Peter Druker said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast and then stays hungry all day”. In many manufacturing companies, people store product data in Excel, folders, and zip files. It’s quick and easy, like fast food. But just like eating McDonald’s every day, it seems fine at first but causes big problems later for manufacturing processes, ordering of raw materials and broad range of production and supply chain issues.
The Fast Food Approach to Product Data
Engineers and manufacturers work hard and do what’s easiest. They put product data in spreadsheets and shared folders because it’s simple and familiar. The problem? No one is thinking about the big picture. Over time, this habit creates a mess of disconnected spreadsheets, lost files, and outdated information. Mechanical and electronic engineers send two Excels to procurement person and she needs to figure out why number of components is different (ah… mechanical parts and electronics are not identical.. )
This “fast food” approach may work for a while, but it leads to big problems. Procurement teams can’t find the latest part lists, supply chain teams chase missing data, and production teams get incorrect instructions, causing costly mistakes.
Why Short-Term Fixes Hurt Long-Term Strategy
The saying “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” means that daily habits and company culture can override even the best business plans. In product data management, short-term solutions—like using Excel instead of a real system—end up blocking long-term success.
Small daily choices, like saving BOMs in Excel or emailing zip files, pile up into a big, messy system. If companies don’t change these habits, their data becomes a nightmare to manage.
The Result? A Big Mess
Over time, companies end up with what I call “product data spaghetti”—a tangled, confusing mess that no one can sort out. As a colleague reminded me recently, “Don’t break spaghetti!” In other words, keep things structured and organized. When data is messy, operations, procurement, and supply chains all suffer.
Even if engineers create amazing designs, bad data management can stop those designs from ever reaching customers. Manufacturing companies need a clear, organized approach to product data because everything—from production to sales—depends on it.
What is my conclusion?
Stop the Fast Food Habit. Companies must rethink how they handle product data. Excel and zip files may seem easy, but they cause problems in the long run. A solid data strategy helps keep everything running smoothly.
Without a clear plan, even the best designs won’t turn into successful products. So stop feeding your company fast food data management. Invest in a system that keeps things organized, accurate, and ready for success.
Just my thoughts…
Happy Friday!
Best, Oleg
Disclaimer: I’m the co-founder and CEO of OpenBOM, a digital-thread platform providing cloud-native collaborative services including PDM, PLM, and ERP capabilities. With extensive experience in federated CAD-PDM and PLM architecture, I’m advocates for agile, open product models and cloud technologies in manufacturing. My opinion can be unintentionally biased
