PLM Group logo
  • +46 370 69 0952
  • Webshop
  • teamviewerTeamviewer
  • Support
  • Solutions
    • 3D & 2D Modeling
      • SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD
      • DraftSight
      • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS
      • 3D CAD Cloud
      • Technical communication
      • Design Automation
      • Electrical
      • Partner Products
    • 3DEXPERIENCE
      • 3DEXPERIENCE for Management
      • 3DEXPERIENCE for Engineering
      • 3DEXPERIENCE for Manufacturing
      • 3DEXPERIENCE for Procurement
      • 3DEXPERIENCE for Sales & Marketing
    • Data management
      • PDM – Product Data Management
      • Cloud Data Management
      • HostPLM – PDM Professional on Cloud
    • Virtual Testing
      • SOLIDWORKS Simulation
      • SOLIDWORKS Plastics
      • SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation
    • Innovation Agreements
      • User Competence Agreement
      • User Experience Agreement
      • Consultancy Agreement
      • Administrator Agreement
      • Partner Agreement
    • Education & Start-ups
      • For Educators
      • For Students
      • For Researchers
      • For Incubators
      • For Start-ups
    • Services
      • Installations
      • Upgrades
      • Implementations
      • Integrations
      • Consultancy
  • Training
  • 3D printing
    • 3D Printers
      • HP
      • Markforged
      • 3D Systems
    • 3D Scanners
      • Peel 3D
      • Reverse engineering
      • Human scanning
      • Art preservation
      • Quality Control
    • Applications
      • 3D printing for jigs & fixtures
      • 3D printing for tooling
      • 3D printing for production & end-use parts
      • 3D printing for prototyping
      • 3D printing for spare parts
    • Software
      • Materialise
    • Post process
      • PostProcess Technologies
      • Dyemansion
      • AM-Flow solutions
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Success Stories
    • Events and webinars
    • E-books and guides
  • Why PLM Group
    • Why us
    • Meet the team
    • About us
    • Careers
    • Contact us
    • Svenska
    • Dansk
    • Norsk
    • Suomi
    • Latviešu
    • Eesti

8 awesome features making PDM Pro a great data management solution

You’re longing for tools offering secure file vaulting, access control and revision history in your CAD-projects. And maybe you’re considering a PDM system as a solution? But it is no simple decision. Dassault Systèmes offer two different solutions for a PDM system. PDM Standard and PDM Professional. Standard is the right solution if you need a simple setup with few options. But many users and companies will find that PDM Professional is a very attractive solution offering a customizable system for your wants and needs. Below, I will tell you all about why PDM Professional is a great choice – and there’s 8 good reasons.

As mentioned, PDM exists in two versions – Standard and Professional. As it is often the case, a Standard version is fundamental and basic. A PDM Professional on the other hand is not just an advanced version for super users. It is a version with a strong motor for automation and customization carrying a broad appeal.

There are several similarities between the two versions of PDM, and as they are built on the same platform you can always move on from a Standard to Professional if you want to. But not the other way around. Mostly because each version run on their own SQL.

PDM Professional contains a lot more functions and features which are exclusive to the version or simply limited in Standard. They extend the automated functionality and the customizable procedures. Let’s have a look at them.

Why PDM Professional is a great data management solution

8 awesome features included only in PDM Professional

  1. A Serial Number generator controlling the naming of files
  2. A native add-in for other CAD-systems and programs
  3. More workflows for defining the processes of your files
  4. Transitions in workflows driving the process ahead
  5. Tasks automating the generation of files
  6. Automatic data import/export in and out of PDM
  7. Replication ensuring security when sharing files
  8. Copy/Move tree keeping track of all references

1. A Serial Number generator controlling the naming of files

With the integrated Serial Number generator, you can get PDM Professional to automatically name the files being put in the file vault. This ensures a consistent data structure across your team.

You can set up several serial number generators giving each of your file types an individual standard for names and numbers in the vault. Then you can rest assured that the files are named and numbered correctly depending on their type.

2. A native add-in for other CAD-systems and programs

With PDM Professional you can access the tools of the system in other CAD-systems and in Office. You can check in your files and change their state in the workflows with a native add-in.

This means, that you can work in your PDM vault in the specific program in the same way as in SolidWorks. You have all functions at your disposal in systems like Inventor or Pro/Engineer (Creo).

3. More workflows for defining the processes of your files

In PDM Standard, you only get one single workflow with a maximum of 10 states.

PDM Professional offers an unlimited number of workflows and states. In theory, you can have a workflow for each type of file in your system – e.g. one workflow for CAD, one for Office, one for templates etc.

You can control the workflows through the use of categories which is only possible in Professional. These categories help you control where different documents are stored. And in this way, you don’t mix CAD and Office documents for instance.

4. Transitions in workflows driving the process ahead

With PDM Professional you get a few more options for making transitions in your workflows. For an example you get the option of making automatic and parallel transitions. In Standard, you only get one transition.

