Eurostep and John Stark Associates Technology White Paper

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1 John Stark Associates Eurostep and John Stark Associates Technology White Paper Standards-based PLM: Re-engineering the Aftermarket with PLCS Part 2 Technologies and Deployments Eurostep: Peter Bergström John Dunford John Stark Associates: John Stark Executive Summary A coherent information environment in which the necessary data are available to all participating actors is a prerequisite for efficient product support. PLCS can be thought of as a new world map for product support. Like any new map, PLCS contains much that is familiar a maintenance task is still a maintenance task and many new discoveries. Just like a map, PLCS can be used in different ways. One is to solve business problems by automating data exchange between existing systems. PLCS can also be used to support a major update of processes across an entire organization. This paper describes the standard itself and explains how an organization can implement PLCS to achieve tangible business benefits. Examples are provided of PLCS projects in some well known organizations Eurostep and John Stark Associates

2 About the Authors About Eurostep Eurostep s core competence is product information management, with a focus on solutions for the integration of information. By offering world class software and consulting services based on experience from many different domains, Eurostep helps our customers realize the business potential in their information assets. Eurostep helps your business to: Reduce costs by exploiting existing information assets and easing integration. Shorten lead times by ensuring that correct information is available. Radically improve data quality though the automation of sharing and exchange capabilities and of data consolidation processes. Increase sales by exploiting product data as an asset for complete re-use. Secure your knowledge by managing information access across multiple organizations. Make product information available over the complete product life-cycle. Eurostep is active in both the development and implementation of international standards for product data. This gives Eurostep a unique understanding of PLM and PLCS. The company offers the software and implementation technology needed to deliver product life cycle management from concept to disposal. Eurostep has been an international venture from its inception in 1994, and all subsidiaries have access to the leading edge PLM and PLCS knowledge base in the group. Eurostep provides world class expertise from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, and the United States. Eurostep has a number of blue chip organizations among its clients. About John Stark Dr. John Stark, president of John Stark Associates, Geneva, Switzerland is an internationally recognized expert and writer on the topic of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). He is the author of the recently published Global Product: Strategy, Product Lifecycle Management and the Billion Customer Question. In 2004, he published Product Lifecycle Management: Paradigm for 21st Century Product Realisation, the first book to describe the cradle to grave paradigm of PLM. Prior to launching John Stark Associates in 1991, he worked with developers and providers of applications and services for product development, engineering management, CAD, and PDM. In his consulting career, he has worked with many companies including ABB, BMW, Braun, Coca-Cola, Eaton, Ford Motor Company, HP, IBM, Kodak, Nestle, PSA, Renault, Saab, Schindler, Sikorsky, Valeo, and Xerox. He currently works as a consultant for manufacturing companies on the practical implementation of the PLM paradigm.

3 Table of contents About the Authors... 1 Introduction... 3 Scope and Content of the Standard... 5 Routes to Deployment... 8 Deployment Methodology... 9 Deployment Technology Example: BAE Systems Hägglunds Example: Volvo Supplier Integration Example: US Army PLCS the Next Five Years Lessons Learned Bibliography Abbreviations, Terms and Definitions PLCS products and services provided by Eurostep

