Ontologies in the context of product lifecycle management: state of the art literature review

TLDR

Ontologies are increasingly used in product lifecycle management, yet their definition, challenges, role, and necessity remain debated within scientific and engineering communities. The paper aims to answer core questions regarding the concept and application of ontologies in PLM. The authors conduct a comprehensive study of ontology’s philosophical origins and information‑science applications, then define seven key roles based on state‑of‑the‑art analysis. These seven roles form a framework that characterizes the current research landscape on ontologies in PLM.

Abstract

The use of ontologies in the context of product lifecycle management (PLM) is gaining importance and popularity, while at the same time it generates a lot of controversy in discussions within scientific and engineering communities. Yet, what is ontology? What challenges have been addressed so far? What role does ontology play? Do we really need ontology? These are the core questions this paper seeks to address. We propose to conduct a comprehensive study of the concept of Ontology firstly in its domain of origin, Philosophy, and secondly in information science. Based on the understanding of this concept and an in-depth analysis of the state of the art, seven key roles of ontology are defined. These roles serve as a framework describing the general state of research on the use of ontologies in the context of PLM.