Assembly

a Multi-component Part that is put together such that it is ready for its intended main use.

Bill of Material, BoM

a somewhat antiquated designation for the presentation of the Product Structure. It is more or less assumed that the Product Structure itself is the BoM or vice versa. However, the expression is well drilled into our heads and is hard to change, so we reluctantly accept the expression. See PV-Spec.

Blank

a Part which is produced only for the purpose of being further processed.

Commodity

a tangible Product, Part, Assembly, Kit etc. NOTE: Tangible in this context covers physical objects, software, data etc.

Collaborative Product Data Management (cPDm)

a different name for Product Data Management (PDM) assuming that people and applications can understand and work with each other.

Document

a structured, "read only" collection of information which has been created and issued under a Document ID.

Document ID

a concatenated identity which may consist of: Document Type, Document Sub Type, Document Number, Document Issue. Deviations from this rule may occur.

Document Issue

a consecutive number: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. Even the first issue of a Document will have a Document Issue (not to be confused with revision!)

Document Status

a classification used to differentiate between a Document under work and various stages towards a an established and released Document.

Document Sub-type

a sub-classification of Document Type indicating the type of information (text, picture, sound, table etc.).

Document Type

a classification by what the Document describes (part, variant, module, tool, soft ware etc.).

Document Validity

pertains to the approval for a certain usage (s) of the Document. This is a function which may be used to support Concurrent Engineering. See also Part Validity.

Engineering Approved Source, EAS

a purchasing reservation pertains to a Part ID and describes certain restrictions specified by the Engineering Dept. regarding the sourcing of the Part: Certain vendor or certain properties from a certain vendor.

Engineering Change Notice, ECN or Engineering Release Notice, ERN

a collection of information about changes to Part Versions, part-descriptive Documents, Product Structure, Variants etc. which has been referred to the ECN/ERN. Directly updated against the ECN/ERN is issuer, reason for change, account, degree of urgency, effectivity information etc.

ERM, Enterprise Resource Management

Very often confused with MRP. A very sphisticated word significating anything or nothing: Sales people talk.

Engineering Data Management, EDM

a different name for Product Data Management (PDM)

Function Class or Function Group

a classification of the different functions within the various Products of the Company. Every part in a Product shall belong to one Function Group (or class) depending on the function it is used for. Some parts are used in several places in the Product and may at each place have a different Function Group appurtenance.

Embedded software, ESW

Common designation for the electronics (S/W) embedded in the Products.

Exclusion Rules

a Variant Control describing which Variants must be excluded subject to a certain Engineering Rule and scope: "If you select this Variant you may not select that (and that) Variant".

General Description

a Document intended for general understanding of a concept

Geometric Model

a geometric representation of a part or a tool which is described in mathematical terms in a data base. A Geometric Model may be of different types of representation, like wire frame, surface or volumetric models of different kinds. The Geometric Model identity is the same as for any other Part-descriptive document as long as the object described has a Part ID (the most frequent case). The term may also be used for physical models.

Geometric Structure

a description of how different Parts Geometric Models belong to a superior coordinate system (position and orientation). The Geometric Structure will have the same number of levels as the number of levels of Coordination Systems the different Product Types require. The Geometric Structure will have the ability to instantiate each individual part in any Structure Record even when the quantity 1 or the U/M for the Part is ST ("single thing")through applied logic

Identifier Origin

the organization that created the part identifier

Illustration Specification

a Bill of Material which pertains to a certain Exploded View Illustration or an Installation Drawing as one of several views of the Product Structure.

Inclusion Rules

a Variant Control describing which Variants must be included subject to a certain Engineering Rule and scope: "If you select this Variant you will also have to select that (and that) Variant".

Installation Drawing

a drawing which describe how a selected variety of parts (by variant(s), function or assembly sequence) are related to each other in the product.

