Strategies for Product Structure Management at Manufacturing Firms

Product structure management (PSM) is a process that affects many different disciplines in a company. Different disciplines have different demands on the decomposition of the product structure and the functionality of the information systems used. Different disciplines therefore often work in different information systems. If several information systems to some extent contain the same information, it is important that the information is updated in all systems if it is changed. Since PSM is a change intensive activity, it is difficult to perform PSM in an environment consisting of several different information systems. There is a need for strategies for PSM that considers all relevant aspects of an information system, such as the process it supports, the information handled, the information systems used and the organisation. This paper discusses different disciplines requirements on the product structure based on a case study at an automotive manufacturing firm. The paper proposes strategies for PSM that can be used as a guide and for categorisation when analysing the information system before restructuring and/or introduction of new systems.