How to make better decisions using your hidden product information

Blog_Betterdecisions

In the good (?) old days of the industrial revolution, the drawing artefact carried the abstract product definition. The drawing was a physical and tangible thing, which made it easy to understand and manage mentally. The drawing represented the shape of the part/assembly, but not only that, all other properties as well. Many assembly drawings were very complex and the drawing sets were supported by the Bill of Material (BOM) list for the representation of the assembly structures.

When the digitalization of the production started in the ’70s the first part of the product definition that was addressed was the BOM and the changes of that one overtime/batch/….

Most of the Part/assembly definition stayed on the drawing. With the introduction of CAD, there was a possibility to separate the shape property from the rest of the properties. Some industries working in very competitive situations started to do that in the ’90s when most of the non-shape related properties of a part were moved out of the drawing and defined instead in regular text documents. At the same time, the identity of the drawing was separated from the identity of the part/assembly. The part/assembly definition was truly abstract at this point.

The first generation of Product Data Management (PDM) supported that step in the development by its focus on part/part structures, document/document structures and change management of these. To be able to search for parts and documents some properties were extracted from the drawings and the documents as “meta-data” and made searchable in the PDM database. From a knowledge management point of view, the extraction is questionable since it is by itself an application of a view of the product definition by that itself restricts the possibility to make conclusions outside that view. This is a fundamental problem for the utilization of existing product knowledge captured in the product definitions of companies.

Much of this concern is addressed by the attempts to move to Model-Based Development. Drawings are no longer used and the product definition is managed in standardized formats including models for behaviour and shape.

What to do with all old and current product definitions?

A large step forward is achieved in ShareAspace by integrating a “meta-data” search of all PLM objects with a free text search of documents. This means that the restrictions inherent in predefined views are avoided and the scope of product data knowledge available will increase dramatically.

A typical problem that is addressed by the combination of “meta-data” and full-text search is when engineers document the result of their work, often under time pressure, in a way they understand and store it in a place where they can find it later. Engineers working in later phases of the product life cycle will never find it and instead, they need to discuss their issues with the defining engineers and often fund an internal project to resolve whatever has become the current issue with the initial design. By combining the search for parts in the PLM “meta-data” layer with a search for the same parts in documents a more complete view of the existing product information intelligence will be available while costly and time-consuming processes are avoided.

If full-text search and pattern recognition are combined, virtual links can be created between documents viewed to PLM data content featuring automatically creation of clickable documents during import of documents. That would ease the move from document-centric design, production and maintenance processes to object-oriented.

