Poslovno Informacijski Sistem V Podjetju Mora Obvladovati Številno Dokumentacijo

A SOFTWARE TOOL FOR PLANNING, ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION DATA

Pavel Kaiba, Ivan Prebil, Tonči Mikac, Ivan Rečnik Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenija Sveučilište u Rijeci, Tehnički fakultet, Hrvatska, SMM d.o.o. Maribor, Slovenija

Key words: technical documentation, PDM, PLM, CAD, databases

SUMMARY

In spite of a rapid development of information technologies there is little known about technical documentation in a modern organised enterprise, about the data upon this documentation and their interconnection. Introduction of information technologies into an enterprise first requires analysis of the current status of the documentation, its flow and the information contained therein. Based on this analysis the methods and procedures are planned, which manage the processes and information flow, and the database is prepared. We have devised a concept for displaying of acquisition, managing and flow of technical information, which is derived from internal technical documentation. The display in graphical form is adapted to computer data processing. Prepared software tool based on this concept, enables modelling of technical documentation and its flow within the enterprise, the information upon this documentation and their interconnection. Based on the model prepared this way and by using the Data Definition Language, tables and relations in a relational database are automatically prepared. After introduction of information technologies into the enterprise, the software tool enables insight into the current state of documentation and tracking the flow of information at the level of a particular project, a particular assembly or at the level of the entire enterprise.

1. INTRODUCTION

Introduction of the full electronic ERP, PDM or PLM information system of established providers requires a precise analysis of the existing documentation and of the processes managing it within an enterprise. The selected information system has to be adapted and users have to be educated according to the analysis. The process usually takes a long time and is very expensive. It frequently requires thorough modifications of the way the enterprise conducts business. These systems are very effective in large enterprises with highly developed technical infrastructure, and sufficient and adequately qualified personnel [1]. Within the domestic environment as well as elsewhere in the world, however, there are a large number of small and medium-size enterprises, which cannot establish such efficient system. Along with their rapid development, they have insufficient time, financial resources, personnel, and equipment to establish, use and maintain such extensive information system. We have developed a program system for creating a document structure and its content within the enterprise (Figure 1, Figure 2). It is included in the L'MIS [2] business information system, where it is used for preparing databases and adapting to new users (Figure 3). Based on the created technical documentation model the system automatically prepares a relational database. It also enables automatic creation of graphical user interfaces representing particular documents and their usage (Figure 4). If automatically created dialog windows do not fulfil user's needs, individually programmed interfaces can be included.

2. RELATED WORK

Business information system of an enterprise must master extensive documentation. Each document contains numerous data, which are frequently interlinked across particular documents [3]. In literature there are no recommendations or directives about how to describe and apply all this information in the information system. The VDI 2221 [4] and VDI 2222 [5] recommendations do precisely define the design process, its phases and the documentation as well as describe the means for preparing this documentation. The VDI 4500 [6] describes the documentation and information that should be contained in this documentation throughout the entire life cycle of the product and prepares recommendations for its design. The ISO 9000:2001 [7] family of standards deals with managing and providing quality for the enterprise's business. These standards define what an organisation must provide to fulfil the clients' quality requirements and which regulations it has to follow in this process. Principles following ISO 9000 apply to all types of documentation regardless of their contents and purpose. Nor does standardisation define how to describe all the information on documentation, manage and apply them in the enterprise's information system. Modern business can be treated and monitored also as a process-oriented system. There are many commercial tools available on the market that enable management of business and production processes. Such systems focus on the architecture of integrated information systems and modelling of business and production processes. They have perfected tools for simulating [8] and monitoring a sequence of events, conditions for their triggering, and users' responsibilities. Such system could illustrate the enterprise documents as object-product, the sequence they were created in, who is responsible for a particular document etc. Information on these documents itself could not be described. Nor would these tools enable preparing databases, assigning data access rights, preparing user interface for entering and reviewing data, and including the existing information systems. Model of technical documentation within the enterprise could also be created with database planning tools. Each document should be treated as a table. Linked data dependent documents- tables could be illustrated using relations. Data access right could be controlled on the database management system level. However, database planning and management systems are not adapted to treat or manage documents. It would not be possible to manage documents as it is done in process management, where the users' responsibilities, conditions and sequence of technical document creation and conditions for triggering and executing an activity are defined. Supervising the state of documents-tables as it is done in project management would not be possible either. Commercially available tools for database planning are not suited to be used as a graphical user interface of business or information applications.

3. PROGRAM FOR TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION MODELLING

The purpose of a program for technical documentation modelling is to describe the actual documentation existing within the enterprise in hard or electronic copy. Sequence of document creation or activities (processes) defining the sequence of document creation and information flow can also be described with the program. Conditions and responsibilities of groups of employees for creating and filling in the contents of a particular document or activity can be defined. Building blocks describing documentation within an enterprise are: model, document, data, and link. 3.1. Model

Model is essentially a drawing canvas where the documents and links are being arranged on (Figure 1). Documentation within the enterprise can be described with one or more models. It is recommended to arrange all documents existing within the enterprise on one model. Documentation in individual enterprise sectors (e.g. design, human resources, production, storage etc.) should be described with extra models. This way one has an insight into the whole documentation in one place and more transparent overview of individual sectors and activities.

