Evaluating PDM Software

You finally decided to purchase a Product Data Management (PDM) software to manage your engineering documents.  Great!  With so many offerings out there, which one do you choose?  This article will identify some of the steps you should take, and what to look for, when selecting a PDM software package to suit your needs.

Core team.

• Put together a “core” team of people from the following areas.  For each group, I have identified at lease one reason you need them involved.
• Engineering Management – This group oversees the operations of the complete department.  They also need to be aware of what software is needed and used.  This person may not have to be at each meeting, but they do need to be aware of the reasons for each decision made by the core team.  It will be the Engineering Management that will need to justify the expenditure when you do purchase the PDM package.
• Group Managers – If you have multiple teams in your engineering department, you need a manager from each group.  Two of these managers should team up and take charge of the project.  This part of the team will be paying attention more to functionality and how the software meets the needs of their group.  They can also identify the department and release processes and learn how each PDM package can help them in their daily activities.
• Drafters or Designers – These are the people who will be using the PDM software the most.  They will be the ones who can identify the “ease of use” characteristics of each package.
• Information Services/Technology (IS/IT) – Once the implementation starts, these people will be setting up and supporting the server and software for whatever PDM package the core tam chooses.  In most cases, they are not concerned with how the software functions.  They need to know what infrastructure is needed to integrate the software.  They can also answer questions on the current network capabilities and loads, and ask questions to help them be better prepared when implementation time comes around.
• PDM Administrator – Hopefully you have one now.  If not, you need to find one (or two).  This person will work the closest with the PDM vendor’s consultant/technician to set up the software to meet the departmental and group needs.  If software customization is needed, this person needs to be aware of the customizations that can be completed, and where to go to do the customizations.   This person will eventually be the person to do all of the changes that will be needed the software.  This will reduce the need to bring in a consultant to make even the simplest of changes.  This person will also help IS/IT set up the software for each user.
• CAD Administrator – This individual is the one who best knows how each CAD station is (or needs to be) set up.  This individual may be the one person that can best evaluate how the PDM software will integrate with the CAD system and how it may affect current CAD Standards and Procedures.  This person will also closely work with the PDM Administrator to help with the integration.

By having these members involved in the evaluation upfront, they can provide valuable insight into their everyday work, and provide valuable opinions onto each PDM package you will be evaluating.  They will also feel they have had an opinion in the decision and the new PDM package will be more acceptable to others in the department when it is finally implemented.

Define your current and future needs.

Other than vaulting your documents, and improving your ability to search for an existing document, what else to you want the PDM software to do?

• Automated document release process?  Look for Workflow capabilities.
• Multiple engineering locations?  Multiple manufacturing locations?  Look for vault replication capabilities to speed up access to documents.
• Outside vendor access to your documentation?  Look for a web portal.
• Support after installation – Do you need subscription support or do you intend on maintaining it yourself?
• Expandable/Modular/Scalable – Can the software be purchased or implemented in various stages or modules?  This capability will allow you to implement what you need now, and expand in the future.
• Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE) applications you use now or plan on using in the future.
• Connectivity with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications you use now or plan on using in the future.
• If you have an existing PDM package, you will need to provide a justification for replacing it.

Whatever your current or future needs are, define them up front.  Create a gap chart (Sample) and add each capability you need to that chart.   You will be filling in that chart during the PDM evaluations.  This will later help you decide which PDM package best suits your needs.

Software integration.

What software is in use in your department or company?

• How many different CAD systems do you use?  Are the documents 3D Solid Models with references, or just 2D drawings? 
• What about office applications, like Microsoft Office, Lotus Smart Suite, Corel WordPerfect Office? 
• Do you have any other specialized applications that you need vault control of the documents they produced.
• Does the PDM software provide vault/document access from within the applications, or is everything done outside of the application?
• Do you want or require some level of “Partner” status with your application vendors?

Add each of these applications to that gap chart.  This will help ensure they are considered when you are evaluating each PDM package.

Comparing each package.

Before seeing live demos, do some research and obtain product literature.  Many software vendors have product literature on their website that you can download.  Use this information to start filling in that gap chart.  If necessary, send one or two people to a trade show to talk to vendors and see live demos.  At these trade shows, or in local user groups, ask other people what PDM software they use, why they chose it, how easy it was to integrate, and how they like it.  This will help knock a few candidates off of that gap chart.

When you get that gap chart down to 3-4 candidates, you can start getting the vendors in for live demonstrations and questions and answers.  Work with each vendor to provide enough time for them to do a good demo and allow for a Questions and Answers session after the demo.  After each demo, the core team should discuss the pros and cons of the PDM software they have just seen.

Making your choice.

At this point, you should have some valuable data on that gap chart.  It is now time to get the core team back together for another review of all of the PDM packages you have reviewed.  Get opinions from each team member on likes and dislikes of each package, and slowly start paring that list down to 1 or 2 packages.

If you still feel it is necessary, have another session of demonstrations of the PDM packages from the final candidates.

At this point, make sure everyone is in agreement with the final choice.  Don’t base your decision on “Lowest cost” or “Easy to back out of later”.  These decisions may cost you more in the long run because you will probably outgrow the new PDM package in a few years, then you will have to do this evaluation all over again.

My own experiences.

The first PDM package I had to maintain/administer was too “simple”.  It’s integration with SolidWorks consisted of macros to launch an external program, which then retrieved data from the SolidWorks document, created data in an external database, and moved files into the vault.  I had no say in the decision to purchase this PDM package.  One of the engineering managers was the PDM administrator, but I was the one who had to do the software testing to ensure it worked.  A short time later, the PDM administration duties were “dropped in my lap”.  That was over 9 years ago. 

We outgrew the old PDM software about 6 years ago. And started our evaluations for new software about 4 years ago.  After a year or so of justifications and evaluations, we picked SmarTeam.  Due to it’s overall cost, it took a while to get approved and into the budget.  The purchase and implementation was delayed until the 3rd or 4th quarter due to ERP implementation an expense.  Our budget was pulled out from under us in the 2nd quarter so it could be used for ERP implementation an expense.  This was devastating in my opinion, because that meant that we would have to do the evaluations all over again, and we were stuck working with the “simple” PDM package we outgrew years ago.

There are many great PDM packages out in the market place.  The SolidWorks website was a great place to see what PDM packages work with SolidWorks.  It is also a good place to find the SolidWorks Certification levels of each PDM packages.  During the evaluation period I had seen demonstrations at local SolidWorks User Groups, Regional Conferences, Technical Summits, and SolidWorks World.  I have also found Chris Fabri of SynergisSoftware, who has been helpful and answered any general PDM question I have, even after knowing we have chosen a PDM package they do not sell or support.

My choice.

The final decision was PDMWorks Enterprise which is not being called SolidWorks Enterprise PDM  Here are the reasons:

• PDMWorks Enterprise is actually add-on to Windows Explorer.  If you are familiar with Windows Explorer, then learning how to use PDMWorks Enterprise will be easy.  This also helps with the integration of various Windows based applications.
• PDMWorks Enterprise is also an Add-In to SolidWorks and has earned Gold Partner status with SolidWorks Corporation.  This identifies a high level of integration with SolidWorks and it’s products.
• PDMWorks Enterprise is a SolidWorks product that is supported by our SolidWorks Reseller.  This gives us one source to go to when we have issues with SolidWorks or PDMWorks Enterprise.  This eliminates the finger pointing that may occur with different vendors.

Good luck on your research!

Comments

[Jeff Cope]

Good job Lenny!

[Ethan Rabinowitz]

Great Job Lenny! Can you send me some info on the trade shows you recommended sending people to? it is specific PDM trade shows? or engineering trade shows? can you give me the names of some good ones to go to? In the new york or boston area would be great, but anywhere will really do

Thanks!