Learn more

Live webinar – Take your Engineering Collaboration to a safe place
The path to protected, productive external collaborations. In the competitive climate in which we currently develop and deliver our products, we encounter scenarios involving life-long partners that may also be ...
Configuration Management: How OSLC and STEP can “play nicely”
This recording from the Heliple 2 project webinar series describes the different approaches to configuration management used by OSLC and STEP, and the implications for each approach when linking to ...
Webinar: Strategies for effective design change recording in multifaceted defence systems
From documentation to implementation The ability to efficiently manage and record design changes across complex systems and assets has become crucial for maintaining operational readiness and strategic advantage in the ...
Eurostep celebrates three decades of innovation with ShareAspace and PLCS
27/03/2024 Not all businesses reach their 30th anniversary, so we are very proud to celebrate 30 years in business in 2024! Eurostep stands as a testament to the enduring power ...
Building bridges: uniting data, people and processes. World of Volvo centre, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 4 from 9 AM to 2 PM CEST.
ShareAspace Forum 2024
(Registration below!) We are thrilled to announce the ShareAspace Forum 2024 on June 4th! As we transition back to face-to-face interactions, we invite you to join us at the new ...
Empowering modern Asset Management: A Data-driven strategy for physical assets
In an era where asset management complexity is on the rise, traditional tools and methodologies increasingly struggle to keep up. This was the focal point of our recent webinar, "The ...
Agile PLM: Redefining collaboration with PLCS and AP242 standards
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, maintaining a flexible and responsive product lifecycle management (PLM) system is crucial for staying ahead. Traditional PLM solutions, while foundational, often lack the agility ...
The Future of Data Management
In our previous webinar, "Leveraging AI* for built asset Digital Twins - Turning scattered data into strategic assets", we not only addressed current practices but also cast a vision for ...
Webinar: The missing link – How to orchestrate data for capital-intensive asset management?
Capital-intensive asset management typically involves managing assets that require significant upfront investment and have long lifecycles, such as manufacturing plants, infrastructure projects, or large equipment. To effectively manage such assets, ...
Efficient Asset Information Management
Discover how Eurostep's ShareAspace platform revolutionizes Asset Information Management (AIM), driving efficiency in AEC and EPC industries. This comprehensive commentary by CIMdata delves into the critical role of secure, collaborative ...
Shifting from UML to ontology-based systems for enhanced digital twin integration
During our "Leveraging AI* for built asset Digital Twins - Turning scattered data into strategic assets" webinar, we discussed the strategic shift from Unified Modeling Language (UML) to ontologies, highlighting this ...
The role of AI in data strategy
In our “Leveraging AI* for built asset Digital Twins - Turning scattered data into strategic assets” webinar, we highlighted the critical role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our data strategy, ...
Traceability, Ontology, and Configuration Management: Eurostep’s data integration strategy
In the realm of data management and strategic asset optimization, at Eurostep we emphasize the importance of three key concepts: traceability, ontology, and configuration management. These components were a focal ...
Discover the future of openBIM with Eurostep at InfraBIM Open 2024
Eurostep is pleased to announce that Sylvain Marie, our AEC&Plant Industry Vertical Director, will be participating in the upcoming InfraBIM Open 2024 in Lyon, France. This event is scheduled for ...
What data for Strategic Asset Management?
In our recent "Leveraging AI* for built asset Digital Twins - Turning scattered data into strategic assets" webinar, we emphasized the foundation formula (Jeffrey Ding & Allan Dafoe) for strategic ...
Big Data vs. Small Data: Eurostep’s approach to Built Asset Digital Twins
At Eurostep, our approach to data management underscores a critical distinction between big data and small data, each with its unique characteristics and applications. During our "Leveraging AI* for built ...
Webinar: Configuration challenges in systems of hardware and software across multiple assets
Managing complex defence systems in today’s dynamic environment Join us for a valuable learning opportunity as Simon Petersson and Judith Crockford from Eurostep share their experiences and insights on managing ...
BAE Systems acquires Eurostep to deliver advanced digital asset management
31 October 2023 BAE Systems has acquired Eurostep, a secure data sharing company headquartered in Sweden. The company will form part of BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business. The acquisition is ...
Webinar: Leveraging AI* for built asset Digital Twins – Turning scattered data into strategic assets
From scattered data to smart assets: A webinar on digital twin management with ShareAspace Managing disjointed data repositories for built assets? See how ShareAspace and automated reasoning, an AI discipline, ...
Webinar: Profitable partnerships – Leverage ShareAspace for supply chain collaboration
Are you a manager in the manufacturing industry grappling with the complexities of sharing product data across various stakeholders? In a landscape where secure, efficient, and profitable collaboration is essential, ...
Live webinar – Take your Engineering Collaboration to a safe place
The path to protected, productive external collaborations. In the competitive climate in which we currently develop and deliver our products, we encounter scenarios involving life-long partners that may also be ...
Configuration Management: How OSLC and STEP can “play nicely”
This recording from the Heliple 2 project webinar series describes the different approaches to configuration management used by OSLC and STEP, and the implications for each approach when linking to ...
Webinar: Strategies for effective design change recording in multifaceted defence systems
From documentation to implementation The ability to efficiently manage and record design changes across complex systems and assets has become crucial for maintaining operational readiness and strategic advantage in the ...
Eurostep celebrates three decades of innovation with ShareAspace and PLCS
27/03/2024 Not all businesses reach their 30th anniversary, so we are very proud to celebrate 30 years in business in 2024! Eurostep stands as a testament to the enduring power ...
Building bridges: uniting data, people and processes. World of Volvo centre, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 4 from 9 AM to 2 PM CEST.
ShareAspace Forum 2024
(Registration below!) We are thrilled to announce the ShareAspace Forum 2024 on June 4th! As we transition back to face-to-face interactions, we invite you to join us at the new ...
Empowering modern Asset Management: A Data-driven strategy for physical assets
In an era where asset management complexity is on the rise, traditional tools and methodologies increasingly struggle to keep up. This was the focal point of our recent webinar, "The ...
Agile PLM: Redefining collaboration with PLCS and AP242 standards
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, maintaining a flexible and responsive product lifecycle management (PLM) system is crucial for staying ahead. Traditional PLM solutions, while foundational, often lack the agility ...
The Future of Data Management
In our previous webinar, "Leveraging AI* for built asset Digital Twins - Turning scattered data into strategic assets", we not only addressed current practices but also cast a vision for ...
Webinar: The missing link – How to orchestrate data for capital-intensive asset management?
Capital-intensive asset management typically involves managing assets that require significant upfront investment and have long lifecycles, such as manufacturing plants, infrastructure projects, or large equipment. To effectively manage such assets, ...