parts management.
Requirements Management: being able to trace requirements via the design to the realized solution. Systems Engineering is the discipline that deals with Requirements Management. Within Systems Engineering, the requirements tree, the Requirements Breakdown Structure (RBS), is linked via a decomposition to the system to be designed with sub-systems and components; the System Breakdown Structure (SBS). Per sub-system or component, the requirements are translated into a solution in the product structure. By means of a verification, the design is tested and eventually validated against the requirements.
Read more about the selection and implementation of a Product Data / Lifecycle Management system.