MarcL: PLM solutions must be able to substantiate an object in a preliminary form… IOW, objects must be allowed to exist without assigning a permanent object identifier. How does Aras handle this?
Peter Schroer:
Aras Innovator supports this scenario with standard out-of-the-box functionality. OOTB we use the CMII rules for configuration & change management.
All Items / objects move through a lifecycle, and the rules about numbering / naming, which fields are required, what actions are valid, etc changes naturally over the lifecycle. These rules are fully customizable as well.
It’s normal for a CAD model to be named “My Bracket” for the first few revisions, and not re-identified to a formal part number until much later in the innovation / development process.
When items are re-identified, this does not impact the configurations they are linked to. Aras Innovator uses an internal identifier (not end user visible) to maintain configuration structures.
PLM alpha 