4 Introduction In the previous Technology White Paper by Eurostep and John Stark Associates named Standards-based PLM: Re-engineering the Aftermarket with PLCS: Part 1 Business Benefits, PLCS was identified as a key standard to drive significant change for OEMs, and asset owners and operators. This paper, Part 2 Technologies and Deployments, describes the standard itself and explains how an organization can implement PLCS to achieve tangible business benefits. Examples are provided of PLCS projects in some well known organizations. PLCS as part of STEP PLCS is an international standard for representing the information set required to support a product during its entire life, from initial concept to disposal. The formal name for PLCS is ISO : 2005 Product Life Cycle Support. PLCS is a part of ISO 10303, the suite of standards known as STEP. It is an Application Protocol (AP) with the number 239, and is therefore sometimes referred to as AP239. The objective of STEP is to provide a neutral mechanism for describing products throughout their life cycle. This mechanism is suitable not only for neutral file exchange but also as a basis for implementing and sharing product databases, and for archiving. PLCS extending STEP for product support The initial components of STEP were focused on the design and manufacturing phases of the product lifecycle and specifically on the need to exchange CAD files. In order to address the broader product life cycle, including requirement management and the product operation and support phase, a consortium called PLCS Inc. 1 was established in Its aim was to develop an international standard to represent the information needed to operate and maintain a product as it evolved in an environment containing heterogeneous organizations, processes, and IT systems. The PLCS Inc. sponsors have continued to work together since the PLCS standard was published in This work has taken place in the context of OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards 2, a not-for-profit, international consortium that drives the development, convergence, and adoption of e-business standards. The OASIS PLCS Technical Committee 3 (TC) continues to provide a focus for the development of Data Exchange Specifications (DEXs), and related technology and components, which will promote and support the consistent implementation of PLCS on a world-wide basis. 1 ISO was developed by PLCS Inc., an international consortium established for that purpose. The consortium comprised: US Department of Defence, UK Ministry of Defence, Finnish Defence Forces, Norwegian Ministry of Defence, FMV (Swedish Ministry of Defence), DNV, Boeing, BAE SYSTEMS, Rolls Royce, Lockheed Martin, SAAB, BAE Systems Hägglunds, BAAN, LSC, PTC, Aerosystems International, and Pennant. Eurostep provided the technical leadership and programme management for the consortium, which was hosted by ATI. 2 See 3 The PLCS Technical Committee within OASIS, responsible for defining, developing, testing and publishing of OASIS PLCS DEXs, and for liaison with ISO TC 184/SC4 (the committee for STEP). 3

5 Need for life cycle support In the 21 st Century, digital data are a valuable business asset. New business opportunities are emerging which require increasing focus on managing information throughout the complete product lifecycle. For example, many manufacturers wish to go downstream and generate additional revenue from the supply of lifecycle support services. As product lifetimes and complexity increase, businesses are focusing on delivering specified availability, and driving down the total cost of ownership. Requirements for agility in the face of change are also increasing, both to combat obsolescence and to continually enhance products already in service. Another trend, driven by globalization, growing complexity, and the need to reduce lead times is the requirement to cooperate within an Extended/Virtual Enterprise. These trends create a business imperative to share accurate information in real time. It is no longer practical, or realistic, to mandate the use of a single common system to overcome the problems with information exchange across an Extended Enterprise. A different approach is required. The new approach must add value for all of the parties involved: Manufacturing companies are seeking to improve profits, quality and competitiveness by offering life cycle support of their products. Users of products want improved availability, reliability, and maintainability, and lower ownership costs. Users of information systems want more open platforms to reduce IT costs and ensure the longevity of essential information assets. Imagine a business where: Configuration information management was always accurate, up-to-date, and immediately accessible. Maintenance information was precisely tailored to the work to be done. Spares and inventory costs were minimized through vendor involvement in an integrated supply chain. In-service feedback was accurate, meaningful and readily available to product designers and support managers. Change was easy to manage. Benefits PLCS offers a unique value proposition: PLCS bridges the gap between product design, manufacturing, and support, linking product design data with individual products, maintenance tasks, states and resources; providing a holistic view of product data from conception to disposal. PLCS facilitates the exchange of information and the integration of diverse systems across life cycle phases and organizational boundaries. PLCS standardizes the semantics for product support. It is generic enough to cover many product domains, yet may be specialized and tailored for the specific business needs at hand. PLCS does not call for drastic system changes. Implementation can be incremental, drawing existing systems, element by element, into the PLCS environment. PLCS offers data independence from processes, IT systems, and even data formats. This significantly reduces the setup time for the extended/virtual enterprise. 4

6 Scope and Content of the Standard A coherent information environment in which the necessary data are available to all participating actors is a pre-requisite for efficient product support. The knowledge and experience of the PLCS Inc. sponsors, who include asset owners, prime contractors, and major software vendors, ensure that the life cycle support concepts which lie at the heart of the PLCS standard are relevant and applicable. PLCS can be thought of as a new world map for product support. Like any new map, PLCS contains much that is familiar a maintenance task is still a maintenance task and many new discoveries. Some new and important areas include: Definitions for the activities addressed by PLCS. The removal of ambiguity in the meaning of terms at both business and data level (e.g. the distinction between a type of product, and an actual product). Illustrations of how support activities may be integrated and harmonized to maximize re-use of information over time and to enable continual improvement in support performance based on feedback from in-service experience. Illustrations of the critical role that information management plays in optimizing product life cycle support. The three central concepts in PLCS are: product, activity, and resource. Each of these may be associated with properties, states, or locations. Conditions may be applied to relationships between these concepts. Many entities, attributes, and relationships can also be qualified by applying: Classification, including an option to use class definitions stored in external class libraries as reference data. Characterization, which enables users to hold information as to who defined a particular value and under what circumstances. Justification, which enables users to record information justifying a value or relationship. Justifications may themselves be classified and characterized. Central concepts in PLCS PLCS has two main components: An activity model, comprising a coherent set of processes which support continuous optimization over the full product life cycle - from productrequirements to product-disposal. An information model, specifying an information environment for the integration and exchange of the data that are required by the processes described in the activity model. 5

7 The PLCS activity model shows how product support activities may be updated and integrated throughout the product life-cycle. It presents a new vision for managing product support information, over time, and for providing support personnel with a single authoritative information resource. The activity model, although not a mandatory element of the standard, provides an excellent basis for defining processes and responsibilities in collaborative projects and within organizations. The PLCS information model (see Figure 1) covers: The identification and composition of a product design from a support viewpoint. The definition of documents and their applicability to products and support activities. The identification and composition of individual products. Configuration management activities over the complete life cycle. Activities required to sustain product function. The resources needed to perform such activities. The planning and scheduling of such activities. The capture of feedback on the performance of such activities, including the resources used. The capture of feedback on the usage and condition of a product. The definition of the support environment in terms of people, organizations, skills, experience, and facilities. Just like a map, PLCS can be used in different ways. It can be used to solve a local business problem by automating data exchange between two existing systems. It can also be used to support a major update of Integrated Logistic Support processes across an entire organization. Not surprisingly, the activity and information elements within PLCS are intimately linked. It is, therefore, important to recognize - when planning the implementation of PLCS - that: Standardization of information is difficult without some standardization of process. Processes provide the context for data. PLCS assumes and encourages an integrated PLCS your product data world map approach to product life cycle management, and is likely to prompt, and often require, significant changes to current working practice and to current IT system capabilities for processes such as Fault Analysis, LSA, CM, Technical Documentation, Provisioning, Work Planning, Feedback Capture, and Information Management. PLCS implementation projects, by their very nature, cross organizational boundaries. Implementation projects will therefore be affected by, and may require changes to, contracts and any related standards that are used. Although individual PLCS implementation projects can and should be managed independently, most such projects will impact other local change initiatives and will rapidly generate issues for the organization as a whole. 6

8 Figure 1: Schematic representation of PLCS 7

9 Routes to Deployment Tactical and Strategic Implementation PLCS can be implemented at both tactical and strategic levels. Maximum return on investment in PLCS can be expected when: The product needing support is complex, with multiple design options. The support needs, and/or the support environment, are complex. The product design, and/or the support arrangements, are subject to frequent change. The product life cycle support activities involve many enterprises. Tactical exploitation comprises: Local implementations of PLCS, aimed at the automation of selected interfaces. Local implementations of collaborative environments in which an Assured set of Product and Support Information (APSI) can be created for life cycle participants. Local initiatives to exploit the PLCS Activity Model as part of other business improvement initiatives. Tactical exploitation projects should be standards based but not standards driven. Their goal should be to use PLCS in whatever way is helpful to solve real, local, business problems quickly. To maximize the potential for success, pilot projects should be of limited scope and scale. Each project should be based on a credible local business case. The benefits of a tactical exploitation project should be considered independently from the benefits of wider corporate adoption of PLCS. Strategic exploitation involves a broader action plan to develop and implement PLCS across and beyond an organization s boundary. This may include: Information policy development and compliance testing mechanisms A range of early implementation projects, to build knowledge and skills. Use of the PLCS Activity model to refine the organization s own processes. Development of improved guidance, and standard clauses, to encourage the use of PLCS in future contracts. A review policy and training programmes for the support and aftermarket domains. Participation in the OASIS PLCS Technical Committee, to contribute to, and benefit from, international PLCS exploitation. 8

