Method and apparatus for enabling collaborative product development processes

摘要

A computer-implemented method supporting collaborative product development. A plurality of artifacts associated with the collaborative product development is maintained under revision control in a first repository. Each artifact has a plurality of lifecycle states and each artifact is associated with a first finite state machine (FSM) that defines lifecycle state transitions for the artifacts. A plurality of artifact tuples associated with the collaborative product development is maintained under revision control in a second repository. At least one artifact tuple is comprised of at least one access information providing access to at least one of said plurality of artifacts in the first repository. Each artifact tuple has a plurality of lifecycle states and each artifact tuple is associated with a second finite state machine (FSM) that defines lifecycle state transitions for the artifact tuples. There exists a set of lifecycle state transition mappings which maps all valid lifecycle state transitions for an artifact with desired lifecycle state transitions for an artifact tuple and all valid lifecycle state transitions for an artifact tuple with desired lifecycle state transitions for an artifact. A workflow process relating to an evolution of an artifact or artifact tuple is expressed through sequencing of one or more members of the said lifecycle state transition mappings set.