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We'll save time and money by re-using information One reason for re-using information is to avoid the cost and time of the process of repeating a task that has already been carried out. When information is created it goes through a process of specification, development, production, test, modification, use, storage, etc. The process usually includes several quality checks to ensure that the information is correct. It usually includes decision points where choices are made as to the best way to proceed. The overall process takes a certain amount of time, and costs a certain amount of money. At the end of the process, the information exists and is correct. If exactly the same information is created again from scratch, the process just described will be repeated. It will take more or less the same amount of time to create the information as it did the first time, and the process will also cost about the same. However, instead of recreating the information from scratch, the information created the first time can be recalled and re-used. This information is known to be correct and usable. The process of recalling it should take very little time and money. It's much quicker and cheaper to re-use information than to re-create it. Similar arguments exist for re-use of mechanical parts. If an existing part can be re-used there is no need to go through the wasteful process of re-designing the part, re-designing the process to make and support it, simulating performance, re-developing tools, waiting for prototypes, etc. By re-using an existing part, time and money is saved, and quality is guaranteed. Also, since a new part number is not needed, overhead is not increased, there is no need to extend part files, there is no need to find additional storage space, and there is no need for additional working capital for holding costs. Because there are fewer parts, it is easier to locate existing parts, so access times can be kept acceptable. The exact figure depends on the specific industry and part, but the creation of a single new part, including all the activities and overhead it engenders is generally put at several thousand dollars. If creation of a new part can be avoided, time and money are saved. When we re-use information we'll have fewer quality problems. The first time that information is created it goes through a long process involving a lot of quality checks and validation. It is then used, and any remaining errors are uncovered and corrected. By the time someone wants to re-use information, it can be expected to be more or less bug-free. Of course, this implies that the information that is to be re-used should have gone through a demanding test cycle so that its re-users will not be disappointed. It should also be kept in secure conditions so that it is not inadvertently modified. Any intentional modifications should be clearly documented. We'll be able to speed up our development cycle. As re-use of existing information doesn't require any development time - everything has already been developed - it can greatly reduce development cycles. We'll be able to improve our engineering change statistics. Whether the engineering change metric in use is the number of engineering changes, or engineering change cycle time, re-use of information will have a positive effect. As the information has already been used and can be expected to be correct, there should be no need for engineering change. We'll be able to reduce scrap. We'll be able to reduce the number of prototypes. By re-using information that has already been tested and used, the need to carry out further tests is significantly reduced. As the information exists and is well defined, the corresponding parts should be perfect and there should be no scrap. We'll be able to reduce our engineering costs. By re-using some existing designs, less investment will be needed for the development of new designs. As there will be fewer designs, and fewer changes to designs, it will be possible to reduce the overhead costs associated with managing, storing, copying and communicating designs. We'll be able to make improvements in many areas. Costs and time cycles will be reduced in all areas where information can be re-used. All sorts of information can be re-used. Some of this information will define parts, some will define the processes to make these parts, and some will define the relationships that link parts to products. Sometimes these parts will be mechanical or electronic components, sometimes they will be software. It will also be possible to re-use information such as the engineering workflow structure. We'll be able to get the productivity gains promised from CADCAM. One of the great disappointments with CADCAM has been the difficulty of re-using CAD data. Use of CADCAM was expected to significantly improve productivity. Many of the benefits were expected to result from the re-use of data, but it has been difficult to achieve these benefits. Once CAD information has been created and used, it is often stored and forgotten. It's very difficult to re-use it. Even if the basic geometry file can be found, it's difficult to find all the related information. Rather than waste time on what is nearly always a fruitless search, most people just don't bother to try to re-use CAD data. We'll be able to reduce data re-entry cost and time. Currently a lot of time is wasted at those points in the product development process where data is exchanged between different computer systems. For example, some data from a program on a mainframe may be processed in a PC spreadsheet before being used in a program on a UNIX machine. Often the data transfer will be done with a print-out from the mainframe, keyboard entry to the PC, a print-out from the spreadsheet and keyboard entry to the UNIX machine. Along the way, time is wasted and errors are introduced. More time is wasted as the data is checked to make sure no transcription errors get through. With an EDM/PDM system, and electronic interchange, the transfer will be instantaneous and error-free. We'll be able to schedule more accurately. A lot of information about the time and costs of design and manufacturing processes is never re-used, yet this information should be the basis for planning the costs and schedules of the processes for similar products. We'll be able to reduce the overall cost of the product. The development cycle will be shorter because existing information will be re-used. Design and verification time will be reduced. Less engineer and overhead cost will be incurred. There will be less need for simulation and less scrap. Re-use of existing information with known characteristics should allow for a more optimized design. These individual benefits will all contribute to a reduction in the overall cost of the product. We'll be able to support our business strategy. As companies move to product-family oriented Business Units, they will re-use more and more parts in their products. The ability to re-use information underlies the ability to re-use parts. Those companies seeking to differentiate through customerization will need to re-use information supporting the common parts used in customer-specific products. We'll be able to support concurrent engineering. At the present time many companies find that their information management capabilities can't really support attempts to carry out concurrent engineering. Each department has its own way of defining the same data element so departments can't work together in parallel. Instead, each department has to wait until the preceding departments have finished their work and handed over the information they have created. This information is then converted, translated or reformatted so that it fits the way the department is used to using it. Then the department does its work, and if it finds a problem sends information back upstream where it is translated back to the original form. It's impossible to work concurrently in this environment. With the EDM/PDM system it will be possible for people from different departments to work together in a concurrent engineering team - using, sharing and re-using data from the systems and databases of the various phases of the engineering process. We'll be able to work better with suppliers and customers. Currently information transfer with suppliers and customers is often very slow. To maintain security and confidentiality each drawing and document is produced on paper, signed-out, and mailed. This process wastes time, inhibits close relationships with suppliers, and annoys customers. An EDM/PDM system will manage security and confidentiality aspects, and send information directly by EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). We'll be able to re-use data to trace the source of a problem. Without an EDM/PDM system some data may get lost or mislaid somewhere in the product development process. Often there's so much data that some of it isn't properly recorded. If related faults are ever found in the product it can be extremely difficult and expensive to create the missing data. For example, one automobile manufacturer didn't fully record all the information about a key component. Later, the supplier found a problem with a small batch of the component, and told the manufacturer which components to recall. The manufacturer hadn't maintained the link between component and car, so had to unnecessarily recall thousands of cars. An EDM/PDM system will make sure that information can always be traced and related to particular parts and products. |