Abstract. This paper aims at illustrating some limitations of the systemic approach when willing to ensure the interoperability of PLM solutions within a Dynamic Manufacturing Network (DMN), based on e-Business PLM standards and their implementations, being industrial processes, methods, applications or Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) solutions. Indeed, addressing interoperability challenges in such a complex digital business eco-system calls for a holistic approach based on the "system" paradigm. Setting this way, a part of our goal is to underline the limits and drawbacks of such an approach as interoperability brakes and to derive the issues that must be addressed in terms of research in order to remove them. This paper introduces a new approach in order to set up a test bed environment for PLM standards. The required and proposed approach considers a PLM standard not only as a technical solution, but above all as a strategic solution for which it is mandatory to support and enhance discussions between enterprise, product/system, processes, ICT architects and designers. The proposed approach -for analyzing and assessing the relevancy of PLM standards regarding their usage in specific business contexts -will be illustrated with a multi-layer modeling language. This language is used to model standards-based business collaboration scenarios and to model the test bed environment that will enable the execution/simulation of this scenario and the assessment of related standards implementations regarding the business needs of the scenario. The addressed case study is based on a data exchange scenario between a customer production order scheduler and a supplier production order executer using the ISA 95 standard. From this example, the interoperability issues related to DMN system of systems will be identified, for which accurate test based methods will be defined in future work.
Today, more than ever, enterprise interoperability is a key factor of successful collaboration and exchange of information. It was identified as a critical need that has to be taken into account through the whole life cycle of the manufactured product and an essential property for development and growth. This is particularly significant when it comes to collaborative enterprise networks, like Dynamic Manufacturing Network (DMN), where a distinct group of partners is connected in a chain-like model and where cooperation is crucial to achieve a specific goal. Dealing with interoperability issues in a collaborative DMN, we have to mention the importance of product data and process standards implementation as interoperability enablers. This work seeks to contribute to the improvement of enterprise interoperability along the manufacturing phase of the product in a collaborative DMN. It illustrates the collaboration between the business planning level and the manufacturing level with the implementation of PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) standards. Our added value is to follow a multi-level approach based on the use of standards in a DMN. The proposed approach is highlighted by a manufacturing case study.
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