10 Deployment Methodology Applying the Generic Model The information model in PLCS is, by intent, a generic model designed to be extended and tailored in support of the widest possible set of product requirements. PLCS is intended for use in many different business domains. Extensibility is provided by the use of reference data, which are used to apply classifications and thereby specialize the generic information model. The concept of activity, could, for example, be specialized by distinguishing support activities from operational activities. Support activity and operational activity would then be two classes of reference data, applicable to the generic concept activity. Core reference data corresponding to generic concepts are defined by PLCS itself. Other reference data may be defined locally, for a specific data exchange requirement, or at any level of organization, depending on the target scope of the expected exchange community. When implementing PLCS in a specific domain, additional guidance must be provided to refine the generic model. This may include the specification of: The parts of the PLCS information model (entities, attributes, and relationships) applicable to the domain of interest. The interpretation of the generic PLCS information model in the context of the domain of interest. Reference data to be used by the domain, including any re-use of existing reference data defined by external authorities - such as the OAGIS PLCS Technical Committee. Any local business rules, for example on the extent to which exchange files shall be populated to form a valid data set (i.e. mandatory fields). This approach creates both an opportunity, and a requirement, for ongoing standarddization activities at various levels in the PLCS implementation community. Individual implementers may define their own rules. Alternatively the work may be done by a business unit, a group of partners in a programme, a nation, or an international body. It all depends on the scope of community over which consistent information is required. PLCS DEXs, Usage Guidance and Reference Data The primary resources for implementers are the Data Exchange Specifications, or DEXs. A DEX provides a specification of, and usage guidance for, a specific business purpose, e.g. product structures for support, or aviation maintenance. DEXs can be also used to contract for information, and software applications may declare conformance with a particular DEX or set of DEXs, thus ensuring interoperability. The first step in implementing PLCS for a given exchange requirement, is to discover whether an existing DEX meets that requirement. It is then necessary to determine whether that DEX needs to be adapted to suit the local business context. Experience shows that some local tailoring will almost always be required in order to reflect the precise nature of the information to be exchanged, any local business rules, and any elements of reference data which are specific to the local context. 9

11 To minimize unnecessary divergence in approach, the PLCS development community offers methods, tools, and guidance to assist local implementers to adapt existing DEXs or to develop their own. The architecture for implementation is illustrated in Figure 2 below: ISO PLCS (the formal standard) DEX Scope text text text text. Business context text text text text. Description text text text text text text text text text text text text. Definition template template template template reference to Template Definition PLCS entity PLCS entity Parameters Reference data class class class used from reference to Capability Scope text text text text text text text text. Business context text text text text. Description template text text text text. template text text text text. OASIS RDL Class (term+definition) Class (term+definition) Class (term+definition) Class (term+definition) Class (term+definition) Class (term+definition) Class (term+definition) Figure 2: DEX and RDL structure within PLCS The OASIS DEXs, developed to support common information exchange requirements identified by OASIS members, are built from templates. The templates consistently map atomic business concepts into the PLCS model. The templates are defined in the context of capabilities - which describe how core business concepts should be represented using the PLCS information model and associated reference data. Templates have been defined at granular level, to encourage maximum re-use. For example, the template representing_organization, is used to represent an organization, such as the manufacturer of a part. This template contains a mapping to the entities, attributes and relationships required to represent such an organization using the PLCS information model. The template also includes the OASIS reference data that are required in order to specify the type of identifier used for the organization (e.g. CAGE_code or Organization_name ) and to specify the organization s role in relation to a part (e.g. Owner_of ). Both of these classifications are mandatory, but many other uses of reference data described in templates are optional. The work of the OASIS is based on a number of pilot implementations of PLCS. It is providing a good foundation to further specialization within business domains, projects, and corporations, etc. The results of the OASIS PLCS work, DEXs, Capabilities, Templates, and a Reference Data Library (RDL) are available in the DEXlib repository (see 10

