No contradiction: PLM improves data availability and security
Accurate, up-to-date information is crucial to a correctly
manufactured product. Data that can't be identified correctly, or has
ambiguous content, or has simply "gone missing" can't contribute to the
quality of a product.
The essential output of the engineering process is
not a product, but rather the information necessary for replicating that
product accurately, consistently and economically.
But quality products are not merely the sum of their engineering documentation.
Traditional engineering drawing practice is essential for proper design,
construction, test and support activities. However, there's more to data management than
simply adopting good part numbering practices, identifying part interchangeability
through accepted part "form fit function" and document revision rules,
and following the rules laid out in ASME Y14.100 (or MIL-STD-100).
How PDXpert PLM provides engineering document control
A good PLM system will offer the necessary capabilities and, equally important,
automate and enforce the many processes necessary for good data management.
Product lifecycle management is the evolutionary descendant of a series of "document
control software": from configuration management (CM) and engineering data
management system (EDMS) tools on mainframes, through product data management (PDM)
databases on LANs. As engineering departments' requirements have expanded, the software
solutions have become more sophisticated.
PDXpert PLM provides a comprehensive set of capabilities that home-grown,
in-house processes can't match:
- attribute-driven fast document and part searches
- electronic file management that protects each document
revision
- rules-based item number assignment, which support both intelligent part number and
tabulated drawing schemes
- flexible item revision rules, including optional pre- and post-production formats
- pre-defined part and document types with customizable rules
and default attributes
- drag-and-drop object construction for quickly building assemblies
- engineering release management with approval workflow
These functions translate directly into real benefits including
increased sales revenue through faster product releases;
lower product costs by using more accurate BOMs; and
lower administrative overhead by providing important supporting
information (like cost and material roll-ups) automatically.
Learn more about how PDXpert PLM manages your engineering data
PDXpert PLM has been specifically designed for smaller organizations making
the transition from ad hoc product data management.
We invite you to:
Make comprehensive engineering document management a priority today, and reap the rewards
of fast, accurate and reliable product information!
070802.2003