A system information modelling method in the cross-disciplinary project collaboration context for industrial digitalisation

Industrial digitalisation for project management (PM) is a promising strategy for organising knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to successfully complete projects. However, system information modelling (SIM), as a key approach that enables the digitalisation of industrial systems, is often applied separately without a PM context. This situation results in fragmentation of project information and hinders collaboration among stakeholders. Limited research has explored on integrating SIM technologies and PM principles. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes IMF-PM, a SIM methodology that integrates the Information Modelling Framework (IMF) with Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) standards for digitalisation in the context of cross-disciplinary project collaboration. IMF-PM provides an engineer-friendly, multi-aspect language that enables cross-disciplinary modelling within a unified framework, while also supporting Resource Description Framework (RDF) serialisation for digitalisation. We present an industrial case study of a gas cooling system, providing exploratory practical evidence of function-implementation consistency and non-destructive integration. The case study and comparative analysis provide exploratory evidence of the practical utility of IMF-PM for interdisciplinary coordination, traceability, and project information integration in cross-disciplinary industrial projects. This research provides a new paradigm for project information digitalisation in the industry.