An overview of the generic product data model GenPDM

Abstract

Mass Customization increases products' diversity exponentially and may increase sales. Yet, it can also create major productivity problems. The ability to convert sales potential into competitive advantages depends significantly on the product data model used in the software for production planning and control. This paper presents an overview of GenPDM, a new Generic Product Data Model, flexible and easy to use. GenPDM proposes a new graphical representation language and a set of concepts and tools to represent generic product and generic product structures. Generic Bill of Materials and Generic Process Plans are the product structures used in this paper to present GenPDM concepts. The GenPDM generating system, that automatically generates product variant information and product variant structures, is also presented. An application example is provided and its efficiency is quantified and compared with traditional models.