Distributed management and interchange of information in virtual engineering enterprises using the systemic methodology PSM

Abstract

Due to the massive change of information in the engineering area companies, they are forced to corporate with each other and built virtual engineering enterprises. Our attention is focused on how the companies would like to access the various information in these virtual enterprises. The product quality and manufacturing excellence are no longer enough to compete and dominate in world engineering. The major challenges concerning information management in the engineering sectors can be characterized as follows: With the adoption of new technologies, materials and production processes, the overall volume and diversity of engineering information is increasing rapidly. The complexity of engineering information, product processes, and products is constantly increasing. Moreover, the processes may involve several companies in continuous exchange of various kinds of data (CAD models, specifications, documents). A significant obstacle blocks the emergence and effective use of engineering information and services in a virtual enterprise and that is the inefficient, imprecise and unsecured access to information such as product/component specifications, data sheets, CAD models, documentation and company profiles, or services such as simulation or calculation programs. In this paper the systemic methodology PSM is used to design and describe the Global Engineering Network — GEN — that was created by a group of European enterprises and organizations in order to structure the system for distributed management and interchange of information. Starting from requirements for information management in virtual engineering enterprises we analyze and model the functions of the Global Engineering Network.

Пερίληψη

Σε απαίτηση της τεράσ τιας αλλαγής πληρоϕо ριώυ πоν σνυτελείται στо χώρо της μηχαυική ς, оι επιχειρήσεις ωθоύ υται πρоς τη σνυεργασ ία με άλλоνς оργαυισμ оύς, оπότε δημιоνργоύ υται εικоυικές εταιρίες μ ηχαυικής. Η πρоσоχή μα ς εστιάξεται στоυ τρό πо με τоυ оπоίо επιθνμ оύυ оι επιχειρήσεις υ α έχоνυ πρόσßαση στις πληρоϕоρίες της εικо υικής εταιρίας. Στηυ παρоύσα εργασία η Σνστημική Μεθоδоλо γία PSM (Problem Structuring Methodology) εϕαρμόξεται στо Пαγ κόσμιо Δίκτνо Μηχαυι κής (GEN - Global Engineering Networking), τо оπоίо δημιоνργήθ ηκε από έυαυ όμιλо ενρ ωπαϊκώυ επιχειρήσεω υ και оργαυισμώυ με σκ оπό τη δόμηση τоν σνστ ήματоς για τηυ καταυε μημέυη διαχείριση κα ι διακίυηση τωυ πληρо ϕоριώυ. Ξεκιυώυτας απ ό τις απαιτήσεις πоν έ χει η διαχείριση πληρ оϕоριώυ στις εικоυικές εταιρ ίες μηχαυικής, αυαλύоνμε και μоυτελоπоιоύμε τ ις λειτоνργίες τоν Пαγκόσμιоν Δικτύ оν Μηχαυικής.