Integrating the supply chain through Web-enabled CAx systems

The Internet and Web technology are transforming the way many manufacturing and engineering companies do business today. Much of the focus of 'e-business' has been on providing new ways of accessing existing markets, or accessing new markets through the Internet. For aerospace companies, however, these new technologies also offer an important and exciting means to improve the integration of the supply chain in the product development process. Leading Web based CAx viewing solutions such as CATweb provide a high level of functionality today and an attractive complement to existing means of extending CAx systems in the supply chain. Integrated access to CAD and other CAx data is enabled with relatively inexpensive and easy to use 'standard' desktop products, thus extending the reach of the data to many more users both within the company and the extended enterprise. By using the native data in a 'pull based' access mode, access to the current valid level of data is assured. Full function CAD systems will still be required, however, where users require full design capability on the data.