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Most PLM and PDM vendors publish long feature lists, and most of those lists look alike. The real question for a manufacturer is simpler: which features does your team actually need, what does each one do, and does a PDM cover it or do you need a PLM?
This guide goes through the essential features of PLM and PDM software for manufacturing, family by family: product data, BOMs and configurations, engineering changes, collaboration and workflows, and integrations. For each one, it explains what the feature does and what to check during an evaluation.
PLM vs PDM features at a glance
PDM (product data management) and PLM (product lifecycle management) share a foundation, but they don't cover the same scope. PDM controls CAD files inside the engineering team. PLM extends that control to the whole product and to every team that works with it. Feature coverage varies by product, so treat this table as a general guide.
For help choosing between the two, see PLM or PDM: which one to choose.
Product data management features
CAD data management
The starting point of both PDM and PLM is a controlled vault for CAD files. Engineers check files out to work on them, which locks them for others, then check them back in as a new version. A connector inside the CAD tool lets engineers do this without leaving their design environment. In a multi-CAD environment, check that each CAD tool you use has a native connector maintained by the vendor.
Version and revision control
Version control tracks every save of a file; revision control tracks the official, released states of a part or document (revision A, B, C). Together, they prevent the most common data problem in manufacturing: two people working from different versions of the same drawing. A PLM applies revision control beyond CAD files, to parts, BOMs, and documents, and gives each item a status such as in progress, released, or obsolete.
Technical document management
Specifications, test reports, supplier certificates, work instructions: much of a product's definition lives outside CAD. Technical document management stores these documents with their own versions and statuses, and links them to the parts they describe. Look for the ability to work on documents directly from Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, so teams don't have to download, edit, and upload files manually.
Search
As data grows, finding the right part or document becomes a feature in itself. Basic search filters by name, number, or property. AI-based search goes further: with Aletiq, teams can ask questions in natural language across all product data and get answers that point to the relevant parts and documents.
BOM and configuration management features
BOM management
BOM management software builds the bill of materials as a structured tree of parts, linked to their revisions, rather than as a spreadsheet. When a part changes, the PLM shows every BOM that uses it, a view often called « where used ». The best tools also derive the manufacturing BOM and routings from the engineering BOM, so production doesn't rebuild the structure by hand.
In practice: Mecano ID, a Toulouse-based space company that designs mechanical and thermal subsystems and builds composite structures, cut the time it spends managing BOMs by 70% with Aletiq.
Product configuration and variants
Many manufacturers sell several versions of the same product: options, sizes, regional variants. Product configuration management handles these variants in one structure instead of duplicating BOMs for each version. It ensures that each configuration combines compatible parts, and that the company can tell exactly which configuration it delivered to each customer. This matters most for configure-to-order products and for industries with long product lifecycles.
Engineering change management features
Engineering change management module formalizes how design changes are requested, reviewed, approved, and applied. The key features to look for:
- Workflow models: you define your change process once, with each step and the people or teams responsible for it, then launch a new workflow from that model for each change request
- A visual workflow builder, so process owners can design and adjust workflows without writing code
- Impact analysis: the PLM shows where the affected parts are used before anyone approves the change
- Notifications that tell the right people when their review is due
- Electronic signatures for approvals
- Automatic replacement of the old revision by the new one once the change is approved
Aletiq includes a visual workflow builder, so teams can model their own change and approval processes. For the full process, see our guide to engineering change management.
In practice: Ciel & Terre, a French specialist in floating solar systems, cut its engineering change cycle time by 70% with Aletiq.
Engineering collaboration and workflow features
Engineering collaboration software connects the people who design the product with the people who buy, build, and check it. In a PLM, collaboration features include:
- 3D viewing without a CAD license, so purchasing, quality, and production can open models in a browser
- Comments and mentions attached to parts, documents, and workflows, instead of scattered email threads
- Role-based access rights, by user, group, site, or project
- Approval tracking that shows who approved what, and when
- Configurable workflows for processes beyond engineering changes, such as new product introduction or document approval
At Aletiq, we believe people should be able to discuss any part, document or file in the PLM without leaving the tool. Each object has an activity feed where teams add comments, attach files, and tag colleagues, which makes collaboration smoother and keeps a complete record of every exchange. When the AI agent answers a question, it also takes these comments into account, so teams get the full picture.
PLM integrations and AI features
CAD, ERP, and other integrations
A PLM sits between design tools and business systems. Native CAD connectors keep engineering data flowing in, and an ERP integration sends released parts and BOMs to purchasing and production without double entry. Check who maintains each connector, and how quickly it supports new versions of your CAD and ERP. Aletiq connects to CAD tools including NX, SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, Creo, and Inventor, and to ERPs including SAP, Infor, Sage, Cegid, and Dynamics 365.
AI features
AI is becoming an essential part of PLM software. The most useful features today help teams find and process information faster: natural language search across product data, comparison of two documents (for example a procedure against a standard), document generation, and automatic impact analysis for engineering changes. When evaluating AI features, ask what data the AI uses and how it handles access rights.
How to evaluate PLM features
Ask for a live demo rather than recorded product videos. At Aletiq, we tailor each demo to your use cases, so you can see your future PLM working with your own data. During a demo, manufacturers usually ask the vendor to:
- Load one of their real assemblies and open it from each CAD tool they use
- Run a complete engineering change, from request to release, with their approval steps
- Show what a purchasing or quality user sees, without a CAD license
- Build a BOM variant and show where a part is used
- Explain what happens to each connector at their next CAD or ERP upgrade
These five tests reveal more about a PLM than any feature comparison. For a broader view of the market, see our PLM software examples.
Conclusion
The essential features of PLM and PDM software fall into a few families: product data management, BOMs and configurations, engineering change management, collaboration and workflows, and integrations. PDM covers the first family well for a single engineering team. PLM covers all of them and opens them to the rest of the company. The best way to compare tools is to test these features on your own data, with the people who will use them.
To see these features in Aletiq with your own parts and processes, book a demo.
FAQ
What are the key features of PLM software?
The key features of PLM software are CAD data management, version and revision control, document management, BOM management, product configuration management, engineering change workflows, collaboration tools, and integrations with CAD and ERP systems. Modern platforms also include AI features such as natural language search and document comparison.
What features does PDM software have?
PDM software provides a secure vault for CAD files, check-in and check-out, version control, and file search. Some PDM tools add basic BOM or workflow modules, but they remain centered on files and on one engineering team.
What is the difference between PLM and PDM features?
PDM features focus on CAD files and their versions inside engineering. PLM features cover the whole product: parts, BOMs, configurations, documents, and engineering changes, with access for purchasing, quality, and production and integration with the ERP.
What is product configuration management software?
Product configuration management software handles product variants and options in one structure, instead of duplicating BOMs for each version. It ensures each configuration uses compatible parts and keeps a record of which configuration each customer received.
What should engineering collaboration software include?
Engineering collaboration software should give every team access to the latest released data, let non-CAD users view 3D models and comment, control access by role, and track approvals. In a PLM, these features sit directly on the product data, so discussions stay attached to the parts and documents they concern.