Figure 1: Document structure model

3.2. Document and link

The purpose of the Document block is to describe the actual documents existing within the enterprise in hard or electronic copy. In practice the documents must not repeat themselves within the enterprise. This is why the Document block cannot be repeated in the modelling program either. It is described by identification number, name, and description. Beside the basic data serving the purpose of distinguishing and description, table name, document type, and manner of creation of the graphical user interface – form are defined. Documents can be interlinked. This is how document creation processes can be defined (Figure 1). Responsible users, sequence of document creation, procedures and terms of information flow and of documentation creation can be specified in the links. When using graphical user interface – document form, data from the document are stored in the database tables. Each document has its own table. Document type roughly specifies to which sector in the enterprise the document belongs to. In cases when access rights for a particular document are not specified, the information system allows users-employees, with regard to document type, to edit document contents or merely look into the document. Default manner of creating graphical user interface – form is automatic. Information system sets controls for data entry in sequence. With more demanding documents, dialog boxes fitting the enterprise requirements can be created in Visual Basic. In these cases the form title must be defined, which is basically the function call in a dynamic link library (*.dll) or the name of an executable program (*.exe). In this latter case the arguments array can also be defined, if the program uses arguments from the command line. 3.3. Data on documents

Beside the basic information for document identification, description, display, and usage, all data from each document are described (Figure 2). The data on the document are defined with identification number, name, prompt text, type, and size. Beside the basic data, the data important for proper functioning of the database are also defined: do the data represent record's identity in the table (Identity – AutoIncrement), are "NULL" values permitted, and do the data use values from another document. For the data to be displayed on an automatically created form, control type, display type, and a possibility to be displayed also in the title of the form (e.g. Name – Janez, Surname – Novak) (Figure 4) must be defined. If the value of the data is defined in another form, it has to be specified, which document (Document) is supplying values, which data on this document represent a possible set of values (Visible data), and which data serve the means of identification of the selected record in the linked document (Linked data) (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Data description on the document

Data on automatically created form can be displayed on different types of control: Label, TextBox, ListBox, and DataCombo. ListBox and DataCombo are intended especially for data linked with other documents. Label is used with data only displayed on the document and is not intended for modifying contents. TextBox is intended for data, whose contents can be modified. Possibility of modifying data contents is defined by the view type, which can be changeable or unchangeable. Program system creates a table for each document in the relational database (Figure 3) based on the data description on the document. The table has prepared columns, where the data from the document are entered when using the information system. When creating the table, the normalization on the first level has already taken place, since in cases with linked data identification number of the source document is entered instead of proper data. With normalization on the first level duplication of data is prevented and the database can be used to achieve optimal effect. Figure 3: Automatically created table for the Personal sheet document

Figure 4: Automatically created form for the Personal sheet and data in the table Based on the data description on the document (Figure 2), the program system simultaneously dynamically creates graphical user interfaces for each document (Figure 4). It verifies data access rights of the logged in users and adequately initialises user interface – form. This way one gets a uniform and rather plain appearance of user dialog boxes, but does not have to waste a lot of time developing user interfaces. Usage of the information system can also be adjusted more quickly. If automatically created dialog boxes do not fulfil user's needs, individually programmed interfaces can be included. Forms enable contents to be recorded in a text file or to be printed out.

4. CONCLUSION

Program system for modelling of technical documentation has been included in the L'MIS business information system. Such a tool is expected to be a welcome help in introducing L'MIS information system into enterprises, particularly in the initial phase when it is essential to analyse the state, to prepare the methods and the procedures to manage the information flows within the enterprise and to prepare the database. With program system for modelling of technical documentation one can adapt to fit the specific needs of every enterprise. By reducing the time and expenses of introducing information technologies, the competitiveness of the enterprise will increase. Modern information technologies will be available to smaller enterprises as well.

5. LITERATURE

[1] W. C.; W. H.; D. T.: A different view on PDM and its future potentials, International Design Conference – DESIGN 2002, Vol. 1, pp. 101 – 112, Croatia, Dubrovnik 2002.

[2] P. K.; I. P.; I. R.: Information system in design-oriented small and medium-size enterprises, 13th International DAAAM Symposium "Intelligent Manufacturing & Automation: Learning from nature, Vol. 1, pp. 247-248, Vienna 2002.

[3] I. P.; P. K.: Object-oriented environment for design and production preparation of large rolling rotational connections, Advances in engineering software, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 131-141, March 2002

[4] Systematic approach to the development and design of technical systems and products. VDI 2221: Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, Düsseldorf 1993

[5] Methodic development of solution principles. VDI 2222: Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, Düsseldorf 1997

[6] Technical documentation - Information for user. VDI 4500: Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, Düsseldorf 1995

[7] ISO 9001:2000: Quality management systems, ISO – International Organization for Standardization, ISO TC 176 - Association française de normalisation, France 2000

[8] A-W. S.: Architecture of integrated information systems: foundations of enterprise modelling, Springer, Berlin 1992.