ug iar o — w ere ▁also ▁under ▁contract ▁with ▁A MC ▁to ▁create ▁and ▁build ▁a ▁cl ay ▁model ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁X J ▁replacement , ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" X J C " ▁project . ▁However , ▁the ▁basic ▁design ▁for ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ' s ▁replacement ▁was ▁well ▁under ▁way ▁by ▁A MC ' s ▁in - house ▁design ers ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁Je ep ▁Con cept ▁ 1 ▁show ▁car ▁for et old ▁the ▁basic ▁design . ▁ ▁As ▁A MC ▁began ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁next ▁Je ep ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁management ▁created ▁a ▁business ▁process ▁that ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁product ▁lif ecycle ▁management ▁( PL M ). ▁According ▁to ▁François ▁Cast a ing , ▁Vice ▁President ▁for ▁Product ▁Engineering ▁and ▁Development , ▁the ▁smallest ▁U . S . ▁autom aker ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁speed ▁up ▁its ▁product ▁development ▁process ▁to ▁comp ete ▁better ▁against ▁its ▁larger ▁compet itors . ▁The ▁X J C ' s ▁development ▁was ▁a ided ▁by ▁computer - a ided ▁design ▁( C AD ) ▁software ▁systems ▁making ▁the ▁engine ers ▁more ▁product ive . ▁Meanwhile , ▁new ▁communication ▁systems ▁allowed ▁potential ▁conflicts ▁to ▁be ▁resolved ▁faster , ▁thus ▁reducing ▁cost ly ▁engineering ▁changes , ▁because ▁all ▁draw ings ▁and ▁documents ▁were ▁in ▁a ▁central ▁database . ▁The ▁system ▁was ▁so ▁effective ▁that ▁after ▁Ch rys ler ▁purchased ▁A MC ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁it