The business requirements for better document management in engineering environments are forever increasing and the underlying technologies for implementing system solutions are changing rapidly. In these contexts, it is vital that the strategic aspects of the document management decision-making processes and the user and functional requirements of document management are fully understood prior to consideration of shorter term implementation decisions. This paper goes some way to providing guidelines on addressing these issues through the development of a structured approach to engineering document management, coupled with the specification of generic process and data models which can form the basis for developing company-specific strategies, plans, models and requirements before committing to investments in technology to implement solutions. The paper is therefore specifically aimed at those engineering, production, project and quality managers within manufacturing companies who have the responsibility for implementing data and document management systems. Relationships with relevant standards and technology, and future issues are briefly discussed.
BroadhurstR.HendleyA.Document Management Yearbook 1995, 1995 (Cimtech, University of Hertfordshire).
3.
IIC Consultants. Engineering Document Management Systems(EDMS) Reference Guide, 1995 (Cimtech, University of Hertfordshire).
4.
WardleR.Document management and the EDMS/PDM market. In Conference Workbook: EDMS/PDM Europe 1995, 1995, pp. 473–479 (Kalthoff Europe).
5.
JohnsonG.ScholesK.Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases, 3rd edition, 1993 (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey).
6.
HarrisS. B.Engineering document management in ICI: A case study, 1996 (in preparation).
7.
HarrisS. B.Engineering product data management and business strategy: A literature review and summary of the emerging research questions. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part B, 1996, 210(B3), 207–220.
8.
GoldharJ. D.LeiD.The shape of twenty-first century global manufacturing. J. Business Strategy, March 1991, 37–41.
9.
PA Consulting GroupManufacturing into the Late 1990s, 1993, Commissioned by the DTI (HMSO, London).
10.
Competitiveness–how the best UK companies are winning. Technical report, Joint DTI and CBI publication, 1994. Available from the DTI at Spread of Best Practice Branch, Management and Technology Services Division, Department of Trade and Industry, 151 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9SS.
11.
StalkG.EvansP.ShulmanL.E.Competing on capabilities: The new rules of corporate strategy. Harvard Business Rev., March-April 1992, 57–69.
12.
HayesR. H.WheelrightS.C.ClarkeK. B.Dynamic Manufacturing: Creating the Learning Organisation, 1988 (Free Press, New York).
13.
StalkG.Time, the next source of competitive advantage. Harvard Business Rev., July-August 1988, 66(4), 41–51.
14.
RiisO.Integration and manufacturing strategy. Computers in Industry, 1992, 19(1), 37–50.
15.
O'BrienH.Learning to learn: The key to world class manufacturing. In Thirty-third International Conference Proceedings, 1990, pp. 74–77 (American Production and Inventory Control Society).
BachJ.AikenP.Document management as a prerequisite to quality assurance. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 1990, pp. 739–741.
18.
BauerC. O.Important role of technical documentation in product liability. Int. J. Pressure Vessels and Piping, 1995, 61(2-3), 213–228.
19.
RotheryB.BS 7750–Implementing the Environment Management Standard and the EC Eco-management Scheme, 1993 (Gower Publishing).
20.
Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974.
21.
SparshottM.Lessons from the latest batch of HMIP prohibition notices. In Environmental Management Systems (Ed. SharrattP.), 1995, pp. 27–39 (Institution of Chemical Engineers, London).
22.
SpragueR. H.Jr.Electronic document management: Challenges and opportunities for information systems managers. MIS Q., 1995, 19(1), 29–49.
23.
GarvinD. A.SimpsonJ.FieldL.The Boeing 767: From concept to production (A)–case 9-688-040. Technical report, Harvard Business School, 1991. Available through the European Case Clearing House at Cranfield Limited, Cranfield University, Bedford MK43 0AL.
24.
USAF. ICAM architecture part ii, volume iv–function modeling manual (idef0). Technical report AFWAL-TR-81- 4023, Vol. IV, USAF, Mantech Technology Transfer Center, WL/MTX, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433- 6533, USA, June 1981.
25.
ColquhounG. J.BainesR. W.CrossleyR.A state of the art review of IDEF0. Int. J. of Computer Integrated Mfg, 1993, 6(4), 252–264.