12 Deployment Technology Although PLCS does not enforce a particular implementation technology, some implementation routes have been adopted more widely than others. Data file formats Under OASIS, the DEXs are specified using XML (Extensible Markup Language, according to ISO , and the STEP file format using the EXPRESS language (ISO ). Programming support Within the STEP suite of standards, there are programming language bindings for C (ISO ), C++ (ISO ), and Java (ISO ). These enable implementers to work directly with the PLCS model when developing code. Use of a PLCS toolbox simplifies programming, and provides a high-level interface based on the DEX templates (building blocks of the DEXs). This use of a PLCS toolbox accelerates the development and deployment of import and export translators, greatly reduces errors and maximizes consistency of the mappings. A PLCS Toolbox is ideally suited for creating interfaces to legacy systems such as ERP and PDM, where it enables the smooth import and export of data in PLCS format. PLCS toolboxes for C++ and for the Java platform have been developed by Eurostep. A set of PLCS Web Services have been proposed to provide a standardized interface to multiple applications. These services have already been used in several projects as part of a Service Oriented Architecture. The PLCS Web Services Client Software Development Kit (SDK) from Eurostep provides an environment which facilitates the rapid development and deployment of PLM applications. It can be used to create customized applications to PLM systems, without any need for customization of the PLM system itself. Using the PLCS Web Services Client toolkit, a programmer can easily develop PLM applications (in Windows) which can access data from PLM, and other applications, using the PLCS Web Service API. Standardization, via the PLCS Web Services, reduces the number of APIs required, with subsequent savings in development and maintenance costs Middleware/repository Share-A-space is a server solution from Eurostep which manages product data across different IT systems and between organizations, and enables users to establish an extended, or virtual, enterprise quickly and effectively. Designed to deal with all phases in the product life cycle, from concept to disposal, Share-A-space is based on the international standards for product data management provided by STEP Application Protocols 214 and PLCS, and uses XML and Web Service interfaces. Share-A-space facilitates the efficient exchange and sharing of information between IT systems, departments, and companies in a controlled and secure fashion. By integrating and consolidating product data, and creating a context for those data, Share-A-space generates business intelligence and opens up new opportunities for collaboration. 11

13 Analysis and test software Software for graphical analysis and viewing of the content of a data file is useful, both in initial implementation stages or if something goes wrong in an exchange. In addition to analysis and viewing of data, the free Graphical Instance tool, downloadable from Eurostep, allows for creation of data sets according to PLCS and the DEX templates, and is useful for testing purposes. Deploying STEP standards A large number of organizations have already benefited from PLCS. Benefits were realized by some, even before the standard was published. The figure below shows the overall process of developing the STEP standard from initial requirements into production. Figure 3: STEP-standard development process Benefits are available at all stages of the deployment process: Communication is improved by harmonized terminology The use of pilots allows progressive resolution of system integration problems The efficient structuring of new data, as they are generated, encourages re-use and assists change management over the entire life time for which the data has value. Early adopters of PLCS made their first implementation on a small scale, building on a subset of the standard. They used specific datasets needed for particular business processes and thereby specified the first Data Exchange Specifications (DEXs). Each of these defines a subset of the PLCS Information Model and gives guidance on how to implement and use it. Today, there is a mix of PLCS implementations, prototype and pilots which constitutes a significant uptake of one of the most important global information standards ever defined. Examples of PLCS implementations are provided in the following sections. 12

