Technical Data Management
Technical Data Management (TDM) refers to the set of practices and tools used to organize a product’s technical information throughout its lifecycle. In practice, TDM involves collecting, storing, and controlling all electronic data related to a product so that it can be easily accessed and reused across different business processes. The acronym PDM (Product Data Management) is often used internationally to refer to TDM and, more broadly, to production data management system software.
Why is Technical Data Management essential in industry?
Without proper technical data management, companies face serious risks: lost files leading to non-compliance, wasted time and money due to the use of incorrect files, or decisions made based on outdated information.
Conversely, a TDM system ensures that the central repository data is always accurate and up to date, thanks to version and access control. As a result, industry professionals can accelerate processes (and make them smoother) to ensure more efficient operations.
Take the example of a manufacturing company: if a design change is made to a part, working in a TDM environment ensures that everyone has access to the updated drawing. This prevents the workshop from manufacturing a part based on an outdated plan or an unvalidated document.TDM also greatly improves collaboration between teams. A product’s technical data is not only relevant to design engineers: it also contains information useful for production, quality control, maintenance, purchasing, and marketing.
All these departments need product information at some point. Centralized management avoids information silos: every stakeholder, regardless of department, can obtain the right data at the right time, without digging through scattered folders or asking for the “latest version” of a document.
The importance and role of PDM
PDM (Product Data Management) is most often implemented as dedicated software serving as the company’s digital backbone. Its main role is to centralize all product data in a single, secure, and structured repository.Instead of searching for files across internal servers, PDM provides a central location where every document, 3D model, bill of materials, and specification is stored with controlled versioning. This ensures that teams always access the most up-to-date information.In summary, managing technical data through PDM ensures centralization, collaboration, and traceability — three pillars that make effective product development possible today.
Our PLM/PDM solution: Aletiq
To illustrate TDM and PDM in practice, let’s take the example of our solution: Aletiq.Aletiq is an agile PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) platform that integrates all the functions of a traditional PDM within a broader solution. This means you benefit from both PDM and PLM, enabling you to manage the entire product lifecycle.
Our goal is to help companies of all sizes and sectors centralize their technical data, streamline workflows, and ensure regulatory compliance for their products.
With a modern, intuitive interface and a high level of adaptability to your needs, our solution enables teams to collaborate more effectively and reduce time-to-market for new products.By centralizing information, automating workflows, and ensuring detailed traceability, technical data management systems in industry help teams save time, avoid errors, and collaborate better.
Adopting a TDM approach supported by PDM software such as Aletiq means ensuring more reliable traceability, faster innovation, and simplified communication across the entire company. In short, it gives ideas and projects the best chance to come to life seamlessly — from design offices to the shop floor.
Further resources:
Technical Data Management is part of a broader ecosystem of digital solutions and practices in industry. To explore specific concepts or refine your choice of tools, discover our additional resources:
• Production Data Management System software: An overview of available solutions and their uses.
• PDM software publishers: Discover different PDM software vendors to guide your selection.
• What is PDM software?: To fully grasp the definition and objectives of such software.
