Collaborative Solution for Cooperation, Coordination and Knowledge Management in the Ceramic Tile Design Chain

This paper presents a solution for cooperation between companies that belong to a supply chain in the ceramic tile sector, where competitiveness requires constant innovation in product design. Since it is becoming ever more frequent for these companies to design products and work collaboratively within the framework of the Extended Enterprise, a need arises for a methodology for the successful implementation of collaborative practices. The main contribution of this research work lies in the definition of a collaborative infrastructure for cooperative design that enhances interaction and knowledge management between different firms using information technology tools and, particularly, PLM solutions. The methodology used to achieve an efficient implementation is based on process modeling. Design processes are not always structured; there are continuous changes due to engineering modifications, and this fact makes modeling harder. Consequently, the definition of collaborative processes will allow a deeper understanding of product development activities.