14 Example: BAE Systems Hägglunds Scenario BAE Systems Hägglunds, based in Sweden, is a manufacturer of light-armoured combat vehicles. The offset deal accompanying the BAE System Hägglunds sale of combat vehicles to the Swiss Army in 1999, included requirements to cooperate with a number of Swiss manufacturers and suppliers. BAE Systems Hägglunds was also contracted to maintain the vehicles for four years after delivery. As a result, BAE Systems Hägglunds now has approximately 20 new partners in Switzerland, none of whom were partners beforehand and many of whom will only be a partner to BAE Systems Hägglunds on this specific contract. Each partner has their own business processes and product data management systems. To manage this complex and changing Extended Enterprise, and still control information safely, BAE Systems Hägglunds had to look for new solutions for the management of information, since the existing in-house software tools were not suited for external collaboration. The solution had to be able to support the configuration management of the design data and to manage the collection and subsequent analysis of data from manufacturing and inservice use. The new system would have to provide a cost-effective way of: Managing parts and product structures, drawings, and documentation Managing maintenance manuals and plans Managing individual product configurations, including individual documents Tracking changes and restrictions Providing accurate information to be used in maintenance follow-up According to BAE Systems Hägglunds, the cost of postdelivery, customer support operations are typically 6-8 times higher than the product design and manufacturing costs. In addition, 60-80% of postdelivery, customer support operation costs are a direct result of product design decisions. Different views of a product structure 13

15 Solution BAE Systems Hägglunds chose to use Share-A-space 4, the PLCS based collaborative software from Eurostep, for its information management. This decision enabled BAE Systems Hägglunds to achieve a comprehensive view of the information, capitalize upon its manufacturing and support partners in Switzerland, and provide product data to them in a timely and accurate manner. All partners, and the customer, now have a single point of access to information obtained from multiple sets of sources including PDM, CAD, ERP, and bespoke solutions. They all retrieve the latest updates, write work requests, and feed the area with maintenance follow-up information. BAE Systems Hägglunds evaluates and distributes the proposed changes to the parties concerned for comments or approvals. When approval has been granted, Share-A-space is updated with the new information. Information management solution at BAE Systems Hägglunds By providing the consolidated product information in a common shared environment that is protected by comprehensive access and user-rights controls, all partners have access to accurate information. This ensures that all manufacturing and support operations are based on correct data. Benefits The use of Share-A-space to manage information makes it possible to bring the complex set of information flows under control. The consolidation of design and in-service information increases the speed at which changes can be managed and implemented throughout the partnership, saving time and increasing quality. With the Share-A-space solution implemented, lead time for customer approval of engineering changes has been shortened from weeks to days. 4 For information on Share-A-space, see back cover page. 14

16 Example: Volvo Supplier Integration Scenario Engine development projects between Volvo Group companies and Deutz required communication of engine structures and documents. The cooperation involved a number of Volvo companies and different departments in Deutz. Each unit had its own way of managing the product structure, and used different information systems to handle the information to be shared. Communication between Volvo and Deutz was diversified, slow and inefficient. It was conducted using paper, telephone and fax. A solution was required that could simultaneously: Support integration and manage the shared information, based on three product structures from different systems design, sales and spare parts delivered at different times. Manage changes and consolidate data between systems. Create a single point of contact between organizations. Solution Approach The solution included the creation of a common area where all shared information is managed. Deutz is responsible for the accuracy of information made available in the common area (consolidated from various source systems). Volvo is responsible for extracting the required information from the common area when and where it is needed. The information to be shared was identified in Deutz s various systems. A Share-Aspace server was set up and configured to manage sthe shared information. Necessary integrations Information sharing solution between Volvo and Deutz were performed and the existing information was loaded into, and consolidated by, Share- A-space. Updates of this information are uploaded and consolidated on a daily basis. The use of PLCS was never a requirement, but Share-A-space, which is based on PLCS, was the solution that met the requirements in the system specification. Benefits Single source of information for shared data, accessed through a single interface Clear lines of responsibility Change control that ensures accurate information at all stages Access to information about supplier part numbers. Savings Reduction in the time taken to produce spare-part catalogues by more than 40% Errors in configuration information reduced by more than 90%. 15

17 Example: US Army Scenario The United States Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is responsible for providing full service life cycle engineering support for the Army s tactical and combat vehicles. One of its responsibilities is that of acting as the engineering support authority for many of the US Army s vehicles - a role which requires accurate and complete data from the vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). In the particular case of the Humvee, supplied by AM General, the transfer of product data has been a largely manual process feeding into TARDEC s Windchill PDM system. A solution was required that could Improve the quality of data received and eliminate manual re-entry. Bring out differences between as-built definition of the delivered vehicles and approved design. Better position the Army for the through-life management of the vehicles. Solution approach The pilot approach involved establishing a Share-A-space capability within TARDEC s demilitarized network zone to receive data from AM General electronically. Production data exported from SAP was mapped into PLCS and then imported into Share-A-space. Design data from TARDEC s Windchill system was also imported as a STEP Information consolidation at U.S. Army file. AM General also supply provisioning data in the form of Mil Std B. These data were also mapped to PLCS and consolidated with the two sets of design data in Share-A-space. A web-services client was provided as a plug-in to Windchill to enable users to browse the three consolidated data sets. This, for the first time, allowed comparisons between the as-designed data and the data used for manufacturing. Finally, serial numbered structures for over 400 vehicles were exported from AM General s SAP R/3 to PLCS and imported into Share-A-space. These structures were then used to display individual product configurations. Benefits Elimination of manual data entry leading to improved data quality. Access, for the first time, to the as-manufactured data. The facility to compare the approved design and as-manufactured design. Access, for the first time, to the serial number structures of delivered vehicles a key starting point for improved through-life support management. Savings Reduction in the time and effort required to take delivery of OEM data. Better management of provisioning data leading to reduced spare part costs Plug in into Windchill 1. Load AM General design data 2. Load TARDEC Windchill data 3. Load AM General powerlog J (1388 2B) data 4. Consolidated product data review with plug in 5. Load Vehicle instance data and view in Share A space SAP R/3 Windchill Windchill PDMLink PDMLink

18 PLCS the Next Five Years The standard PLCS is a stable International Standard which is being implemented on a worldwide basis. Apart from a few, very minor, technical additions, no business requirements for change are anticipated in the next five years. So far, a base set of common templates supporting most common processes for the support domain has been published by the OASIS/PLCS TC, along with the Aviation Maintenance and Task set DEXs. These products have been tested in several projects and found to be stable and reliable. The material provided by OASIS is expected to grow significantly over the next 5 years and to provide support for new business activities whilst protecting the substantial investment of the early implementation community. There is, however, no reason for any organization to postpone implementation of PLCS because of this. It can be implemented as-is. The usage PLCS is already used in the automotive, aerospace, and telecom industries, and usage is increasing continuously. Deployment of PLCS is also increasing in the defence sector, where both government and industry participants are establishing policy requirements and several new full scale implementations are being launched. More and more nations are becoming involved. Implementation of the PLCS vision involves more than just the IT. The widespread availability, of reliable and timely information, changes what is possible and sanctions a new business mindset. Within five years, implementations are expected in most western military organizations, with increasing deployment in many different commercial domains throughout the industrialized world. Vendor support The take up of new product data standards by the application vendor community is driven by market pressures. For example, when STEP was first launched in the CAD domain it took 10 years before it became the norm across the CAD vendor community. It is now difficult to find a CAD system without STEP capability. The development of integration software and tools for handling PLCS has been even more rapid. The need is not so much for PLCS adoption within existing PLM applications, but rather for an improved capability to integrate across the many different types of systems that handle product data. With generic web service support, and other forms of intelligent programming interfaces, it is possible to achieve PLCS integration easily using an external integrator such as Share-A-space. 17

19 Lessons Learned The lessons learned from implementation of PLCS can be summarized as follows. Major benefits can be realized by gaining better control of product and support data. Many companies are not in control of the information they generate and use. They are, therefore, unable to populate data exchange files with meaningful and reliable content. The main reason for this is the lack of internal process discipline. The initial impact of PLCS implementation is typically that of driving up the quality of internal data to the point where they are worth exporting. Do not outsmart yourself. Tactical/local implementation within an organization must precede strategic/international efforts. All meaning is negotiated. PLCS has exposed many important, but subtle, distinctions of meaning which were previously ignored and which often undermined major IT development programmes. Do not be discouraged when you find inconsistencies between applications currently in use, such as missing or conflicting data, or inconsistencies in definitions. This is low hanging fruit. Finding it and fixing it is a worthwhile activity. Greatly improved data quality is a typical early by-product of PLCS implementation projects. Real life tests and trials are crucial. The scope, range, and types of data that PLCS addresses are very complex and should not be underestimated. It is also important not to underestimate the size of the community of exchange, and hence the need for wider consultation (e.g. single project use, versus UK MoD wide, versus NATO). Collaboration and openness are key words. Publish your adaptation of PLCS in DEXlib, under your own business context, to solicit review and feedback. Do not wait for the next version of the standard, it is ready for use now. PLCS has already been implemented by many organizations, and proven its value by providing significant early benefits for the organizations that have used it. Analyse and structure your data today. Do your best for the first small-scale implementations. Use your experience from these in the follow-on, wider-scale implementations. PLCS provides simplicity, clarity and discipline to an IT environment in terms of information management. 18

