Understanding the Implementation Timeline
How long does it take to implement SOLIDWORKS PDM?
Within a structured organisational change management process, change practitioners work through three phases to achieve successful project outcomes. The overall time from start to finish will vary based on the project scope and solution defined in the first phase, and the PDM Standard the delivery phase can be as short as two days.
Phase 1
Prepare
The first phase supports management and project teams in developing a change management strategy with the end goal always in mind.
This phase spans pre-sales, and the immediate post-sale activity of the implementation check list.
Stages
Phase 2
Deliver
The second phase of the 3-Phase Process brings the change management strategy to life.
The activities in this phase involve delivering the solution, refining it, then preparing for go-live including user training and legacy data activities.
Stages
Phase 3
Sustain
The final phase establishes the approach for ensuring that the change is adopted long term.
Plan for activities including regular performance assessment, new staff onboarding, and making all existing staff aware of how to get help.
Stages
Phase 1, Preparation - What to ask?
Where should we store our data?
On-Premise Servers
An on-premise server could be a dedicated physical server, or a virtual server sat within a physical host within your own server room.
- On-premises servers offer greater control over infrastructure and data security.
- Businesses can ensure they adhere to specific data protection and regulatory requirements by hosting data in-house.
- On-premises solutions can be beneficial for businesses that need to keep data within specific geographic locations or comply with data residency regulations.
- When data is stored locally, businesses can experience faster access speeds and lower latency.
- Businesses can directly upgrade their server hardware when needed.
Cloud Servers
Cloud servers are virtual servers hosted within public (e.g. AWS) or private (e.g. iOmart) datacentres.
They typically offer pay-as-you-go pricing, on-demand resource access, and a scalable infrastructure that can be easily adjusted to changing needs.
- Cloud servers can be more cost-effective, especially for small to mid-sized businesses, as they often require lower upfront capital investment and offer flexible subscription-based pricing.
- Cloud services can typically be accessed remotely from any location with an internet connection, removing the need to a Wide Area Network (WAN).
- Cloud providers often handle the infrastructure management, freeing up in-house IT staff to focus on other tasks.
- Cloud-based Servers can often be deployed much faster than (physical) on-premises solutions.
What PDM package is right for our team?
Review the capabilities of SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and determine which package best suits your requirements. Visit our SOLIDWORKS data management page for a breakdown of the differences and a comparison matrix.
Our team of experts are happy to help advise you and can arrange a demonstration if required.
What hardware do we need for SOLIDWORKS PDM?
Before implementing SOLIDWORKS PDM, consider your existing hardware and network setups. Whether you need new, or additional server hardware will depend on several factors, notably how much data you are wanting to store within a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault.
Read our comprehensive guide to find out what you need to be aware of when choosing hardware for SOLIDWORKS PDM.
What are my options for implementing PDM?
Our SOLIDWORKS PDM implementation programs are based on proven methodologies and enable your company to smoothly and efficiently launch your PDM system.
With this approach you can gain the benefits of a PDM system and start realising return of investment in the shortest amount of time.
How do we migrate our data securely?
Alongside providing historical insights and support for regulatory compliance, legacy data is a valuable resource for future strategic decision-making.
Our Data Migration Services may be provided to both new and existing SOLIDWORKS PDM users, offering refined service levels and tools developed by our own in-house experts to ensure an efficient and secure data migration.
Discover reliable and defined migration services that value your hard work, safeguard legacy data, and scale to suit your business' needs.
How do we help the team to prepare?
For successful change, organisations must also focus on the people, and consider how to ensure that each individual embraces and adopts the change. To help different members of your organisation prepare we have gathered a collection of useful resources and presented them in the section below.
Implementation Learning Resources
To address the Organisational Change Management challenges that result from a PDM / PLM implementation the ADKAR model for change in business will be used to help provide useful resources to affected stakeholders over three phases: Planning, Build and Deploy.
Post-Go-Live Resources
Blogs & Webinars
Discover more guides, case studies, pdm news and more by reading the latest data management posts on our blog.
We regular host webinars that dive deeper into different PDM topics. View our upcoming and on-demand webinars.
Training Courses
We offer training in-person at locations across the UK & Ireland as well as online virutal training.
Our expert instructors can help you to get up to speed quickly when it comes to adminstering PDM Standard or Professional. View our SOLIDWORKS PDM training courses.
Customisation & Integration
Extend your data management capabilities with integrations for more SOLIDWORKS applications and supported-third party products.
Save time and optimise your workflows with add-ons and custom tasks that further extend PDM's capabilities or personlise it for your requirements.