Product lifecycle management support: a challenge in supporting product design and manufacturing in a networked economy

TLDR

The paper reviews how IT and global shifts are reshaping design and manufacturing, identifies gaps in current PLM IT, and argues for open, widely‑participated standards. The authors survey the evolving design‑manufacturing landscape, assess existing PLM IT, and pinpoint areas where standards are needed. They propose an initial typology of standards and a convergence pathway, and contend that neutral bodies such as NIST should facilitate standards debates and implementations.

Abstract

In this paper, we provide an overview of the changing design and manufacturing landscape in the 21st century that has come about because of IT and the changing global conditions. Based on this overview and a review of the current state of IT for PLM support in the design and manufacturing sector, we identify the areas of need for standards. A review of areas covered by standards leads us to the development of an initial typology of standards and a potential path for bringing convergence of these standards in support of PLM. We make a case throughout the paper that given the nature of the task we need to aspire to create open standards with wide participation. We conclude by arguing that there is an important role to be played in this context by institutions such as NIST as a neutral party in the standards debates and implementations.