20 Bibliography Articles Standards-based PLM: Re-engineering the Aftermarket with PLCS, Part 1 Business Benefits, John Stark, 2007 Short Introduction to Components of PLCS, OASIS White Paper, 2007 Web sites provides access to the PLCS standard and related technologies, including OASIS based work with DEXs and Reference Data (DEXlib) provides information about the OASIS PLCS Technical Committee and mailing lists Industrial Data standardization Engineering Exchange For Free, model & implementation support 19

21 Abbreviations, Terms and Definitions AP AP239 DEX DEXlib OASIS OWL PLCS Application Protocol the implementable component of ISO STEP which specifies an information model to support a specific business domain. The ISO STEP Application Protocol (ISO ) for Product Life Cycle Support. It is the major output from the PLCS, Inc. 4 year programme. Data Exchange Specification a subset of the ISO PLCS information model, selected to support data exchange for specific activities, providing guidance and rules for how to use and combine the entities and external Reference Data in that exchange. DEXlib is the XML environment used for developing and storing the PLCS OASIS DEXs. Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards ( Web Ontology Language A W3C recommendation for defining Ontologies (Class structures) Product Life Cycle Support The name of ISO and of the initiative to develop that standard. RDL Reference Data Library a computer accessible library holding reference data. Reference Data Information (such as standardized terminology, classifications, values, etc.) that is referred to by more than one application in an enterprise or project. Reference data ensure that common terminology and classifications are used by all the applications this is particularly important in data exchange so that receiving systems can understand the data that they are sent. SOA STEP W3C Service Oriented Architecture - an architecture that relies on serviceorientation as its fundamental design principle. [ ISO The Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data. A family of international standards for product data exchange. World Wide Web Consortium ( The standards body for the web. 20

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23 PLCS products and services provided by Eurostep PLCS-related software o Share-A-space Product Suite Share-A-space Server Share-A-space Business Adaptors Share-A-space Development Tools o PLCS Toolboxes (for the Java platform and C++) o PLCS Web Services Client Software Development Kit for C# o Free tools: Graphical Instance (create or analyse data files) Graphical Express (Express modelling in Microsoft Visio) EEP (Eurostep EXPRESS Parser) Consultancy services to help in all parts of an organization s PLCS projects, including strategic planning, tactical implementation, participation in standardization work, and implementation of systems and integrations. Public training courses o A 1-day PLCS Executive Overview, especially recommended for project and business managers, and product support engineers. It gives the background to PLCS, explaining the concept, and providing an overview of the information covered by the standard. The training addresses business drivers behind AP239, ways in which PLCS can be used to make processes more efficient, and development of a business roadmap for exploiting PLCS. o A 3-day PLCS Technical Walk-Through, recommended for IT managers, system architects and developers, as well as software engineers who may be responsible for implementing translator or web services. The training provides an in-depth technical description of the information model and guidance for its implementtation. Participants are prepared for implementing and exploiting PLCS. o A DEX & RDL course intended for those who know about the PLCS standard and wish to get a deeper understanding of how to make the exchange work, and how to prepare for data exchange using PLCS. The training focuses on DEX and RDL, and leads to an in-depth understanding of the way DEX and RDL interact with the PLCS model, and of how they are intended to be used. The course includes up-to-date information about recent and ongoing development work. Share-A-space is a trademark belonging to Eurostep. 22

24 Contact: Eurostep John Stark Cadcamation Route de Chancy Onex Switzerland