Definition of Product Data Management

One Solution for Many Challenges

How many CAD files are on your computer for one single project? The total number of design files can quickly reach 6 digits, consisting of order data, designs, views, simulations, bills of materials in Excel, financial plans, etc. In addition, many correspondences with customers, suppliers and designers make it difficult to keep track of all the documents.

With this large sum of files, do you know…

  • what the status of the construction is?
  • what clearances exist?
  • where all your documents are?

If you want a complete organization of your processes, then I invite you to learn more about the topic of PDM.

What Is PDM?

Product data management (PDM) enables the storage and management of product model data. All files related to the life cycle of a model are structured in a project-oriented manner. It’s more than just administration, however, it is an innovative software for the entire process chain; you will get an overview of all files and who has worked on what at which point in time. The former term "Engineering Data Management (EDM)" shows that this software is a suitable tool for the construction industry. Document management systems (DMS) are often equated with PDM. However, a DMS is only about pure administration. In contrast, PDM helps you to optimize your processes and serves as a link between the CAD and ERP systems.

When Can PDM Successfully Support?

In civil engineering projects, plant design or product design, many people are involved in the design process through development to the finished model. In the most common cases, these are distributed across different locations. These people have a wide range of competencies that need to be bundled to successfully move projects forward. To organize this data, you need a PDM system to avoid the loss of data and competencies. In addition, you have the advantage of being able to quickly find all historical data about past projects, so that there are no obstacles to the renewed manufacturing of products.

Would you like to learn more about the importance of PDM for your company? Read the following blog article: "Importance of PDM for your company: Discover a new world"

For a visual explanation of what PDM is, feel free to watch the following video:


For more free information on solutions that a PDM system can offer, see our Digital Transformation guide. 👇

Download the Guide