Data and Manufacturing Innovation

This article discusses various aspects of data and manufacturing innovation. Industry today is rapidly adopting digital thread, a best practice in product data management that emphasizes a closed-loop process in which product lifecycle data is linked and traceable to design intent. The best practices in design and manufacturing stand in stark contrast to data revolutions being fomented in other fields. The data ecosystem is the collective memory of the complete output of a project, from conception to post-production and lifecycle activity for its artefact. It must encompass the dead ends as well as the amazing insights; the unbuilt alternatives and the simulation tests for prototypes; the information arcs traced out in the course of design and manufacturing process; and the consumer reviews and in-service information feeds from devices in the field. Vision of design requires engineers, designers, and manufacturers to reconsider some long-held beliefs about best practices. Computer scientists are developing solutions that might enable this transition; however, enterprises need to commit to underlying processes and cultures that will truly affect change.