ABSTRACT
Previous methods for information-based production engineering methods such as client/server, blackboardmethods,etc.,havenotaddressedthemultisitedistributedproductiondevelopmentenvironment withchanging¦nalassemblylocationsandhowtomanagesuchdevelopmente§ciently.¥ey, amongotherthings,require(1)thesitefromwhichthedataisenteredisrelatively¦xed,(2)theproduction teammembersarecollocatedsu§cientlytobeabletocommunicatefacetofacetoresolveissues andhaveasimilarunderstandingoftheunderlyingterminologyandconceptsandrelationshipswithin thedomain,and(3)theproductionteammembersaresu§cientlycomputerliterateintheso¯ware systemsdeployed.¥efollowingscenariosdemonstratetheneedforamultisitedistributedproduct development methodology:
•Asthedevelopmentprojectproceedsthroughthespeci¦cation,design,andimplementation phases,theprojectandcontractdeveloperwhoproducedtheproject,buildings,andworksspeci-¦cationandproposalforsolutionmaybephysicallyfarremovedfromthedesignandcomponent manufacturingteams,oneitheraregionalorinternationalbasis.¥isphysicaldistancecould becomeacrucialissueifthespeci¦cationsarenotcomplete,areambiguous,orarecontinually evolving.
