Fifteen years ago, we heard about how CAD/CAM point solutions would revolutionize the design space and the manufacturing floor. People in design spoke about drafting productivity, and people on the shop floor talked about being able to machine more effectively. Now we're hearing that information technologies— namely, product process management (PPM), product data management (PDM), and bill-of-material (BOM) automation—can automate and link design and manufacturing as well as other manufacturing functions such as purchasing and procurement. Moreover, we're seeing how the Web is quickly becoming the backbone of these new technologies and creating huge opportunities for further productivity enhancements and collaboration.
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