Item

an object which uses an identification mechanism according to the Company Standard. Items are subdivided in Parts and Documents

Item identifier

an identifier consisting of an Identifier Origin, an Item Number and a Version according to the Company Standard.

Item number

a sequential (consecutive) non-significant number which should be unique within the Enterprise or a Company within the Enterprise.

Kit

a Multi-component Parts that is put together for temporary use
NOTE: Temporary use include, e.g., storage and transportation.

Life Cycle

a description of something from it's "birth" until it's end or "death". In PDM this normally pertains to a Product or a Variant or a Part. The Life cycle may pertain to the description of the Nominal Product or the Nominal Part but it may also pertain to a set of completely different life cycles: the Product Instance or the Part Instance.

Life Cycle Management, LCM

the ability of PDM applications and the pertaining Processes to handle all vital information related to the life history of a Product (Nominal Product or Product Instance) or a Variant or a Part etc.

Loan to

a reference to another Domain which is using a Part from "my" Domain to ensure information to the borrowing Domain about possible engineering changes or aborted manufacturing etc. of the Part.

Made from

a Part Relationship indicating a Part "consumed" while manufacturing another Part.

Material

constituting a kind of Part such as blanks, bulk parts or stock shapes.

Model

a set of Variants that seems logical to combine, often a Nominal Product that have many properties in common such as size, performance or attraction (vanity values).

Module

a pre-assembled or a designed unit which does not coincide with a Product, Variant, Variant Combination, Equipment or Accessory and for which there is a need for follow-up through change management, logistically or otherwise. Very often a Module exist in a plethora of Variants where it is inutile to assign Part Numbers to possible compositions of the Module. The complete, pre-assembled Instrument panel as it is assembled into a car may be a good example.

Module ID

a Module is denominated by a (generic) Part ID or by a separate Module ID. It should also be specified by the Variants used.

Module Specification

a sub-set of Parts Specification documented per chosen Module. Module Specification should be handled as a View of the Product Structure.
NB! It is not required to specify the entire Product by Module Specifications.

Multi-component Part

a Part which consists of two or more Parts such as Assembly, Kit and Module etc.

Nominal Product

a description of a Product with all Varieties/Options that are foreseen in the PDM databases. Some of the Options may be impossible to combine with some other Options in practical Customer Orders and in Manufacturing.

Original Domain ID

a unique key denoting an Original Domain

Part

a term used to describe the constituent Parts which makes up a Product Commodity or is transformed in the manufacturing of the Product Commodity.

Part Commodity

a Commodity seen as a Part and identified by an Item Identifier

Part Designation

the combination of Part Name and dimensions/properties

Part Document (PD)

describes certain properties of one or several Parts in one or several Part Versions. See also Document Identity

Part Drawing

used as a denomination of a 2:D drawing with regular views and sections. The Drawing Identity should be handled in the same way as for any other Part Version Document.

Part

a representation the parts that constitutes an Assembly, Kit, Module or Product.

Part Name

a Name representing a certain type of Part.
An approved noun (name) which pertains to an appropriate terminology for a group of a Parts with within the same Part Class and, normally, with translations to a variety of languages.

Part Precedence

a Part Relationship indicating a superseded Part.
NOTE: Like a Part Version replacing an older version. There may be several types of precedence.

Part Validity

a validity given to a Part Version with respect to its approved use. Examples: Approved for Prototyping, for Tool design, for Tool acquisition, for serial productions. See also Document Validity.

Part Version

a Part which is an evolution of the Form, Fit and Function (FFF) of a preceding Part, sharing at least the item identifier.

Part Versions Document, PVD

Documents related to and describing a Part Version.

Part Version ID

an identification of a unique version of a Part. Part Version ID is part of the complete Part ID.
The representation a physical Part will always be a Part Version with the pertaining Part Version ID.

Parts Structure

a tree structure where Parts consist of other Parts.

