Fossil

PLM Documentation Architecture

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Three-layer publishing architecture that eliminated specification drift and designer context-switching by separating information ownership in PLM workflows.

📅 2012-2014 🏷️ Knowledge Systems 🔄 InDesign Assembly
Knowledge Systems Operational Design Systems Thinking

Overview

PLM adoption made drawings the system-of-record, but specifications still originated in Product Development. Designers were maintaining information they didn't create — and when specifications changed, both sources had to be updated.

The interesting constraint was the context switching. Designers stopped design work to update specifications that originated elsewhere. Not just the time required — the repeated interruption. Tracking changes across multiple files. Wondering if specifications were current. Maintaining information they didn't originate.

The Problem

Specifications existed in two places: Excel (Product Development maintained part numbers, color codes, specification tables) AND design drawings (Designers duplicated specifications for PLM documentation). When specifications changed, both had to be updated.

The deeper problem was ownership. Product Development originates specifications. Designers originate visuals. Duplicate ownership creates drift.

The Approach

I approached this as an information architecture problem:

  1. Separate ownership: Product Development owns specifications; Designers own visuals
  2. Assembly layer: InDesign pulls from both sources without originating information
  3. Automatic propagation: When specifications change, Excel updates; InDesign reflects changes automatically

Three-Layer Publishing Architecture

  • Excel — Specifications (Product Development owns)
  • InDesign — Assembly layer (pulls from both sources, no information originates here)
  • Illustrator — Visuals (Designers own)

What Was Built

  • Three-layer publishing architecture: Excel → InDesign ← Illustrator
  • Single source of truth — Per information type
  • Automatic assembly — Propagating changes
  • Eliminated context switching — For designers
  • Eliminated specification drift — Through ownership clarity

Outcomes

Zero
Context Switching
Zero
Specification Drift
3
Layer Architecture

Designers stopped maintaining specifications inside drawings. Context switching eliminated. Specification drift eliminated (single source of truth). Design work continuity improved. Information ownership clarified.

Why This Matters

This project demonstrates:

  • Knowledge systems — Information architecture and ownership
  • Operational design — Workflow improvement and process design
  • Systems thinking — Understanding that the constraint was ownership, not duplication