Information Modeling and Knowledge Management Approach to Reconfiguring Manufacturing Enterprises

This research aims to gain a detailed understanding of data producers, data consumers and format/flow of the data within automotive industry for defining and using Bill of Process (BoP) for engine assembly lines. The focus remained on the real industrial challenge of rapid constraint evaluation for designing and/or reconfiguration of Powertrain assembly lines to cater for a new/changed product. A methodology is developed to facilitate Ford Company to quickly model and re-configure new/changed assembly line for building new/changed engine. This is made possible with the help of modular approach and developing relationships among products, processes and resources. The data and information of the PPR is made available to all the stake holders of the organisation independent of the platform or specific application being used at the department/facility.