26.
BusbyJ. S.WilliamsG. M.The value and limitations of using process models to describe the manufacturing organisation. Int. J. Prod. Res., 1993, 31(9), 2179–2194.
27.
HoggI.Engineering document management in the process industry. MSc dissertation on Engineering Information Management, University of Leeds, August 1995.
28.
KilovH.CuthbertL.Model for document management. Computer Communs, 1995, 18(6), 408–417.
29.
OnikosiF.TaylorI.Activity and information modelling deliverables D3 and D5. Document T/96/007, ICI/University of Leeds Teaching Company Scheme, June 1996.
30.
SchenckD. A.WilsonP. R.Information Modelling the EXPRESS Way, 1st edition, 1994 (Oxford University Press).
31.
ISO 10303-11 Industrial Automation Systems and Integration–Product Data Representation and Exchange–Part 11: Description Methods: The EXPRESS Language Reference Manual, 1994 (International Organization for Standardization).
32.
OwenJ.STEP: An Introduction, 1st edition, 1993 (Information Geometers).
33.
ISO10303-41 Industrial Automation Systems and Integration– Product Data Representation and Exchange–Part 41: Integrated Resources: Fundamentals of Product Description and Support, 1994 (International Organization for Standardization).
34.
ZiolkoG.Application protocol: Technical data packaging core information and exchange. ISO document ISO/TC184/ SC4/WG3/T11/N466 ISO, December 1995.
35.
HenshellR. D.Engineering Data Management–Theory and Practice, 1996 (PAFEC Limited, Strelley Hall, Nottingham, NG8 6PE).
36.
WestM.STEP: The future of engineering information. Technical report IC 94-063, Information and Computing Division, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited, London, September 1995.
37.
HarrisS. B.EDMS/PDM and standards. In Conference Workbook: EDMS/PDM Europe 1995, 1995, pp. 536–546 (Kalthoff Europe).
38.
BloorM. S.OwenJ.Product Data Exchange, 1995 (UCL Press, London).
39.
GeorgakopoulosD.HornickM.ShethA.An overview of workflow management–from business process modelling to workflow automation infrastructure. Distributed and Parallel Databases, 1995, 3(2), 119–153.
PeltonenH.AlhoK.MannistoT.SulonenR.An authorisation mechanism for a document database. In Proceedings of the ASME Database Symposium, Conference CC21488, 1994, pp. 137–143 (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York).
42.
BurrowsL.The Alvey design to product project, final report. Technical report, GEC Electrical Projects Limited, March 1990.
43.
AllenR.Code of practice for legal admissibility of information stored on electronic document management systems. Technical report BSI-DISC, 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL, 1996.
44.
WillcocksL.Investing in Information Systems, 1996 (Chapman and Hall, London).
45.
RocheJ. L.Planning a tailored incremental implementation of PIM. In AUTOFACT Conference Proceedings, 1992, pp. 35–1–12 (Society of Mechanical Engineers, Dearborn, Michigan).
46.
BallingerJ.EDM–the pain and the glory. In Conference Workbook: EDMS/PDM Europe 1995, 1995, pp. 20–27 (Kalthoff Europe).
47.
KnowlesR.Electronic document management systems: How to select and implement the right documentation management system for your organisation. Electronic Library, 1995, 13(6), 527–532.
48.
PortS.PDM solution: Cimage enterprise systems–Rover Group body and pressings. In Engineering Data Newsletter, (Datamation Limited).
49.
PISTEP. PISTEP, STEP for the process industry: Programme prospectus. Technical report, Marchland Consulting Limited, 108 East Kilbride Road, Busby, Glasgow, G76 8JF, 1996.
50.
Manufacturing, production and business processes. Technology Foresight report 9, Office of Science and Technology, 1995 (HMSO, London).
51.
SarkisJ.LinL.An IDEF0 functional planning model for the strategic implementation of CIM systems. Int. J. Computer Integrated Mfg, 1994, 7(2), 100–115.
52.
PandyaK. V.Model for production planning and control decisions at cell level–a case study. Computer Integrated Mfg Systems, 1994, 7(2), 75–92.
