Research results and recommendations for universally unique identifiers in product data standards
Asa G Trainer, Allison Barnard Feeney, Rosemary Astheimer, Martin Hardwick, Mikael Hedlind · 2024
In the model-based enterprise (MBE) paradigm, enterprises are fueled by the digital thread, an authoritative, integrated information flow that connects all phases of the product life cycle. The digital thread enables use of data-driven processes to build knowledge, make decisions, manage requirements, and control manufacturing execution. As information about a product moves through the supply chain, different systems consume or modify that information for a variety of reasons. Associating persistent and universally uniqueidentifiers, in combination with human-readable identifiers, to key engineering requirements enables the enterprise to track all information related to that requirement over the life of the product. Neither widely-used product data standards nor commercial engineering software adequately support universally unique identifiers (UUIDs). This is a major roadblock to realizing the promises of the digital thread and model-based enterprise. This paper presents current support for UUIDs in digital thread standards, use cases and requirements for UUIDs in the product life cycle, research results, and finally, makes recommendations for use of universal identifiers in commonly used product data standards.