Parts Structure Link, PSL

a Part Relationship from a Multi-component Part to a constituent Part

PDM

Product Data Management

Person

is denominated by the Access Control application as a User ID or equivalent code recorded in the User DB. Attributes to Person are Name, Department and Phone Number.

PLM, Product Life Cycle Management.

The processes needed to effectively manage PDM including the actual PDM functionalities.

Principal Variant Specification or PV-Spec

a presentation of a functional portion of the Product Structure.

Product

something intended for delivery to customer from the Company: End Product. It may be a Component Product like an engine, transmission or a rear axle on a car.
The Product may be physical (tangible) Product Commodity or a Service (intangible).

Product Class or Product Group

a Products pertaining to a Class in a classification hierarchy and a Group of Products with the same characteristics and usage.

Product Commodity

a Commodity or tangible Product identified and defined by a Product Commodity Identifier

Product ID

the identity of a Product Commodity may be:

• a Part Number or
• a complete Product String or
• a Part Number supplemented with Variants or
• a Product Code

Product Information Management, PIM

another, little newer, name for PDM.

Product Instance

a single instance of a manufactured Product or a specification of such a Product. The documentation of Product Iinstances are normally captured and stored i a Product Instance Database in order to follow up the Life Cycle of individual Product Instances from finished manufacturing until recycled.

Product String

a complete set of Variants: one Variant from each (authorized) Variant Family needed to identify a Product Commodity. Variant Symbols are used to present a Product String. Product Structure the combination of Variants Structure and Parts Structure.

Product Structure

a description of the relations between the information objects used for one or several Product identities with all their Variants/Options Identities and their constituent parts in as many levels of assemblies and sub-assemblies as is necessary.

Product Structure Record, PSR

a unique connection between Variants Structure and a Part in a Parts Structure.

Product Type

a sub-grouping of Variants in a Product Class

Service Product

an intangible Product.
NOTE: Intangible in this context covers warranties, guarantees, financial arrangements etc.

Single Part

a Part that does not consist of other Parts

Superseded

a Part which has been entirely replaced another (superseding) Part anywhere. The supreseded Part may not be reused in new or changed Products.

System Classification

a classification of Systems and sub-systems used in the Products. Examples may be the Electrical System, the Hydraulic System or the Pneumatic System of a machine. A System Classification will never cover the entire Product.

System Specification

a kind of Product Specification which is sub-divided by System Class. Systems Specification is one of several Views of the Product Structure but will not specify the entire Product

Variant (Option)

is identified by a combination of Variant Family ID and Variant Number within the Variant Family. Option is a designation used quite frequently with the same meaning as Variant, especially in Marketing, SP and PR. In the Documentation within PDM and Engineering it is safer to use the expression Variant: it has a more distinct definition and use.

Variant Combination

a set of (one), two or more Variants. Variant Combinations are used as part of Product Structure Records.

Variant Control (in a Configurator)

a restriction or inclusion rule used for validation/expansion of a Variant Combination, Product String or Variant String

Variant Description

a full explanation of the Variant Symbol. (text, image, sound)

Variant Family

a set of Variants with different values where they are mutually exclusive for any chosen Product Instance.

Variant Family ID

an identity for a Variant Family within a Product Class.

Variant Family Properties

a collection of specific properties of a Variant Family

Variant Family Title

a short description of a Variant Family

Variant ID

a sequential number within a Variant Family.

Variant Inclusion (in a Configurator)

describes an Inclusion Relationship and the resulting included Variants.

Variant (or Option) Package

a package of Variant consisting of a set of other Variants: "Comfort Package", "High Performance Package" etc. Product Type may in certain cases be regarded as a Variant Package.

Variant Properties

a collection of specific properties of a Variant.

Variant Restriction (in a Configurator)

describes an Exclusion Relationship and the resulting excluded Variants.

Variant Structure

a tree structure of Variants with conditional branches.

Variant Symbol

mnemonic code for a Variant