Systematic classification of collaborative engineering activities

In collaborative engineering (CE), distributed stakeholders work together on tasks across the entire product lifecycle, with a focus on product development. CE targets technological and competitive advantages that are out of reach for individuals, necessitating collaboration to manage increasing product complexity. Digital tools and platforms are crucial for facilitating such collaborations. The product development process (PDP) poses challenges for SMEs, including unclear goals for technology utilisation, differing technological requirements, communication difficulties, scalability, compatibility issues, data security concerns and a lack of expertise in advanced collaborative solutions. With the introduction of the Collaborative Engineering Activity Model (CEAM), this paper addresses the need to optimise IT tool stacks by mapping dependencies from the PDP activities to software. CEAM offers a structured, multi-layered approach that shows the dependencies on five levels and thus offers a novel approach to comparing software with each other. Each level builds on and influences the others, ensuring a comprehensive visualisation. CEAM increases transparency, helps to compare and use tools and offers a systematic classification of collaboration engineering activities. It supports effective collaborative engineering processes in product development and forms the basis for the appropriate IT tool selection.