An introduction to the concepts, benefits and terminology of product data management

Product data management (PDM) systems help to keep track of the masses of information needed to design, manufacture or build products and then to maintain them. They can be applied to a wide range of products and industries and across the whole spectrum of organizational functions. Benefits extend far beyond engineering design to include cost savings in manufacturing, reduced time to market and increased product quality. Defines and describes the type of features and functions that should be found in a PDM system and addresses the following: data vault and document management; workflow and process management; product structure management; classification; project management; communication and notification; data transport and translation; image services; system administration; and PDM environments.