Engineering materials are lifecycle-managed objects that can mature further. During their lifecycle, the system can be configured to vary access control and start review processes as the material specification matures. For example, you may want to limit viewing access to an engineering material early in its lifecycle to only those people who determine whether the material is sound and can be sourced. Additionally, before changing the engineering material’s lifecycle state to more mature and giving product teams read access, you may want sourcing specialists, material engineers, and product owners to review and approve the state change. Finally, you may prefer the use of some engineering materials than others for a particular product or business unit. Product owners and environmental teams can make approved lists to communicate the recommended use of engineering materials to the design teams.

Engineering materials usually have estimated or average numbers for initial simulations of sustainability metrics, like carbon footprint. Having access to engineering materials within a PLM system it enables you to guide the material selection by the design team and provide insights into the material usage within products and across entire product portfolios. This allows your organization to make informed decisions early in the design phase.

The following are the features that support you in the decision making process: