Top 15 PLM vendors

Autodesk

The Upchain and Vault systems from Autodesk offers teams a framework for collaboration with the various Autodesk CAD tools. Both work together to track projects so that designers, managers, quality-control inspectors, and suppliers can ensure that the right parts fit together to form a working product. Upchain is a cloud-based tool available at three access levels (Participant, Team, and Professional). The Vault platform is available at three levels for three different sizes of endeavors: Basic, Workgroup, and Professional. The Basic version stores and indexes CAD models for faster searching. The Workgroup version adds more features for collaboration through the lifecycle of design and revision. The Professional version can provide a centralized repository for a multisite team with an expanded scope and extra features for tasks such as organizing documentation, tracking bills of materials, or automating change orders.

AVEVA Group

The Wonderware product is now called AVENA Systems Platform but it is still focused on helping heavy industries, especially those in energy production or marine environments. The tool is part of a constellation of products that integrate 3D design with process control and management. The Enterprise Resource Manager tool, for instance, helps plan and manage the creation of large industrial projects in a sustainable and efficient way. Forward-thinking analysis is now easier with a Predictive Analytics module that offers forecasts based on data from the rest of the cloud-based collection.

Bentley Systems

Bentley delivers a wide range of tools for managing factories and production lines in what they call a Connected Data Environment. ProjectWise, for instance, is a project delivery tool that organizes the various stages of individual projects. Many of the tools in their CDE are now integrated with Siemen’s Teamcenter so that information can flow between production line managers and the designers and marketing teams. 

Dassault Systems

The pipeline at the core of Dassault Systems’s PLM product line ties together 3D modeling, design, simulation, and production with a consistent and well-integrated suite of tools. Designers can rely on Catia to produce production models with a collaborative team. Testing with Simula can detect issues before even the first prototype is realized. Version 5 offers a broad range of feature-focused options such as finding ways to strip away unneeded materials to deliver a lighter device with all of the same features. The company is also expanding its line. 3DVia, for instance, helps marketing teams put virtual models directly into the hands of customers so they can see what they might purchase on their screen. Some of their work is even heading further afield. Geovia is deploying some design and simulation code to model the planet and its environment.

Hexagon

The JCMIS (Joint Configuration Management Information System) from Hexagon links together the various stakeholders to build consensus when developing products, usually for the US Department of Defense. The tool offers a closed-loop system in which inspectors and users can communicate directly with developers to ensure deliverables meet standards and provide solutions. Dashboards track the various parts of the projects through a secure, web-based application. Hexagon built the system for defense contractors, and it complies with important standards and security mandates.

OpenBOM

The cloud-based, multi-tenant OpenBOM began as a way to gather bills of materials across a supply chain, but it’s grown to be a full collaboration platform to synchronize all stages of design, change, and production. Data analytics and a curated knowledge graph can drive decisions. There are versions available for single professionals, small teams, and larger enterprises. A free version enables a single user to experiment.