PDM ― product data management systems and implementation

Most recent articles

Careful planning reaps big benefits -- A maker of electric forklifts enjoys huge cost savings from deployment of MatrixOne’s eMatrix PDM system at multiple plants. But the benefits didn’t come for free. Implementing the successful system required years of planning and customization, and continuing upgrades will require still more effort. (5/27/04)

CATIA improves PDM integration -- In its 13th release, CATIA version five has improved integration with Dassault Systèmes’ Enovia PDM system. The new release also includes two new products for automobile designers. (3/18/04)

Windchill 7.0 preview -- With this release, PTC enhances its PDM product to make it more powerful and easier to use. Has it done enough to restart sales? (1/22/04)

Agile 9 strengthens ties to CAD -- Following its purchase of Eigner, Agile Software plans to include engineering PDM functions in its next software release. (12/11/03)

Managing CAD data with Excel -- A new product called p-AdvancedBOM enables project engineers to get information they need into and out of Pro/Engineer quickly. Find out why Pro/Intralink users buy this tool to improve their efficiency. (6/5/03)

Why .NET works for PDM -- Although most PDM companies currently favor Java for Web-based software, some customers may prefer to use data-management systems built on Microsoft’s .NET Framework. Here’s why. (2/20/03)

Cyco updates AutoManager PDM systems -- The Dutch PDM vendor has added the ability to manage solid-modeling files to its AutoCAD-focused PDM system. (2/13/03)

SolidWorks improves PDMWorks integration -- Since acquiring PDMWorks, SolidWorks has made the workgroup PDM software behave more like an integral part of its CAD program. We review the latest release of PDMWorks and recommend steps customers should take to get the most from this software. (10/10/03)

Physician heal thyself -- Software giant SAP claims its software will manage your enterprise.  But the company does a poor job of managing its own sales prospects. (9/5/02)

Mentor sets sites on ECAD PDM – Most PDM vendors all but ignore the electronic CAD market.  Mentor Graphics has set its sites on dominating this segment with a PDM program for managing ECAD output files, component databases, and the symbol libraries of many different CAD programs. (8/29/02)

Simplifying processes with SAP – By eliminating EDS’ Metaphase from its operations, a maker of equipment for chemical analysis simplified its engineering administration. Find out what it took to make the switch and whether such changes might make sense for your company. (8/15/02)

Can SAP dominate PDM? – Software behemoth SAP AG overcame a slow start in PDM to become the number-two firm in the market. Can it make the leap to number one? (8/8/02)

Buyers and sellers like this online catalog -- Developers of computer-based catalogs have struggled for a generation. Innovator GlobalSpec has developed a catalog-publishing business that’s a good deal for buyers and sellers. (8/1/02)

SolidWorks enters the PDM business -- After years of pretending CAD data didn’t need to be managed, SolidWorks unveils a multi-pronged PDM strategy. (6/6/02)

Everything’s a Teamcenter -- EDS has attached the Teamcenter name to a variety of seemingly unrelated products. Its goal is to eventually make them work together. (5/30/03)

Will Engineering talk to Enterprise? -- EDS is being pressured by its largest customers to integrate its TeamCenter Engineering (formerly Iman) and TeamCenter Enterprise (formerly Metaphase) PDM systems.  Find out what EDS plans to do and whether it’s likely to satisfy customers’ needs. (5/30/03)

Simplified PDM from PTC -- PDMLink gives Pro/Engineer customers a data manager based on PTC’s Windchill technology that’s relatively easy to set up and learn. Find out about one company’s experience and why PTC has been reluctant to push PDMlink as a substitute for Intralink. (5/23/02)

CIMdata user conference slumps -- Attendance fell by one third at CIMdata’s annual PDM conference. Did the economy keep customers away? Or are such events fading from existence? (5/16/02)

Understanding enterprise PDM -- The largest vendors of product data management systems are hawking what they call enterprise PDM or “product lifecycle management” systems. This primer on PLM systems explains what they're supposed to do in order to benefit your business. (5/9/02)

Mission Impossible? -- The goals of enterprise-level product data management (PDM) software (also called “product lifecycle management” systems) are ambitious. But can most companies afford this technology? And are today's database management software and programming methods sufficiently robust to handle all that big PDM systems demand? We take a critical look at PLM and what you should consider before jumping on the bandwagon. (5/9/02)

PDM market grows in tough economy -- CIMdata’s analysis shows sales of PDM systems and services grew in 2001, a terrible year for most technology companies.  Find out what happened and why 2002 might not be so great. This article also includes CIMdata’s estimates of the top ten PDM suppliers. (4/24/02)

PDM has the face of Windows Explorer -- To cut training costs, a Swedish PDM software developer embeds its client software in Microsoft’s Windows Explorer. Recently, the company added the ability to manage feature-based mechanical CAD data from SolidWorks and Inventor. (4/1/02)

Hybrid PDM and process-planning software -- An application called PolyCAPP combines features of computer-aided process planning software with those of product-data management systems to help engineers store and organize manufacturing expertise.(4/1/02)

Program combines PDM and ERP -- ThetisPro from Thetis Technologies Inc. gets around the difficulties of sharing data between PDM and ERP programs by providing the capabilities of both in one product. (3/8/02)

Program tracks work history -- A new product called CrossPoint from Intersect Software is supposed to reduce the time engineers and managers spend in status meetings by automatically recording the processes and methods used to perform tasks. Will people buy it? (3/8/02)

BOM.com adds version control -- In its most recent software release, the application-service provider BOM.com lets customers save versions of bills of material at various points in a design's development and provides functions for annotating BOMs. (3/8/02)