Five tools that apply group technology concepts to an engineering database were investigated and compared. The purpose of the investigation was to select the tools with the best ranking in the areas of cost, flexibility, and ease of use. These tools were applied to engineering data from an aircraft structural composites classification and coding schema. The tools include (1) a vendor supplied GT software package, (2) a GT classification schema mapped onto a relational database, (3) a GT classification and coding schema mapped onto a relational database, (4) a vendor supplied GT software package interfaced with a relational database, and (5) a custom developed GT package which directly accesses a relational database. It was concluded from a comparison of five GT design tools that the custom developed GT package was the most advantageous design tool based on evaluation factors which included cost, flexibility, and user-friendliness. © 1987.