The discussions showed that the management of the Engineering parts list with all related documentation is reasonably well organized. Software is not yet in all cases seen as part of the product structure, while it is becoming an increasingly essential part! For some, it is challenging to collaborate with external parties during the product development phase. The engineering bill of materials with documentation should ideally be managed centrally. The engineering parts list and documentation is the input for the work preparation process; they shape the production parts list and create the documentation for controlling production.
The translation into a production parts list frequently proves problematic. Many companies manage this parts list in ERP where the related documentation (work instructions, NC programs, etc) is stored in various other ICT applications. As a result, there is no direct relationship with the Engineering parts list, data consistency must be monitored manually, and implementing changes is more labor-intensive and error-prone.
The configuration management of the work preparation process appears to still have sufficient potential for improvement for many participants. The session concluded with a tour of the Philips factory.