A PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is a strategic concept to develop, manage and keep control of industrial products over their entire lifecycle. The concept comprises IT-systems as well as methods, business processes and organizational structures. The most essential component of PLM concepts are Product Data Management (PDM) systems, that administrate all the data from initial ideas, drafts and drawings to information on the manufacture and maintenance on a central storage platform. Compared to document management systems, PDM systems provide part-oriented functions required for linking components, corresponding 3D models and drawings as well as any other related documents in a clearly arranged pattern. In addition, they also provide a convenient instrument for transferring and incorporating data from Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems into the central storage platform. Combined with cleverly devised access rights management and an integrated workflow engine, PDM systems appear to be a good information management solution in civil engineering projects. These systems are designed to serve in-house information management procedures in the mechanical engineering industry, however, they have not been used for civil engineering projects so far. The present paper describes both the concept and the customization of a PDM system to manage data arising in civil engineerin