There are tons of people involved in the product development process. From designers, to manufacturers, to suppliers, there a lot of people who need access to a variety of detailed information to complete their jobs. You must have the right tools in place to streamline data management and sharing – regardless of physical location. Efficient product data management is critical to ensuring everyone involved in product development has access to the data they need right when they need it.

What is PDM?: Product Data Management

According to TechTarget, PDM, or product data management, is the software solution responsible for, “capturing and managing the electronic information related to a product so it can be reused in business processes like design, production, distribution, and marketing.” A PDM solution is typically run through a dedicated app that is connected to the core database of information. The goal of PDM is to support dispersed teams while managing critical processes including change and configuration management. This can be done in many ways, such as through document management software or through manual systems.

PDM goal: To support dispersed teams while managing critical processes including change and configuration management.

Why do you need PDM? | PDM Benefits

Unreliable and hard-to-find data hinders innovation and productivity. Your organization can improve a range of processes by utilizing a single product development depository to manage all forms of product data including software, mechanical, and electrical information. By using PDM your organization can:

  • Easily retrieve information about products at any time which shortens process time while saving time and money
  • Track product specifications so teams can reuse parts and products with just slight modifications instead of complete redesigns
  • Get products to market faster with improved decision-making and part reuse
  • Improve collaboration among teams by providing everyone with access to the same data to make critical product decisions

What about PLM? | Product Lifecycle Management

When exploring PDM options, many organizations wonder if they should start with PDM or PLM. Although the solutions are similar, they have some fundamental differences. PDM manages engineering data, while PLM helps manage data across other enterprise solutions. PDM often works best in conjunction with a PLM solution. By using both solutions together, PDM provides the data with all tracked changes and PLM provides more information on why the changes were made.

Windchill PDMLink: Enterprise Web-based PDM

Windchill PDMLink is the solution to improving your product data management. By linking to the Windchill PLM solution your organization has an efficient way to share information across teams while linking into a robust PLM solution to manage the entire product lifecycle.

Control the data that drives product success with Windchill PDMLink.

Features

Windchill PDMLink is the simple, powerful, and connected solution that organizations need to stay competitive. It includes:

  • Web-based interface: All product information is readily accessible from a web-browser and enabled with personalized subscription notifications so users can stay up to date on the latest changes.
  • Embedded visualization: Identify, view, use, and comment on product information without needing to authorize every underlying authoring application.
  • Product information control and secure access: Ensure your critical IP is safe by utilizing a single secure source for all product data.
  • Change management: Automate change processes with the ability to create, review, and analyze the impact of changes online. This visibility can help organizations track, measure, monitor, and measure change-related activities and performance.
  • Configuration management: Quickly create, manage, and deliver all required views of product information including organization-specific bills of material (BOM), part numbering, and versioning.
  • Product templates: Improve the organization of product-related data, drive corporate standards, and simplify the administration of product portfolios.
  • Business process automation: Create and modify pre-defined workflows and eliminate bottlenecks by monitoring and managing processes.
  • Integration with other applications: Integrates with your other enterprise tools and systems including a range of MCAD, ECAD, ERP, CRM, SCM, and Microsoft Office applications.

Benefits

The optimization generated by the Windchill PDMLink features provides your organization with unparalleled benefits:

  • Digital product data management helps reduce processes errors by 50%, improve part reuse by 20%, reduces time spent searching by 40%, and reduces engineering rework by 15%.
  • Advanced change management reduces change processing time by 85%.
  • Configuration management helps to reduce development cycles by 30-50% and reduce scrap and rework by 15%.
  • Release to manufacturing occurs faster by reducing time and improving the accuracy of product information exchange between engineering and manufacturing by 40%.
  • Overall process optimization through improved data sharing and access.

Windchill PDMLink optimizes and improves processes that drive major business benefits.

Improve Data Sharing with Windchill PDMLink

Windchill PDMLink provides all the tools you need to easily share data, improve collaboration, optimize processes, and ultimately get products to market faster. By combining the features and benefits Windchill PDMLink with Windchill PLM you have the robust solution platforms required to keep your organization competitive. Stop wasting time redesigning existing parts or products that only require simple modification and spend more time creating the next innovative product.

Have questions about the Windchill product family? Interested in learning more about how Windchill PDMLink can help improve processes within your organization? Contact us.