## 2 Materials and Methods  
In this study, we adopt a survey to reach industry practitioners and understand if and how they have deployed the 3D product model in assembly planning, assembly design, and assembly shop floor execution processes. In addition, the survey aims to capture the value that the respondents have seen, or plan to see, in using the 3D product model in these assembly processes. The following are example survey questions developed accordingly:  
1. Please indicate your level of knowledge about the use of 3D product models in the assembly process, assembly design, or assembly shop floor execution at your organization: 1. Not at all knowledgeable 2. Somewhat knowledgeable 3. Knowledgeable 4. Very knowledgeable
2. Has your company implemented 3D product models into the assembly process planning/design? 1. Yes 2. No 3. Has your company implemented 3D product models into the assembly shop floor execution? 1. Yes 2. No 4. To what extent does your company use 3D product models in the assembly process? 1. Screenshots of 3D model 2. 3D model mapped to process activities 3. 3D model mapped to parts consumption within process activities 4. 3D model fully integrated with Engineering Change Order/Manufacturing Change Order Process 5. Other (please describe): What technology is your company deploying to accomplish the use of 3D product models in the assembly process? 1. Proplanner's Assembly Planner 2. PTC's MPMLink 3. Siemens Teamcenter 4. Software developed in-house 5. Other (please describe): What are the limitations of the technology your company is using to communicate the information contained in the 3D product model to the assembly team? Figure 3: Assembly process deploying the 3D product model to the shop floor. * If your company has implemented the 3D product model in the assembly process planning/design, what was your company doing before implementing the use of 3D product models for assembly process planning/design? (Select all that apply) 1. Excel 2. Simulation 3. Paper/Post-It notes 4. Physical mock-ups 5. Other (please describe): 6. Not applicable 7. If your company has implemented the 3D product model in the assembly shop floor execution, what was your company doing before implementing the use of 3D product models in the shop floor execution? 1. Virtual work instructions without the 3D product model 2. Hard copy work instruction with 2D drawings 3. Hard copy work instructions with pictures 4. Work instructions without visuals, words only 5. Operator training with no shop floor work instructions 6. Other (please describe) 7. Not applicable 8. How did your company move from the former state to implementing 3D product models in the assembly process? (Select all that apply) 1. Pilot study 2. Wholesale cutover 3. Started small and scaled implementation 4. Other (please describe): 1. What is the value your company has seen in implementing 3D product models in the assembly process? (Select all that apply) 1. Accuracy of assignment of the right parts, tools, work allocation, and work instructions 2. Faster new product/model roll out to production 3. Less time updating work instructions 4. Quicker operator training 5. Other (please describe): 1. What are the savings/estimated value/return (quantitative and/or qualitative) of implementing the use of 3D product models in the assembly process? 2. What is the size of the company you work for? 1. 1. To ensure these survey questions would be applicable to industry, the research team connected with a Manufacturing Process Management (MPM) software company. Discussions with the engineers and customer-facing employees in the organization allowed the research team to refine the questions around what level organizations were deploying 3D product model functionality in the assembly process planning, assembly design, and assembly shop floor execution; what the limitations were of the software used to deploy the 3D product model in the assembly process; and what plans the organization had for further deployment of the 3D product model in the assembly process.