PDM Manages Versions — But It Doesn't Solve the Downstream BOM Problem
SolidWorks PDM is doing what it was designed to do: managing file versions, controlling access, and keeping your CAD data from becoming a chaotic mess of part_v3_FINAL_real_final.sldprt files. Most teams that implement it see immediate benefits in file control. But then the engineer emails the shop floor a DXF with a hand-typed filename. Procurement is working from a BOM that was exported two weeks ago. The fabrication team has a different quantity listed than what’s in the current assembly. PDM didn’t prevent any of this. ...