CHALLENGES WITH PRODUCT DATA EXCHANGE IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT NETWORKS

Collaborative product development in company networks creates new requirements for product data management (PDM). All partners need access to correct and updated data to avoid unnecessary delays and costs, and progress with tasks should be visible to others. We conducted case studies in four company networks to identify common PDM-related challenges. The results reveal several challenges with the contents of the data exchanged, the exchange processes and the tools that were used. We suggest addressing these challenges by defining and implementing PDM processes and tools that support collaborative product development. Future research in this area should address the concepts, processes, policies, and tools used in product data exchange.