<s>
Product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
(	O
PDM	O
)	O
should	O
not	O
be	O
confused	O
with	O
product	O
information	O
management	O
(	O
PIM	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
software	O
engineering	O
,	O
this	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
version	B-Architecture
control	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goals	O
of	O
product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
include	O
ensuring	O
all	O
stakeholders	O
share	O
a	O
common	O
understanding	O
,	O
that	O
confusion	O
during	O
the	O
execution	O
of	O
the	O
processes	O
is	O
minimized	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
highest	O
standards	O
of	O
quality	O
controls	O
are	O
maintained	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
is	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
software	O
or	O
other	O
tools	O
to	O
track	O
and	O
control	O
data	O
related	O
to	O
a	O
particular	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
allows	O
a	O
company	O
to	O
track	O
the	O
various	O
costs	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
creation	O
and	O
launch	O
of	O
a	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
is	O
part	O
of	O
product	O
lifecycle	O
management	O
and	O
configuration	B-General_Concept
management	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
is	O
primarily	O
used	O
by	O
engineers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
information	O
being	O
stored	O
and	O
managed	O
(	O
on	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
file	O
servers	O
)	O
will	O
include	O
engineering	O
data	O
such	O
as	O
computer-aided	B-Application
design	I-Application
(	O
CAD	B-Application
)	O
models	O
,	O
drawings	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
associated	O
documents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
(	O
PDM	O
)	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
central	O
knowledge	O
repository	O
for	O
process	O
and	O
product	O
history	O
and	O
promotes	O
integration	O
and	O
data	O
exchange	O
among	O
all	O
business	O
users	O
who	O
interact	O
with	O
products	O
—	O
including	O
project	O
managers	O
,	O
engineers	O
,	O
salespeople	O
,	O
buyers	O
,	O
and	O
quality	O
assurance	O
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-Application
data	I-Application
management	I-Application
is	O
focused	O
on	O
capturing	O
and	O
maintaining	O
information	O
on	O
products	O
and/or	O
services	O
through	O
their	O
development	O
and	O
useful	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Product	B-Application
Data	I-Application
Management	I-Application
is	O
closely	O
related	O
and	O
often	O
used	O
interchangeably	O
with	O
Product	O
Information	O
Management	O
(	O
PIM	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PDM	O
stems	O
from	O
traditional	O
engineering	O
design	O
activities	O
that	O
created	O
product	O
drawings	O
and	O
schematics	O
on	O
paper	O
and	O
using	O
CAD	B-Application
tools	O
to	O
create	O
parts	O
lists	O
(	O
Bills	O
of	O
Material	O
structures	O
–	O
BOM	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
