Welcome to part 2 of our three-part series on using SOLIDWORKS PDM with Visiativ PLM for BOM Management.

In the first part we looked at how SOLIDWORKS assembly information can be automatically translated into BOM information within Visiativ PLM. If you haven’t seen it yet, we’d recommend starting here before continuing.

Now, over to Dave Harrowell, PLM consultant at Visiativ UK & Ireland for part 2…

Designs rarely stay unchanged. In this second part, I’ll be demonstrating how a design change made in SOLIDWORKS can be carried through PDM and incorporated into controlled BOM updates within Visiativ PLM.

It’s important to note that PDM updates cannot change released items in PLM. The PLM system “owns” the engineering BOM and associated xBOMs, and only the PLM can create and update new versions.

In the BOM Management video below we will:

• Review the BOMs in PLM  (note that they all call for an ‘ACME Motor’)
• Create a new revision of the engineering BOM
• Replace the ACME Motor in SOLIDWORKS and process the change though PDM
• Regenerate the new engineering BOM structure to include the new motor
• Create new versions of the mBOM and sBOM and link them to the eBOM

Conclusion

By managing BOM changes through controlled revisions in Visiativ PLM, design updates made in SOLIDWORKS can flow through to manufacturing and service BOMs without affecting released information. This gives every team access to the correct, traceable version while ensuring PLM remains the authoritative source for BOM management.

In Part 3 (coming soon), we’ll explore the next stage of the process and show how SOLIDWORKS PDM and Visiativ PLM work together across the wider product lifecycle. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this article to stay up to date!

Ready to Find Out More?

We’ve explored similar topics on SOLIDWORKS PDM, Visiativ PLM and BOM Management in the following guides:

• SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and Visiativ PLM together
• How PLM can help manage your bills of materials
• Visiativ PLM guides

To learn more about Visiativ PLM and how it can help you and your team with BOM Management, please reach out to our team using the form below.

		About the author: This product guide was written by Product Lifecycle Management Consultant, Dave Harrowell. Dave has been implementing PLM and PDM systems since 1998.
			View Dave Harrowell’s LinkedIn Profile here.