Why mature data matters – stopping chaos before it hits ship production
One thing you can count on in a shipbuilding project is constant change. Designers update hull surfaces, rearrange equipment, and move entire decks with a few clicks. It’s a powerful capability but it can create chaos when immature design information reaches production. This often results in delays, wasted materials, and frustrated teams.
So how can we avoid all of this? How can we ensure the right information gets to the right people at the right time?
The hidden cost of immature data
When information is sent to production before it is ready, the impact is immediate. Fabrication may start on an outdated version, assemblies can be built to the wrong specifications, and schedules slip as errors are discovered and corrected. Teams lose confidence in the tools meant to support them, and trust is eroded each time a drawing changes after work has already begun.
The central question is simple: “Is the engineering information mature enough to support production?”. If the answer is no, the consequences ripple through the entire project.
What “mature” really means
Even though change is inevitable in shipbuilding, this does not mean that every change should flow directly to production. Mature data is information that has been reviewed, approved, and published for use. It is version-controlled so updates are incremental, not disruptive. Designers can continue working with their own “private” versions of models, but what everyone else sees is a stable, approved version. Making this distinction ensures that shipyard planning and production teams are always working with information that is genuinely ready for them.
From constant change to controlled progress
For decades, shipbuilding CAD tools have focused on making change easy and automatically propagating updates through outputs. This has been a huge advantage for designers, but for planners and production it can be chaotic. Every new revision potentially creates confusion or rework.
The solution is to change the mindset: stop propagating change and start publishing. Publishing signals that information is ready for use. Revisions then become manageable updates rather than disruptive surprises.
Mature data is the standard in CADMATIC Wave
CADMATIC Wave combines the flexibility of CAD with the control of PLM. Engineers can continue to iterate and refine designs quickly, but only approved data is shared with production and planning. Instead of flooding everyone with ongoing changes, Wave ensures that the information reaching stakeholders is stable, traceable, and trustworthy.
When mature data is the standard, projects benefit in several ways. Rework decreases because fabrication starts with approved information, not a moving target. Teams stop wasting time hunting for the correct version, and accountability improves because everyone knows which version is valid. Progress accelerates naturally when errors and preventable changes are reduced.
CADMATIC Wave doesn’t make shipbuilding more complex, it makes it clearer. By focusing on publishing mature data, Wave helps shipbuilders prevent chaos long before it reaches the shipyard floor.
