Standards Application

Overview > Standards Application

A STEP AP212 environment alone simply propagates isolation of electromechanical and mechanical definition.

Driven by need for efficiency, data communication, and ISO 9000 registration requirements, industry has increasingly turned to STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data) as a model in which to organize and manage data. Unfortunately, four problems still exist.

First, many companies operate under the premise that a standard will inherently fix poor business processes. In fact, without a complete business process review, installation of a process standard simply creates more confusion.

Secondly, due primarily to the Fundamental Paradigm, many organizations implement standards specific only to their activities. An electromechanical product, such as a harness, will never exist and operate in a vacuum or without mechanical integration. Therefore, some component of mechanical standards is required: STEP AP214 - Core Data for Automotive Mechanical Design Processes is the most mature and widely implemented standard in automotive and non-automotive industry alike.

Third, to effectively manage product configurations, a related standard is also required, such as STEP AP203 - Configuration Controlled Design.

Finally, to coordinate the individual standards and package the complete product definition, another standard, STEP AP232 - Technical Data Packaging, is a necessity.

Once the process matures, other critical Application Protocols are necessary including STEP AP233 - Systems Engineering Data Representation.