PDM

PDM (product data management) is the vault for engineering files. Instead of network folders with names like bracket_final_v3_really, each part has a record with revision, state (in work, in review, released), author and change history.

How it works

PDM does check-out and check-in: whoever edits a file locks it for others and creates a new version on check-in. Approval workflows make sure only released drawings reach the shop, and references between assembly, part and drawing do not break when someone renames a file. For small teams, a folder structure with clear naming and revision rules already solves much of the problem.

Practical example

An office with four designers lost hours every week hunting for the right revision and had already sent an unapproved drawing to the shop. With PDM, the shop folder now receives only released PDFs, generated automatically on approval.

Common mistakes

• Saving copies with suffixes (_v2, _final) instead of controlling revisions.
• Letting the shop access engineering’s working folder.
• Renaming files outside CAD and breaking assembly references.