Вот ряд ссылочек, для оценки разнообразия:
-- http://www.io.tudelft.nl/en/research/projecten/design-of-future-products/product-intelligence-pi/, This programme is concerned with communicating product functionality to the user. And vice versa: how people can communicate their needs and wishes to the product.
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_Intelligence -- Product intelligence is defined as an automated system for gathering and analyzing intelligence about the performance of a product being designed and manufactured, such that this data is automatically fed back to the product managers and engineers designing the product, to assist them in the development of the next iteration or version of that product.
-- http://www.aras.com/Community/wikis/plm/product-intelligence.aspx All of the tools and methods a business uses to analyze the information and data pertaining to given product: sales, cost of production, historical revenues, price fluctuation in cost of materials, etc. are called Product Intelligence.
-- в SAP -- Product Intelligence represents the capability to access product-centric content and context from the enterprise and business network related to sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain, customers, and service – in order to support and inform various product development and management activities.
-- http://www.gs1.org/docs/events/2012/dublin/presentations/breakfast/Intelligent_Products.pptx -- intelligent product [descriptive] “A physical order or product that is linked to information and rules governing the way it is intended to be made, stored or transported that enables the product to support or influence these operations”. Level 1 Product Intelligence: which allows a product to communicate its status (form, composition, location, key features), i.e. it is information-oriented. Level 2 Product Intelligence: which allows a product to assess and influence its function in addition to communicating its status, i.e. it is decision-oriented.
-- http://www2.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/automation/videos/SAHNE_short_video.mp4 Intelligent Aircraft Parts
-- http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/uploads/Research/DIAL/Resources/Papers/GM12_website.pdf -- Product Intelligence in Intermodal Transportation: The Dynamic Routing Problem
Тренд понятен. Скоро всё будет smart и intelligent, как при изготовлении, так и при закупках, так и при эксплуатации. Ну, и знать будут все про всё, немедленно и развёрнуто -- и не просто так, а опять же "интеллектуально".
Когда-то была бухгалтерия, потом механизированная бухгалтерия, потом компьютеризированная бухгалтерия, а теперь просто бухгалтерия. Была почта, потом электронная почта, теперь просто почта (а обычная почта -- это нужно специально оговаривать, ибо её почти и нет уже). Так и все вещи -- сначала просто вещи, потом "умные вещи", а потом опять станут просто вещами (продуктами или инструментами -- это уже неважно).
Ждём теперь мудрых продуктов, уже скоро.