Parts management

The parts management includes all administrative tasks for components ( parts and assemblies ) that are manufactured in a company or used. This includes the associated development and construction data, e.g. B. master data, geometry elements, standards, catalogs, product sheets, etc. Parts management therefore also includes processes as well as process-supporting information technology systems with which parts information is generated or processed. Essential activities are, for example, the structuring and maintenance of the parts data as well as the user-oriented search in the parts inventory.

Core functions

Commercially available parts management systems usually offer the following typical core functions:

Master data management
Document management
Classification of development and construction data
Detection and clustering of geometrically similar parts
End of life management of components
General search and research functions

Further additional functions come in particular from the area of e-commerce. Almost all suppliers offer 2D / 3D models via their internet portals, most of which can be integrated into the parts management system.

aims

One of the goals of parts management is to keep the number of new designs in a company as low as possible in order to limit the variety of parts in the parts inventory and thus reduce costs in product development, manufacturing, purchasing and other operational functional areas. This is achieved through the following measures:

Reduction of the variety of parts
Harmonization and consolidation of the company's material master data
Creation of the organizational prerequisite for reusing existing parts
Minimizing the growth rate of new parts
Efficient classification of the material master data
Identifying duplicates
Automatic clustering of geometrically similar parts

Furthermore, with the help of a functioning parts management system, volume effects can be achieved in production and purchasing. For this, cross-departmental collaboration and the consideration of the existing software landscape, consisting of CAD , PLM and ERP systems, must be ensured.

A subordinate aspect of parts management is the administration and organization of CAD standard parts libraries. The following objectives are pursued in this area:

Provision of a standardized digital parts library
Standardization of company data
Avoiding complexity
Duplicate removal of standard parts
Integration of CAD, PDM and ERP
Quick search for potential standard parts for construction
Revision management for supplier catalogs

Parts management

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