SUPPORTING NETWORKED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WITH BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS INTEGRATION - Recognizing a New Phase in the Integration Implementation

Abstract

Networked product development is becoming an important topic for many industrial companies due to the need to improve the performance of product development processes. In product development, product data management (PDM) systems are typically used to store and manage the information related to the developed products and thus business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce in this context requires integration of heterogeneous PDM systems located in different companies. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of B2B integrations (B2Bi) that enable e-commerce in the context of networked product development. The basis for this paper is a set of semi-structured interviews conducted among the representatives of PDM and B2Bi personnel in three companies, and the experiences gained on constructing a laboratory prototype of PDM systems integration using the RosettaNet standard. We argue that there is a unique phase in the B2Bi implementation process in the context of networked product development that we call project-level integration. This phase arises from the project-oriented nature of product development, and recognizing it seems important for the successful implementation of B2Bi in the context of networked product development.