Concept

Introduction and history

The IPM® approach has been developed from the design and engineering process as performed by Aeritalia in Turin in 1989 for the development of the systems for the European Fighter Aircraft (EFA). Additionally knowledge has been used of the design and engineering processes for the aircraft engines of Rolls Royce in the early 90's as well as design principles used by Boeing. Also the approach has been further developed for the extended enterprise. Internet technology was the major contributor that made this possible.

IPM stands for Integral Product Model. This is a digital representation of the product in the computer. It is one single, well managed, source of information and contains all information needed for design, engineering, manufacturing and maintaining the product. All engineers involved are working in this one digital model, independent of time and location.

'IPM approach'® stands for the whole combination of creation, control, work methods and organisation around the use of the Integral Product Model.

The impact of the IPM approach on organisations appears to be very large. So it is impossible to be implemented in one single run. AEGOR-ProductdataBank B.V. proposes IPM as the final picture and distinguishes four separate and essential steps to reach this final stage.

These four steps are:

1. Document management;
2. Workflow management;
3. Product structure - and configuration management;
4. Management via Integral Product Model (IPM approach).

The steps 1. and 2. are relative simple to implement in an organisation and will deliver immediate results. The steps 3. and 4. are much more complex and will require more guidance and more time to implement. However the potential result in respect to time and money is much larger as well.

Document Management service

All documents from all types, existing as digital files are stored in an electronical vault. Using check-out / check-in procedures the integrity of the data is assured, conflicting changes are prevented and the change history is traceable via controlled versions of the document. Persons with appropriate access rights have the documents available by using a simple and standard Internet browser. The application is simple and the impact on the process is not that big. The added value for the process is:

• Immediate availability of the most recent version of the document;
• Improved integrity of information;
• Secured against loss, unauthorised change and unauthorised counselling of information;
• Document management contributes directly to a decrease of the engineering costs.

Workflow Management service

With workflow management the document management service is extended with functionality to control document structures and workflows. This means that the release of a document is set conform agreed (quality) procedures and follows a fixed route along assigned and identified persons who have to judge and or release the document. The access rights are now becoming also dependent on the status (release level) of the document. The implementation of this service is more complex and so is the impact on the process. The added value for the process is

• Improved quality assurance implying a better quality in general;
• Shorter throughput times;
• Decrease of internal and external postal activities;
• Decrease of travel costs.

Product Structure Management service

With product structure management the service is further extended with the defining, maintaining and controlling of product structures. Product structures are hierarchical decompositions (Bills of Material) of the product. Product structures show the relationship between parts and their belonging documents. Product structures make it possible to get and keep clear insight and overview on the actual situation of the product or configuration. The product structure functions also as a specific browser for product information. The use of product structures stimulates the re-use of earlier developments or extern available solutions, especially in assemblies of parts of products. Defining well a good product structure takes a large effort but the award is large as well. The additional value for the process is:

• A better controllable source of information, especially with complex products;
• Configuration management becomes possible;
• Good product structures and classifications contribute to re-use of designs, creating standards and competitive diversification of products;
• Savings are doubled in respect to the foregoing level.

Product structures support the configuration management of large complex products. Configuration Management brings additionally:

• A document validation process to assure that every document is clear, concise and valid;
• A change process for the documents, keeping the documents valid and avoiding corrective actions;
• A verification process to prove conformance of item with documents.

The additional value for the primary process is:

• No avoidable rework;
• Efficient change process;
• High quality process.

Management via Integral Product Model service

On the highest level, the level IPM® or the Integral Product Model, the functionality is expended to the control of digital representations of physical objects and their assemblies. IPM is based on the product structure and the vitual assembly. Such a virtual assembly may be called a digital mock-up or DMU (aerospace). Within the IPM approach® where organisation and working methods are focussed on the maximum exploration of using an IPM, can different disciplines, even in different enterprises, work concurrent in the same virtual product. The impact on an organisation is quite substantial due to the needed re-design of processes and work methods. The award is tremendous too. The additional value of the IPM approach is:

• An effective mutual involvement of all parties in the total product, leading to maximizing the available know how in the programme or project;
• First time right when building or assembling the product;
• Manageable "fit" and "retro-fit" of alternative solutions;
• Prevention of failure costs via optimal co-ordination / communication between all parties and disciplines involved;
• Huge reduction of throughput times;
• Large improvement in quality, for product and for process;
• Large decreases in development and manufacturing costs, the savings are doubled again in respect to the previous level.

The IPM approach can be merged succesfully into the validation process of CMII.

IPM-approach means one hundred percent concurrent and collaborative engineering!