Prerequisites for the implementation of a product data and process management tool in SME

Abstract

The overall goal of this research is to support the emergence and the development of innovation in SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). This work is mainly focused on the organisational aspects of SMEs involved in networks composed of large companies, subcontractors and other industrial partners. The problems, that arise in this context, of organisation, project management and relationships between suppliers, customers, and subcontractors are addressed in this paper. This research focuses on the prerequisites for the development of an 'extended PLM' (Product Life Management) tool to support the organisational structure, document management, project management and collaboration between designers. However, in the context of an SME, the introduction of such a tool makes it necessary to study and formalise different rules concerning the main development processes. Here, the main objective is to formalise these complex processes whilst still maintaining flexibility in order to promote the emergence of continuous innovation. Thus the objective of this paper is to define the preliminary tasks and conditions required to implement such a tool within this constraint. Our study examines aspects of organisation, document management, project management process, collaboration, and tools to support the new organisational structure. After a section on the state of art, we will present the case study of an SME and the prerequisites found in preparing the company to implement a new product data and process management tool. A discussion is then proposed concerning the problems that can arise in this situation of preliminary work and some conclusions about its applicability to other SMEs and PDM (Product Data Management) implementation are drawn.

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