A design chain collaboration framework using reference models

The core competitiveness to survive severe business environments comes from the capability of well-defined design chains across enterprises, not the capabilities of individual enterprises. The collaboration in the design chains, however, is difficult due to the inherent complexity such as diverse design processes and dynamic design environments. To settle the collaboration problems in the design chains, a design chain collaboration framework (DCCF) is proposed in this paper. The DCCF is composed of three reference models capturing the different views of design chain collaboration: design process reference model (DPRM), service component reference model (SCRM), and technology and standard reference model (TSRM). As the DCCF adapts the Object Management Group's (OMG) metadata architecture, the processes in the design chain can be extended when it is necessary. Using the proposed framework, design managers can integrate their design processes from the conceptual phase to the application development phase. The DCCF can also serve as a virtual basis to improve design processes continuously in order to enable collaboration and to breed innovation.