CATIA v5: How Do PDM Systems Compare? 1

[roberts1008]

My company is looking at comparing PDM systems for our CATIA v5 data. Currently, we are using TeamCenter.
What other PDM systems work well with CATIA v5? I am familiar with Siemens' TeamCenter and Dassault's Enovia and SmarTeam.
How does eMatrix's MatrixOne compare? And, what about PDMWorks, Conisio, and ProductCenter?

Also, in what ways should PDM systems be compared? (I'm an engineer, not an IT person)

To my knowledge, they should be compared in the following way:
Time to upload/download assembly?
Development lag time from latest release of CATIA v5?
Efficient at handling workflow and sign offs?
Lag time to respond?
Efficient at handling Effectivity control?
Efficient at handling BOM changes?
Time to train new users?
How does PDM system handle Relational Design?
How easily can you control Configuration?
Is it fully integrated with CATIA v5? Or does it need translators?
Does it handle configuration files?
Does it offer ECN control the way you want to do it?
Is it scalable? Can it easily be merged with an enterprise-level PDM solution?

Any other thoughts?

 

[garzar]

what is your V5 lifecycle?
V6 is built on its own system; so, if you plan to move to V6, you should consider how you will get your data from your V5 solution to V6.

 

[roberts1008]

Hello Garzar,
Again. I'm an engineer, not an IT person. Although I've heard of "lifecycle", I'm not sure what it means. We have no current plans to transition to V6, but would look into it if our clients require it. That said, we'll definitely add it to our evaluation of PDM systems, because I'm sure that we'll be required to transition at some point.
Thanks.

 

[MarkAF]

Just to possibly add you your list of items to compare:
Another question to consider is how easily can the software be tailored to meet your company's business practices? That was a key feature when the company I work for was asking this question.
Also, do you require the PDM software to handle additional CAD or miscellaneous file formats? The company I work for uses both CATIA and SolidWorks for mechanical design, and we wanted one PDM system to manage both.

 

[roberts1008]

Thanks, MarkAF! I've added those items to our evaluation list.

After doing more research, it looks as if DBWorks, PDMWorks and Conisio only work with SolidWorks. So, those have been eliminated. Also, Enovia is likely far more complex and expensive than we need. So, I think my comparison will only be between SmarTeam and TeamCenter.

Has anyone compared these two PDM systems thoroughly? If so, how did they compare for handling CATIA v5?

 

[garzar]

I use SmarTeam at this station.
I feel like i'm working on a system from the '90s.
But it is straightforward and predictable - as long as you understand the life cycle rules your company has set...and just basically what SmarTeam is capable of.
It enforces a strict revision policy.
For example:
I create a drawing of a part and check them both into SmarTeam.
Then I check out the part to modify it and check it into SmarTeam.
The drawing will not automatically update.
The drawing itself must undergo a check out to have its links updated to the new part.

A lot depends on what you need the system to do.
I've found that customization have added to confusion.

Neither SmarTeam nor TeamCenter are truely integrated with Catia.
SmarTeam is a DS product; but, they bi=ought it, they did not create it.
Enovia is fully integrated.

 

[ferdo]

Hi,

Well, there are a lot of criterias to take in consideration.

Even if is an old document , I believe still can be used as reference. And if I remember corectly, there are few websites which can help you to compare PDM or PLM solutions (for example this ).

Regards
Fernando

https://picasaweb.google.com/102257836106335725208

https://picasaweb.google.com/103462806772634246699/

 

[loki3000]

windchill can also work with catia, i think.

 

[tbuelna]

I have used SmarTeam quite a bit with CATIAV5, and it works quite well. I have used SmarTeam for very large, complex products, and I have used it for configuration control of a project involving hundreds of drawings. SmarTeam also readily manages and creates links to CATIAV5 files for other engineering files such as Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, etc.

 

[looslib]

Windchill does have a CATIA work group manager to handle the data. I know one company that switched from Wildfire to CATIA but kept their Windchill system.

One factor to consider is how long can you wait for upgrades to the PLM system when new versions of the CAD system are released? If you use CATIA with Enovia, they should release them both together so when CATIA is upgraded you have the new Enovia that supports that CATIA release. If you use a thid-party PLM system, it may be several months before they have updated to the latest release of CATIA.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[loki3000]

true, but on the other hand it's never good to use SP0 version of software. the german car guys are going to v5-6r2014 SP1 for example (in 8 months or so). i don't know what are they using for PDM though.