The first step is to identify the appropriate location of your product master data, clean it up, and ensure it isn’t duplicated across multiple systems. For companies that do their own engineering, this master data should reside in PLM. For instance, compared to PLM an ERP system has limited capability to facilitate change management within the full scope of requirements and affected items and automatically propagate changes to derivative material like process plans or work instructions.

By establishing strong digital foundations for PLM and ERP, product development outcomes are automatically transferred to downstream systems. The goal is to ensure the right people are working in the right systems without having to switch or duplicate efforts.

All stakeholders involved in the product lifecycle need access to relevant product information based on their roles, rather than relying on colleagues to provide it. For instance, manufacturing and process planners, plant and tool designers, production managers, and workers need access to up-to-date engineering data. Similarly, design engineers need real-time feedback from the manufacturing team.

With interconnected systems, it's essential to define the boundaries of each system—clarifying where one system's responsibilities end and another's begin. But boundaries of responsibility should not be confused with boundaries of information, the latter leads to siloed systems. Open, integrated systems with clear functional boundaries allow users to gain insights from data that support coordinated decision-making and automate process synchronization in both product development and production.

Once the data is assigned, systems are integrated, and processes are optimized, this unlocks numerous possibilities, such as:

• Democratizing product data through out-of-the-box apps or user-defined low-code apps, enabling real-time collaboration from production managers to workers.
• Linking production operations to product development by reporting issues or deviations from standards via terminals in the production area.
• Connecting work cell use cases to provide a seamless experience for workers, capturing execution data through access to control features, smart tools, and machines.
• Delivering visual and digital work instructions tailored to each employee’s skill level.
• Designing production processes with better coordination between production and factory layout, enhancing efficiency.