Integrating Use Phase Information and Virtual Product Representation to Support Functional Products

Providing not only products but a combination of products and services can help add value and enable competitiveness for both the providers and their customers. Research has suggested Functional Products (FP) as one concept to achieving this combination of products and services.Traditionally, when a product is sold the ownership of the product is transferred to the customer, making it difficult for the provider to access information from the products use phase. In the case of FP, the ownership of the product is retained by the provider, and access to use phase information is essential to provide the function at a guaranteed level of availability. This information access also allows feedback to earlier life cycle phases. This paper explores how information generated in the use phase of FP can be integrated with the virtual product representation in a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system.A concept was developed for capturing use phase information from a potential FP. The concept utilizes wireless sensors that makes the information available through networks. WebSockets are used for providing real-time access and visualisation of the information. Both real-time and historical information can be accessed in a dashboard by any device that supports HTML5. A PLM system connects relevant information from the FP in use with the virtual representation of the FP.The concept was implemented in a case at a producer of automotive parts. A unified solution for information management of both use and development of FP was achieved by integrating use phase information and the virtual product representation.