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Product Data Management – what is it?

Product Data Management (PDM) usually means the PIM Software-based storage of data that come from product development. As a rule, these data include information that defines and presents the product. The product development data may consist of data records (of a database system) or documents coming from development systems. In addition to the data generated during development, Product Data Management systems also store information from later stages of a product life cycle, such as information from the production or logistics.

 

Produktdatenmanagement

Diagram: Product Data Management (PDM) system in conjunction with other systems.

In most cases, Product Data Management in companies is based on a product model that has been developed for a specific industry or a single business. If not manually gathered, data for Product Data Management are acquired from the following upstream systems:
 

  • CAD (Computer-Aided Design) systems
  • These systems provide dimensions, components and material forms that are automatically or semi- automatically imported into the Product Data Management system.
  • PPC (Production Planning and Control)) systems
  • PPC provides data from the production area, such as data on raw materials etc., to Product Data Management.
  • ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems
  • ERP provides business information such as, for example, prices, packaging units and similar.
  • DAM (Document Asset Management) systems
  • DAM supplies Product Data Management with multimedia information, such as image data and videos.
  • Knowledge management systems
  • Provide internal information on the market situation, development, production processes and sales.
  • Other database systems


The foregoing reveals that Product Data Management is trying to generate a comprehensive picture of a product and its characteristics during the first phases of its lifecycle – aiming to provide information subsets for all downstream activities. Potential target systems include:
 

  • PIM (Product Information Management)
  • CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
  • Project Management Systems
  • CMS (Content Management Systems)

 
Besides Product Data Management (PDM) another concept – Product Information Management (PIM) – has developed over the last years; the aim of this concept is to make product information available for marketing and sales activities. A PIM-System is used as a downstream system in this context.

 

>>> Goto Alterra Product Information Management (PIM)

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D-40219 Düsseldorf  - Germany

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E-Mail: info@sepia.de

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