4. Managing output data

A design project will produce a number of deliverables intended for other players. These include not only the company. There are also the customers who will use the future products. Examples include :

• a product bill of materials for purchasing and manufacturing;

• general and detailed drawings for purchasing, manufacturing and after-sales service;

• assembly and operating instructions for the product;

• quality requirements (product acceptance criteria) for manufacturing control.

Output data can therefore take many forms. They must be approved before being made available. This involves not only the verification and validation stages, but also document control mechanisms, including version management.