Development of the semantic object model for a PDKM system

This work presents the product object model developed inside the eu-funded FP6-IST project PROMISE, which aims at closing the whole set of information loops concerning a product's life. The ultimate goals of the project are: to integrate product data from the entire life cycle via different sources, to support comprehensive analysis on this data and finally to enhance the operational businesses with the obtained insights on products. To achieve these goals, a set of hardware and software tools are being developed. This paper presents the conceptual model behind one of the components of this infrastructure, called the PDKM (Product Data and Knowledge Management) System, which is responsible for the integration and management of both product data and knowledge from all lifecycle phases, on a logically consistent basis.