The Integration of Product Data with Workflow Management Systems Through a Common Data Model

Abstract

Traditionally product models, and their definitions, have been handled separately from process models and their definitions. In industry, each has been managed by database systems defined for their specific domain, e.g. Product Data Management (PDM) for product definitions and Workflow Management System (WfM) for process definitions. There is little or no overlap between these two views of systems even though product and process information interact over the complete life cycle from design to production..