If you have been using Solidworks PDM products, you may be frustrated by the recent end of life (EOL) announcements about Solidworks PDM Web Client, Solidworks Explorer, and Solidworks Workgroup PDM. None of these critical products will be supported after this year. In addition, they are also transitioning Solidworks PDM EOL support for numerous versions of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft SQL Server. Solidworks does not support operating in a Mac environment.

This rash of EOL announcements leaves companies in a difficult position. With many or most employees working from home, upgrading products can be difficult at best and impossible in some cases because of slow home office internet speeds or lack of time to complete all the necessary upgrades at once. Even a lack of employee technical skills contributes to the problem.

If you’re facing this impossible situation, you may be fed up and looking for a change. The good news is there are many viable options. Here are our top three choices.

Solidworks PDM EOL Replacement Options

Onshape

Onshape is an engineering product suite that was born in the cloud. Rather than force companies to adopt and integrate separate CAD, PDM, collaboration tools, and analytics, Onshape combines all these necessary functions in a single license. Standard and professional license pricing is transparent, at $1,500 and $2,100 per user, per year, respectively. Because Onshape is 100% cloud-based, all your WFH users need is browser access to take advantage of Onshape’s functionality.

Onshape combines all the tools you need for manufacturing operations and management into a single platform.

Onshape includes tools for:

  • Part and assembly modeling
  • Surfacing and sheet metal modeling
  • Drawings
  • Formal release management
  • Multiple custom workflows and approvals
  • Unlimited versioning and branching for designs
  • Automated part numbering
  • Project-based reporting
  • Role-based access control
  • Company-specific domains
  • Guided onboarding

All of the tools are incredibly easy to use so your entire team can get up and running quickly. Plus, Onshape’s modern user interface streamlines complex tasks and its behind-the-scenes architecture eliminates the need for complex integrations and batch jobs like earlier generation PDM products like Solidworks require.

ENOVIA

ENOVIA from Dassault Systèmes supports:

  • Business modeling and planning uses an enterprise digital twin to identify and capitalize on market opportunities, helping to ensure that plans are in alignment with the corporate strategy and objectives.
  • Product configuration does form, fit, and function analysis to ensure the products meet requirements.
  • Quality and compliance management helps to optimize quality practices across the entire organization and manages all quality processes such as CAPA and audits.

ENOVIA supports today’s highly collaborative cross-discipline product innovation processes and includes the ability to work safely and securely with all members of the supply chain during the entire project. ENOVIA understands the realities of today’s workforce and the need for many steps in the process to occur from home offices. ENOVIA has even partnered with 3D printing companies so engineers can safely print prototypes in their home offices, “without fear of compromising indoor air quality and the family’s health and safety.

ENOVIA PLM is easy to use and affordable for small suppliers but has the reliability required to handle critical data in larger enterprise operations too.

Windchill

Windchill has been around since 1998, and it was the first Internet-based PLM and PDM solution. It has an industry-standard open architecture that simplifies integration with enterprise applications and other IoT solutions. It includes numerous advanced capabilities, including configurable role- and task-based apps that automate expert tasks, simplified access to product data for non-expert users, 20+ free and low-cost extensions for activities such as change analysis and review, BOM subscriptions, and many more.

Windchill streamlines management and collaboration across the entire product development and manufacturing process.

Windchill is available on-premise or in the cloud, making it ideal for the current uncertain business climate, and it has three license levels, Base, Advanced, and Premium. All the license tiers are highly functional, but Premium includes preferred component supplier capabilities to support AVL/AML requirements and cross-discipline change management.

The Best Solidworks Replacement for Your Company

The Solidworks PDM EOL announcement took many of its users by surprise and left a lot of companies scrambling for an alternative solution. Usually switching major applications like PDM requires weeks or months to be sure you make the right decision, but you may not have time for the usual processes now, since you’ll need to decide on a new PDM solution in the next few weeks.

At 3 HTi, we are extremely familiar with the capabilities of these solutions and their competitors. Our professional services will help walk you through the process of deciding which one is best for your company. And while we can’t decide for you, we can say for sure you won’t go wrong with any of these three top PDM solutions.

If you’d like to learn more about the Solidworks PDM EOL announcement or your best Solidworks replacement options, just fill out the form below.