At the heart of a true Model Based Enterprise (MBE) is Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).  While PLM has been given many definitions and refers to both a tool and a process, the process is most relevant here.  It is the process of managing an item and its associated data from concept through design, production and sustainment.  This process is one of the key enablers of reuse of the data by all its users throughout its life.

As a tool, Product Lifecycle Management is one of many tools that not only maintains configuration management of the product data, but also all of its product structure.  Product structure in its simplest form is nothing more than the CAD Model or Design Document placed in a tree like flow where the branches represent all of the other Models/Documents that have a relationship to it.  For example, an assembly and all of its components or a part and its related analysis, each of these represent part of the product structure of a larger system.  A PLM would then allow users with the appropriate credentials secure access to the pieces of that structure they need to do their job.

One of the difficulties with use of a Product Lifecycle Management in a government acquisition is the transfer of the Technical Data Package (TDP) from an OEM who designed the piece to a government customer.  The traditional methods simply do not allow for the intelligent delivery of the Product Structure and all of its relationships.  To this end, both parties must come to a clear agreement on what is required for delivery.  The government’s primary tool for defining this is MIL-STD-31000A.  This standard allows each program office to clearly define what they need in a TDP and what formats it should be delivered in.

If a 3D TDP requiring the delivery of model data is selected, MIL-STD-31000A also provides extensive guidance on how to organize the annotated models.  It also suggests various file types to be included from a generic sense.  Finally, it provides guidance on how to verify the quality of the data being received but, it must be noted that all of this is at the discretion of the program office responsible for the contract.

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