Product development systems often generate extremely complex data, particularly when it comes to product structure, configuration, CAD data and simulation results. Comparing these complex structures requires specialized tools and methods in order to reliably identify and understand differences.

In product development, data is generated and stored from various sources and in various formats. This can include CAD models, technical drawings, production data, quality data, material data and much more. The heterogeneity of this data makes comparison much more difficult, as it is often available in different file formats and databases.

Version control is of crucial importance in product development. Products go through various iterations and changes during their life cycle. Version control is often only available in one system and is not always used consistently even within it. However, any change can be of crucial relevance and should be visible.

Various teams and disciplines work together in product development, including engineers, designers, suppliers, and manufacturing experts. Each team has its own data and tools. As a result of manual merging, the timeliness, consistency and quality of the data suffer. Usability is often very limited. Updating data consolidation requires considerable effort every time.