1. Studying needs and structuring data

1.1 Study the context and needs of different users

Before considering the creation of a materials database, it is necessary to take into account the overall context of the company or organization. Indeed, as objectives can be quite diverse, it is important to collect the needs of engineers and technicians handling material data.

This first stage can be carried out by interviewing a representative sample of people in order to clarify needs and findings. Each population identified in the organization should be represented: materials engineer, design engineer, methods office, simulation engineer, test technician, purchasing department, etc.