Digital thread as an enabler for the engineering of the future

Publication: OPPORTUNITY - Facts for decision makers

IT and data architecture is the key to product development of the future and, at the same time, often the biggest challenge for companies on the way there. The engineering of the future follows the "code the product" paradigm, according to which products are not only designed digitally, but also consistently described, secured, connected, and further developed digitally. Data consistency is therefore a basic requirement for this development approach. However, current PLM and engineering IT architectures often result in data silos.

To break down these data silos, it is essential to link the data via a semantic integration layer, thereby enabling the so-called digital thread. Given the potential of AI applications in product development, the data should also be provided with contextual information.

The changes associated with the introduction of a digital thread are complex and require both technical and organizational rethinking. Both aspects are highlighted in the OPPORTUNITY issue "Digital Thread as an Enabler for the Engineering of the Future."

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Possible overall IT target architecture

Contents of the OPPORTUNITY

Engineering IT – status quo and target vision
- Target vision: "Code the Product"
- IT and data architecture as enablers
The digital thread as a prerequisite for future product development
- PLM as the backbone for structure, reuse, maturity, and context
- Consistent IT and data architecture
- Essential IT architecture elements for the digital thread
Transformation paths & success factors
- From pilot scope to scalable architecture model
- Framework conditions for trust and scalability through data governance
- Change management
Get started now – but how?!
Outlook

The goal of a future-ready IT and data architecture is to enable digital consistency while maintaining flexibility. An essential component of the IT architecture is therefore the semantic integration layer, which makes the digital thread possible in the first place. This can be implemented, for example, by means of a knowledge graph.