×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

PDM for single user

PDM for single user

PDM for single user

(OP)

I just upgraded to 2006 Office Pro and evidently PDMWorks comes along in the deal.

While I'm a longtime user of SWX and Pro/E, I've never worked in an organization that used a PDM system.  I currently work in a small company where I will be the primary user of SWX.  We are a small consulting firm that primarily uses Pro/E and manually manages file revision and ownership for each project.

I typically work in the office, but frequently work from home using a VPN over DSL.  Because project files can get large (50-150meg) I tend to copy the files to my laptop and work locally and then upload files to a project folder on the server when back at the office.

I guess the question is: should I be using PDMworks?  If so, what's the best way to learn about it?

-b




RE: PDM for single user

Yes, I would use PDMW, even as a single user. The VAR that you purchased it from should have come to your site and install, setup & train you.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

RE: PDM for single user

(OP)
I'm sure that my VAR would be happy to come set it up for me, but I'm guessing it's not free (nor would I expect it to be).  I'd like to learn what I can before I commit $$$.

-b

RE: PDM for single user

B

This is just my opinion, but after using SolidWorks without a PDM system (first 6 years) and having used it with PDMWorks now for the last 3 1/2 years, I'm amazed that not everybody is using it.

Not trying to be a salesman, but I speak about PDMWorks, but and PDM software is beneficial to Design History records.

Even being the only person (or primary) to use SW's or PDMW's will be of an incredible benefit to you and your company.

If you'd like to learn more about it, how it works, and the pro's & con's about the software you should contact your VAR and arranged for a demonstration.  This should be and can be easily accomplished.

If that isn't enough (I know how tough it is to sell something like this to a Manager), ask your VAR if they can arranged a demonstration with one of their other clients who uses PDMWorks.  This way you'll be able to see and learn how this other company implemented and uses the tool.  And get you'll also be able to talk with the people who actually use it.  Noothing against VAR's or the Technical Support Engineer's but even with their vast knowledge and experience with teaching and troubleshooting the software, I've been partial to talking to the people on the battlefront who use it day-in and day-out to get their feelings on the subject.

But that's just my opinion ... hope this helpful.

Cheers ...

RE: PDM for single user

I think users are either afraid of it or don't want to use it. Most people that use CAD are not very pc literate. They like to save their files on the desktop or somewhere they are comfortable. Getting them to use PDMW would be a short curcuit to their confort zone.
I have spent several years training engineers, designers, drafters and supervisors on how to use it. Out of approx 40-50 users, approx 6-8 use it. The rest have every excuse in the book not to use it. Too bad.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources