Managing the business benefits of product data management: the case of Festo

Purpose – The paper seeks to investigate the question as to how the business benefits of product data management (PDM) can be assessed and realized. In particular, it aims at understanding the means‐end relationship between PDM and product data on the one hand and a company's business goals on the other hand. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a case study research approach. The case of Festo is unique and allows for detailed examination of both the business benefits of PDM and of the inter‐dependencies of various business benefit enablers. Due to the limited amount of scientific knowledge with regard to the management of PDM business benefits, the study is exploratory in nature. The conceptual framework used to guide the study combines business engineering concepts and the business dependency network technique. Findings – The findings are threefold. First, the paper explicates and details the understanding of the nature of PDM business benefits. Second, it provides insight into the complexity and interdependency of various “means” – such as data ownership, product data standards, for example – and the “ends” of PDM, namely the contribution to a company's business goals. Third, the paper forms the baseline for a comprehensive method supporting the management of PDM business benefits. Research limitations/implications – Single‐case studies require further validation of findings. Thus, future research should aim at replicating the findings and at developing a comprehensive method for the management of PDM business benefits. Practical implications – Companies may take up the results as a “blueprint” for their own PDM activities and may reflect their own business benefits against the case of Festo. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first contributions focusing on the means‐end relationship between PDM and product data on the one hand and a company's business goals on the other.