The CIMdata administered group presents their findings and conclusions from evaluating the capability of commercially available PLM software to enable a core element of the Digital Thread.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, 16 July 2020—Representatives of the Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group (AD PAG) have published the results and conclusions from a sponsored project team that engaged with four leading software providers to validate the team’s recently defined multiple-view bill of materials (Multi-view BOM) requirements by benchmarking use cases using commercially available software. The benchmarks are the culmination of three years of effort by the team made up of domain experts from the nine-member companies and select Tier 1 suppliers. This effort follows the publication of their comprehensive position paper on the subject in February 2019.
The report documents the definition of use cases that encapsulate requirements for Multi-view BOM management within an aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and the findings and conclusions from evaluating the capability of commercially available PLM software to fulfill those requirements. The report concludes that the use cases are valid, and that commercial technology has matured to a level where the implementation of Multi-view BOM management within an aerospace OEM is a practical possibility, albeit with caveats.
The AD PAG members consider Multi-view BOM management to be foundational to their Digital Thread strategies. According to Shyam Rangaswamy, Product Manager, Digital Engineering Solutions for GE Aviation, “The Multi-view BOM benchmarks helped our company to better understand what capabilities do and do not exist in PLM software today for managing BOM configurations. The effort also allowed us to engage in meaningful conversations on BOM configuration management that align directly with our future vision.” Select tier 1 suppliers have likewise found benefit from being part of the project team. “The discussions with the PLM providers and demonstrations of different solutions have been of high value for Saab and have already brought good input to our ongoing implementation project. We will definitely bring the benchmark results into our strategic work with future PLM solutions,” says Magnus Manke, Senior Solution Architect - PLM & MBD for Saab Aeronautics.
According to James Roche, CIMdata’s A&D Practice Director, “The concept of linking multiple representations of a product, each tuned to the needs of creators and consumers in various domains along the lifecycle, is powerful. These benchmarks indicate that commercial PLM solutions have advanced over the last 3 to 5 years to a level where enablement of this core element of the Digital Thread is now technically feasible in industries as complex as aerospace & defense. This is a big deal.”
Since its founding in 2014, the Aerospace and Defense PLM Action Group, which is administered by CIMdata, has sponsored research and jointly staffed projects on a diverse set of prioritized industry and technology topics. These topics include Model-Based Definition, Multiple-View Bill of Materials, PLM Technology Obsolescence Management, Global Collaboration, and Model-Based Systems Engineering. As an outcome of these investments, the Group has released a series of direction statements and position papers that are freely available for downloading from its website at www.ad-pag.com. Making these materials available is consistent with the Group’s mission to engage proactively within the PLM ecosystem and advocate for common direction and positions within the aerospace and defense industry on PLM-related topics of importance to the members.
To download the paper visit https://www.cimdata.com/en/aerospace-and-defense/publications/mv-bom#
For more information, please contact CIMdata at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
