Chapter 4: Information systems and Frameworks

Title: A Pattern-Based Methodology for Product Lifecycle Management

Author(s): Jörg Feldhusen, Frederik Bungert

Address: Institute for Engineering Design IKT, RWTH Aachen University Steinbachstraße 54B, 52074 Aachen, Germany | Institute for Engineering Design IKT, RWTH Aachen University Steinbachstraße 54B, 52074 Aachen, Germany

Reference: International Conference on Product Lifecycle Management 2008 pp. 243 - 252

Abstract/Summary: Several methodologies have been developed for engineering design by now. Although engineering design is one of the subareas of PLM, an according methodology for PLM is still missing. This can be traced back to the fact that the temporal coherences between PLM-methods are largely ambiguous. Contrary to the methods of engineering design, which are clearly related to each other by a development process schema, many PLM-methods cannot be assigned to a certain lifecycle phase as they are arbitrarily applicable within several phases. The present contribution describes an approach to apply pattern languages to PLM. It aims at creating a cohesive PLM-methodology by relating current PLM-methods to each other and integrating them with the methods and theories of the associated engineering disciplines, such as engineering design. The problem of ambiguous temporal coherence between PLM-methods can be evaded by applying the concept of pattern languages as patterns are interconnected by means of non-temporal relations.

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