Automatic transitions

An automatic transition is a function you can use, for instance, for sorting your files. With these transitions you can define that files with one type of property goes one way in the workflow and files with another property goes a different way.

This means, that when the files are in a given state in your workflow, then automatic transitions define the way from there. The file moves automatically through the flow when it lives up to the criteria defined for the given transition. Otherwise, the file stay in its current state until it does.

In Standard, you will always have to move the file along on your own. For instance, if you have to update some variables then you need to move the file through a transition manually.

Parallel transitions

Parallel transition is a function that are useful for teams. For instance, when you and others need to approve the same drawing. Then you can add a parallel transition which means that when the people involved have approved the drawing, then the file automatically moves to the next state.

In Standard, you will need to add a state in your workflow for each person that needs to take action on the drawing. In this way, you will quickly use up the limited states you have at your disposal.

More transitions between two states

This function is really handy when you have a mix of files where you need to do an export to DXF/STEP for some of them and not for others in the same workflow.

An example could be that you have some parts, some of which are Sheet Metal and some are not. And you want to take these parts from one state to another in your workflow. If you send them all through a state tasked with creating DXFs then the task will fail due to the parts that are not Sheet Metal. In this case, you can make two transitions with the same name and add some criteria to them dividing the files between different transitions. But having shared the same name makes it so there’s only one option to choose when you manage the files.

5. Tasks automating the generation of files

As a part of PDM Professional, you can create tasks which carry out an automatic export to different file formats (e.g. DXF, PDF and STEP). This way, you put an end to repetitive tasks of manually creating deliverables – and manually storing them in the right place.

You can do a setup of tasks that places the files in other locations on your network than your vault. If you want to transfer your files to your ERP-system, then you can export the files to a location where the ERP-system can read these files. Or if you want to share files with colleagues in a location that they have access to outside the vault.

In PDM Standard, the automatic file generation is limited to creating PDFs and placing them in the vault.

6. Automatic data import/export in and out of PDM

If you want to transfer some data from your files in the PDM-system to your ERP-system, such as specific properties, you can use transitions to automatically manage import or export of data with PDM Professional.

7. Replication ensuring security when sharing files

If your company has several departments in different locations and you want to achieve a better performance of checking files in and out, then you can set up replication of your servers in PDM Professional.

In this way, all departments can access a local server and thus achieve better performance in your system. PDM controls where files are located and also ensures that all files are being replicated – or mirrored – to all servers.

8. Copy/Move tree keeping track of all references

In PDM Standard you have the option to ’Copy tree’, and in PDM Professional this function is extended so this function also names the new files.

Additionally, you can move files around in the PDM-system by use of ‘Move tree’. This means, you can move files from one location to another and the PDM-system keeps track of references and leveling on its own making sure assemblies and drawings are found where the files have been relocated.

See the full table of features in the two PDM versions

What do you think?

Whether you are already using PDM Standard or no PDM at all, I hope that you see how PDM Professional might help you and your team.

If you want to read up on the basics of product data management, you can do so in our e-books here:

  • How to increase productivity with integrated Product Data Management
  • 6 Great Benefits of Product Data Management

The most common reasons for upgrading to or choosing PDM Professional count better options for automation and customization.

Get in touch if you want to learn more!

 

Flemming Bruun Nielsen

Application Engineer

Posted in PDM/PLM
Tagged Dassault Systèmes, PDM, PDM Professional, PDM Standard, PDM-system

Related posts

Related Posts

A full production setup with HP's Metal Jet 3D printing.

HP starts selling the Metal Jet S100 Solution

HP has announced the commercial availability of its Metal Jet S100 Solution. Accelerating innovative designs and products and digitally printing mass quantities of quality parts, HP’s Metal Jet S100 S...

Read More

How to get SOLIDWORKS Simulation up and running?

Did you know that it is really easy to get SOLIDWORKS Simulation up and running? After you have bought the license there are just few steps to go through. STEP 1 – Simulation License Setup ...

Read More

The 3 best features in SOLIDWORKS 2023

Summertime usually means beach, hot weather, and long nights. In the SOLIDWORKS community, we all know what it means: Beta version! While we wait for the actual release, I have been testing and exp...

Read More

About us

With our many years of experience we bring innovation to manufacturing companies from a wide range of industries in six countries. But where did it all begin?

Learn more

Get in touch

We understand investing in the future is a huge decision. We are happy to have a conversation with you about your goals and how we can help you reach them. Please contact us today, and we’ll guide you every step of the way towards success.

PLM Group logo
  • Find us
  • PLM Group
  • Axel Danielssons Väg 267
  • 215 82 Malmö
  • Phone +45 70 22 22 80
  • info@plmgroup.eu
  • Quick Links
  • Contact us
  • Support
  • Privacy and Cookies Policy
  • General Terms and Conditions
  • 3DP Terms and Conditions
  • E-books
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram