Document Management in Engineering Industry
Computer Programs Enhance the Tolerance Levels for Complexity in Engineering
We looked at the engineering function and the kinds of documents it generates on a separate page. On this page we continue the discussion looking at things from a different angle.
Document Management Tasks
Document management in an independent engineering consultancy company involves managing:
- Design data for each product
- Data for several products for one customer
- Data for several customers
- Business transactions for the entire company
Management involves all the typical DMS tasks - such as collaborative creation, updating, organization, storage, restricting access, preservation over long periods, efficient retrieval when needed and so on. The tasks were facilitated by the use of computers and computer programs.
Impact of Computers
A number of new tools now became available to the design engineer. These include:
- CAD and CAE: 3-Dimensional models, 2-Dimensional drawings and elaborate design schema documents could be generated using CAD software. CAE and digital mockups could save on time and costs of testing by eliminating the need for developing prototypes, and in other ways.
- Product Data Management Programs: This class of programs facilitated managing:
- Design specifications produced by CAD
- Requirements and Specifications
- Manufacturing plans and Assembly plans
- Test plans and test procedures
- Product Lifecycle Management: Product Lifecycle Management covers managing all stages in the life of a product, from conception through development, production and marketing to final discontinuance. We take a look a the key documents, mostly produced using the tools mentioned in the last section.
- Performance Specifications: This document specifies what a product is supposed to do and the constraints under which it has to perform. Products are designed to do practical things to meet specific needs. This document focuses the attention of design staff on these objectives, and a good DMS provides such access.
- Documenting the Design: Designs are documented through schematics, 3D models and 2D drawings and supporting worksheets that explain how the final results were derived. These documents constitute know-how and have to be guarded safely and confidentially.
- Documenting the Tests: It is tests that validate the designs by showing that the product meets performance specifications. Tests must be designed with the specific test objective in mind, and documented in the forms of test specifications, procedure specifications, test results and reviewers' reports elaborating on the findings. Supporting worksheets must also be preserved to explain such things as the rationale behind the test design.
- Production Engineering: This branch of PLM is concerned with developing production processes to convert product designs into products. The production processes must be designed to result in acceptable quality products at economic costs within the resource constraints of the organization.
- Production & Marketing Operations: This is the stage of running the business to which all the above preliminaries lead. Document management practices at this stage are discussed elsewhere on different industry specific and other pages.
- Discontinuance or Innovation: Market performance and customer expectations are constantly monitored for each product. Based on the findings, top management might take the decision to discontinue a product or make innovations that reduce costs and/or improve performance or customer appeal. Feedback reports from the market, sales volume trends, service & support histories and customer surveys are some key documents that help managers monitor product performance.
Conclusion
Document management is a key criterion for successful performance of the engineering function. Computers have aided all aspects of engineering document management, including the core functions of design development and testing them. Computer programs have also enhanced the level of complexity that design engineers could handle.