Products are getting more complex these days. There are multiple reasons for that. Adding of connectivity and software is one of the most visible reasons why it happens. Think about any simple gadget these days, which cost less than 99$ in US. It includes mechanical components, electrical parts and software. In additional to that, products are often functioning together with cloud-based or bluetoooth enabled software. The situation is even more complex when it comes to industrial equipment, transportation and other products.
Last year, I was blogging about the need to combine engineering and software BOM. My hunch, the problem is not solved yet. My attention caught by TEC Technology Evaluation writeup – 9 Innovation and Product Development Software Market Trends and Predictions made by Predrag Jakovljevic. One part of it speaks about the need to develop a holistic system common data model to manage an entire system. Here is passage, which speaks about that:
There is a need for a common data model for managing an entire system, i.e., both hardware and software data from ideation to end of life (EOL). Common repositories and software architectures must enable the reuse of design and components (and intellectual property, if you will). Thus the “innovation platform” has become a big concept for PLM-CAD-MOM players—Dassault Systèmes has the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, Siemens PLM Software has its Smart Innovation Platform, and Autodesk’s A360, PLM 360, and Fusion 360 products all run on the same data model. Other vendors such as SAP and Oracle are not far behind. I question how many companies will be able to support an all-inclusive PLM to CAD to MES solution. My feeling is that “cloud rings or layers” with improved interoperability will emerge around PLM to reduce upgrade and total cost of ownership (TCO) costs.
The fact vendors are working on new platform can hint future modeling capabilities will help to manage more complex data structures. To create a “composite BOM model” with elements of mechanical, electrical and software parts can be an interesting PLM challenge. PLM vendors have been working on variety of BOM solutions for the last two decades. Product structure is a complex piece of data, which is representing a critical element of PLM data management foundation. Earlier days PLM complexity was related to product configurations and options. Today electronic and software is a new challenge for PLM data management.
What is conclusion? What was a challenge for aerospace and automotive industry 20 years, now comes in electronic gadget and IoT connected devices. The ability to manage software, electronic and mechanical parts becomes a pre-requisite for any PLM system deployment. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
photo credit upverter
