4 Ways PDM Can Help Bring Products to Market Faster

Product data management (PDM) is a system that centralizes product-related data and processes. Engineers use PDM software to track revisions, manage change orders, generate bills of materials (BOMs), and handle other project related information. With PDM, a company can improve its internal and external collaboration and enable sharing of work views among teams in real time. Comments and feedback can be submitted directly inside the PDM software.

The alternative to 2D workflow issues is making the transition to a 3D digitally-connected workflow.

One solution for cloud PDM and PLM (product lifecycle management) is the combination of Fusion 360 Manage (for PLM) with Upchain (for PDM). Fusion 360 Manage connects people, processes and data to get products to market faster.

One of the most important benefits of digital PDM workflows is the ability to catch inconsistencies in drawings before they are used on the shop floor.

Cloud data and process management help manufacturers bring products to market faster by:

1. Gathering all project data in one place.  With a single source of truth, all the latest product data from all sources is centralized. Errors can be reduced and product quality increased through control of revisions, versions of documents and engineering processes. Migrating from using 2D drawings to connected, shared, single-source 3D models can save substantial time. The design process can interface with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software so the model can be used for BOMs, procurement and CNC programming.
2. Increasing collaboration.  When project access is well-managed, everyone can retrieve and work on the information they need, whether that’s in the office or on a mobile device. Thus, more efficient collaboration can take place across different teams, suppliers and customers. Multiple users can access project files, boosting productivity.

3. Improving product development agility.  Cloud data and process management help companies speed up product development and meet deadlines. Using PDM, a manufacturer’s design workflow can adapt to its business by capturing the entire history of product designs. Connecting design to manufacturing can eliminate certain manual processes, reducing the time required for those processes from hours to minutes. PDM integrates design and business tools to manage data and automate workflows and engineering processes – like automated engineering change orders. Users can find and access files they want to replace, reuse or copy to use in new designs.

4. Reducing time spent on low-value tasks.  Even companies with highly skilled employees and top-notch equipment may struggle with inefficient workflows. With PDM using Fusion 360 Manage and Upchain, process modules and tailored workflows are available, so the number of processes that do not add value to workflows can be reduced. Existing design data can be leveraged. You can reduce the waste of producing incorrect components after sending old drawing versions to production. PDM helps eliminate inefficient analog workflows, frequent customer design changes, and schedule and BOM issues.

With PDM, smart technology can be used to bridge design and manufacturing software. Companies don’t need to risk sending production drawings to the shop floor to save time before all the tweaks to the drawings have been made.

A digital transition can save a manufacturer both time and money, eliminating risk and ambiguity. The move toward a paperless workflow can put design and manufacturing teams on the same page. As a manufacturer uses PDM to improve internal and external collaboration and sharing of work among teams in real time, they can bring their products to market faster and more cost-efficiently.

If you’re interested in learning more about Fusion 360 Manage with Upchain, contact us today and talk to an industry expert.