Teamcenter

PDM vs. PLM: Which do I need?

What is a Product Data Management (PDM) system? Many modern CAD systems today include functionality for product data management (PDM). A PDM should not be confused with a PLM, or Product Lifecycle Management system because a PDM is far more limited. Designed principally as a data repository and version control system for CAD files, most PDM systems are a fine place to start, since this data is important to manage, but almost all manufacturers quickly find that PDM is not enough and they need to manage far more that CAD data alone.

A Product Data Management (PDM) system and a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system are closely related, but they serve different roles within the overall management of product information and processes. Here’s a breakdown of how they differ:

1. Scope of Functionality:

PDM (Product Data Management): Primarily focused on managing product data (such as CAD designs, specifications, bills of materials, technical drawings, etc.) during the product design and development phase. It helps organize, store, control, and track all technical product data in a centralized repository.
- Core focus: Product data storage, version control, and change management.
- Functionality: CAD data management, BOM management, document control, design data sharing, and collaboration.
PLM (Product Lifecycle Management): Covers a broader scope that spans the entire product lifecycle, from the initial concept, through design and manufacturing, to end-of-life (EOL) and retirement. PLM integrates and manages all aspects of the product’s development, including processes, people, and data throughout the entire lifecycle.
- Core focus: Managing the entire product lifecycle and improving collaboration across different departments and stages of the product’s life.
- Functionality: Includes PDM capabilities but extends to project management, cost management, supply chain management, compliance, quality management, and more.

2. Integration with Other Systems:

PDM: Generally works within the engineering and design departments to manage product-related data. It integrates mostly with CAD systems and other design tools. PDM systems may also integrate with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) systems, but their primary function is related to product design and data management.
PLM: Integrates across all departments (engineering, manufacturing, procurement, marketing, sales, and service), ensuring data consistency and enabling collaboration across the entire organization. PLM systems often integrate with PDM, ERP, SCM (Supply Chain Management), and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, creating a comprehensive system for managing all stages of the product’s lifecycle.

3. Stage of Product Lifecycle Managed:

PDM: Focuses mostly on the design and development stages of the product lifecycle. It manages data during the creation of the product and ensures that engineering teams have access to the right product information.
PLM: Encompasses the entire lifecycle of the product, from conceptual design and manufacturing through to post-sale service, support, and retirement. It focuses on all stages of a product’s life and includes managing product data, processes, people, and collaboration.

4. User Focus:

PDM: Primarily used by engineering teams, designers, and technical staff who need access to product data and CAD models.
PLM: Used by a much broader set of stakeholders, including engineering, production, supply chain management, procurement, quality assurance, and even marketing or sales. PLM provides tools to help manage the entire lifecycle, including strategic decision-making, compliance, and product maintenance.

5. Data and Process Management:

PDM: Deals specifically with product data management, ensuring that the correct version of technical product documents is available and facilitating collaboration between teams working on the product design.
PLM: Not only manages data but also the processes involved in product development, such as approval workflows, change management, quality checks, and regulatory compliance. It provides tools for project management, cost estimation, materials management, and much more.

6. Examples of Use Cases:

PDM: A PDM system is typically used by an engineering team to manage CAD files, ensure that product designs are up-to-date, and control versioning of technical specifications.
PLM: A PLM system is used to manage a product’s entire lifecycle, from ideation to product launch and through post-market service and support, ensuring all teams (design, manufacturing, service, marketing) are aligned throughout the product’s life.

Summary of Differences:

Feature	PDM	PLM
Primary Focus	Product data management, especially during design	Managing the entire product lifecycle
Scope	Engineering and design phase	Entire product lifecycle, from concept to end-of-life
Functionality	CAD data management, BOM management, document control	Data, process, project, quality, and collaboration management
Integration	Primarily with CAD, ERP, and MRP systems	Integration across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and more
Stage of Lifecycle	Design and development	All stages of the product lifecycle
User Base	Engineering teams, designers, technical staff	Cross-functional teams across the entire organization

In Conclusion:

PDM is a subset of PLM. It focuses specifically on the management of product-related data and technical documentation during the design phase.
PLM provides a comprehensive framework that not only manages product data but also integrates processes, people, and tools to optimize the entire lifecycle of a product, making it suitable for managing complex workflows and collaboration across the organization.

In simple terms, PDM helps you manage your product data, while PLM helps you manage the entire journey of your product, from concept to retirement. All PDM functions are included in a full PLM, such as Teamcenter PLM, which extends PDM functionality dramatically.

Siemens Teamcenter PLM

Whether you have a PDM in place already or nothing at all, implementing an industry-leading PLM solution like Teamcenter presents a tremendous opportunity for process improvement. Gartner Peer Insights rates Siemens Teamcenter PLM highly, with an overall user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, perennially rating Teamcenter in the top of all PLM systems. The platform receives praise for its robust data management capabilities, support for complex product lifecycle processes, and strong integration with various CAD systems, including support for multiple CAD systems simultaneously. Users appreciate its flexibility in adapting to diverse industrial needs. Like all PLM systems, and in fact all true enterprise IT systems, Teamcenter requires expert professional services to get it set up, configured, and integrated with your other enterprise solutions, such as ERP and manufacturing systems.

It is important to know that Teamcenter PLM is one of the most open and scalable solutions on the market today and one of the most commonly deployed PLM solutions in the world with 10’s of thousands of customers and millions of users. It is the acknowledged standard, for example, for all U.S. Air Force development programs, most U.S. Navy programs (including all ship programs, for which Teamcenter is mandated), and is very common for U.S. Army, NASA, and other U.S. government development projects of all kinds. It is widely deployed worldwide for enterprises of all kinds, but especially among manufacturing companies, including multi-site global operations.

In summary, the core things that Teamcenter PLM is designed to manage are:

Data is not just CAD but can include both mechanical CAD (MCAD) and electrical CAD (ECAD) but also requirements, specifications, notes, work instructions, CAM files, and much more. Data types can include CAD/CAM files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF files, text files, and pretty much any other kind of data required by or generated by product development and production.

Metadata is “the data about the data.” In the context of PLM, this means things like what is the form of the data, who generated it and when, who revised it and when, who approved it and when, which requirements is it intended to meet, how was it tested to confirm it meets these requirements, who performed this test or measurement and when, etc. A PLM system is an access-controlled relational database system designed to preserve both the data and metadata and ensure users can find the data they need quickly, when they need it, while ensuring they have the most current or relevant data.

A PLM system is also a repository of workflows. It controls and records when a new product or project is begun, what is required, who is assigned to the task, who approves that the work was performed, what is the next step, who is assigned to that step, etc. Workflows are the heart of a PLM system while data and metadata are its life’s blood.

Records and Reporting. PLM systems are designed to provide management with live, up-to-the-minute visibility into the product development process. Once fully deployed and configured to a client’s specific needs, reporting out of Teamcenter will allow them to observe what is working well and what is not working so well, where are time or materials being wasted, and suggest areas for focus in process improvements. Once these improvements are identified, codifying the changes in the PLM workflows will ensure these improvements are implemented smoothly and provide visibility into whether or not they have been effective in addressing the issues that were identified.

As such, Teamcenter PLM is an enabling technology for the immediate and ongoing process improvements that are promised by industrial digitalization. Whether your organization is already standardized on Siemens products or has no Siemens products installed whatsoever, Teamcenter PLM can be the enabling technology for your own digital transformation and SDA Software is here to help.

Learn More:

Siemens SW Teamcenter Reach Beyond E-Book

Siemens Using PLM for Accelerated Product Introduction E-Book

How CAD and PLM Crucial to Enabling Model-Based Enterprise Initiative

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