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                                                                    Exhibit 10.3

                        WORKGROUP TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

                        1996 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

Article 1 - Purpose.
-------------------

      This 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan") is intended to
encourage stock ownership by all eligible employees of Workgroup Technology
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and its participating
subsidiaries (as defined in Article 17) so that they may share in the growth of
the Company by acquiring or increasing their proprietary interest in the
Company. The Plan is designed to encourage eligible employees to remain in the
employ of the Company. It is intended that options issued pursuant to this Plan
will constitute options issued pursuant to an "employee stock purchase plan"
within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code").

Article 2 - Administration of the Plan.
--------------------------------------

      The Plan may be administered by a committee appointed by the Board of
Directors of the Company (the "Committee"). The Committee shall consist of not
less than two members of the Company's Board of Directors. The Board of
Directors may from time to time remove members from, or add members to, the
Committee. Vacancies on the Committee, however caused, shall be filled by the
Board of Directors. The Committee may select one of its members as Chairman, and
shall hold meetings at such times and places as it may determine. Acts by a
majority of the Committee, or acts reduced to or approved in writing by a
majority of the members of the Committee, shall be the valid acts of the
Committee.

      The interpretation and construction by the Committee of any provisions of
the Plan or of any option granted under it shall be final, unless otherwise
determined by the Board of Directors. The Committee may from time to time adopt
such rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan as it may deem best,
provided that any such rules and regulations shall be applied on a uniform basis
to all employees under the Plan. No member of the Board of Directors or the
Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith
with respect to the Plan or any option granted under it.

      In the event the Board of Directors fails to appoint or refrains from
appointing a Committee, the Board of Directors shall have all power and
authority to administer the Plan. In such event, the word "Committee" wherever
used herein shall be deemed to mean the Board of Directors.

Article 3 - Eligible Employees.
------------------------------

      All employees of the Company or any of its participating subsidiaries
shall be eligible to receive options under this Plan to purchase the Company's
Common Stock, and all eligible employees shall have the same rights and
privileges hereunder. Persons who are employed on the first day of any Payment
Period (as defined in Article 5) shall receive their options as of such

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day. Persons who are employed after any date on which options are granted under
this Plan shall be granted options on the first day of the next succeeding
Payment Period on which options are granted to all eligible employees. In no
event may an employee be granted an option if such employee, immediately after
the option is granted, owns stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the
total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or
of its parent corporation or subsidiary corporations, as the terms "parent
corporation" and "subsidiary corporation" are defined in Section 424(e) and (f)
of the Code. For purposes of determining stock ownership under this paragraph,
the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply, and stock which the
employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned
by the employee.

      For purposes of this Article 3, the term "employee" shall not include an
employee whose customary employment is twenty (20) hours or less per week or
whose customary employment is for not more than five (5) months in any calendar
year.

Article 4 - Stock Subject to the Plan.
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      The stock subject to the options under the Plan shall be shares of the
Company's authorized but unissued Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, or
shares of such Common Stock reacquired by the Company, including shares
purchased in the open market. The aggregate number of shares which may be issued
pursuant to the Plan is 350,000, subject to adjustment as provided in Article
12. In the event any option granted under the Plan shall expire or terminate for
any reason without having been exercised in full or shall cease for any reason
to be exercisable in whole or in part, the unpurchased shares subject thereto
shall again be available under the Plan.

Article 5 - Payment Period and Stock Options.
--------------------------------------------

      The six-month periods, August 1 to January 31 and February 1 to July 31
are Payment Periods during which payroll deductions will be accumulated under
the Plan. Each Payment Period includes only regular pay days falling within it.
The first Payment Period under the Plan will commence on August 1, 1996 and
expire on January 31, 1997.

      Twice each year, on the first business day of each Payment Period, the
Company will grant to each eligible employee who is then a participant in the
Plan an option to purchase on the last day of such Payment Period, at the Option
Price hereinafter provided for, a maximum of 500 shares, on condition that such
employee remains eligible to participate in the Plan throughout such Payment
Period. The participant shall be entitled to exercise such option so granted
only to the extent of the participant's accumulated payroll deductions on the
last day of such Payment Period. In the event that the participant's accumulated
payroll deductions on the last day of the Payment Period would enable the
participant to purchase more than 500 shares except for the 500-share
limitation, the excess of the amount of the accumulated payroll deductions over
the aggregate purchase price of the 500 shares shall be promptly refunded to the
participant by the Company, without interest. The Option Price for each Payment
Period shall be the lesser of (i) 85% of the average market price of the
Company's Common Stock on the first business day of the Payment Period or (ii)
85% of the average market price of the Company's Common Stock on the last
business day of the Payment Period, in either event rounded up to avoid
fractions of a dollar other than 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4. The foregoing limitation

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on the number of shares which may be granted in any Payment Period and the
Option Price per share shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Article 12.

      For purposes of this Plan, the term "average market price" on any date
means (i) the average (on that date) of the high and low prices of the Company's
Common Stock on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common
Stock is traded, if the Common Stock is then traded on a national securities
exchange; or (ii) the last reported sale price (on that date) of the Common
Stock on the Nasdaq National Market List, if the Common Stock is not then traded
on a national securities exchange; or (iii) the average of the closing bid and
asked prices last quoted (on that date) by an established quotation service for
over-the-counter securities, if the Common Stock is not reported on the Nasdaq
National Market List. If the Company's Common Stock is not publicly traded at
the time an option is granted under this Plan, "average market price" shall mean
the fair market value of the Common Stock as determined by the Committee after
taking into consideration all factors which it deems appropriate, including,
without limitation, recent sale and offer prices of the Common Stock in private
transactions negotiated at arm's length.

      For purposes of this Plan, the term "business day" means a day on which
there is trading on the Nasdaq National Market System or on the aforementioned
national securities exchange, whichever is applicable pursuant to the preceding
paragraph.

      No employee shall be granted an option which permits the employee's right
to purchase Common Stock under this Plan, and under all other Section 423(b)
employee stock purchase plans of the Company or any parent or subsidiary
corporations, to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of fair market value of
such stock (determined at the time such option is granted) for each calendar
year in which such option is outstanding at any time. The purpose of the
limitation in the preceding sentence is to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the
Code.

Article 6 - Exercise of Option.
------------------------------

      Each eligible employee who continues to be a participant in the Plan on
the last business day of a Payment Period shall be deemed to have exercised
his/her option on such date and shall be deemed to have purchased from the
Company such number of full shares of Common Stock reserved for the purpose of
the Plan as his/her accumulated payroll deductions on such date will pay for at
the Option Price, subject to the 500-share limit of the option. If a participant
is not an employee on the last business day of a Payment Period, he/she shall
not be entitled to exercise his/her option. Only full shares of Common Stock may
be purchased under the Plan. Unused payroll deductions remaining in an
employee's account at the end of a Payment Period (other than amounts refunded
to the employee pursuant to Article 5) will be carried forward to the succeeding
Payment Period.

Article 7 - Authorization for Entering the Plan.
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      An employee may enter the Plan by filling out, signing and delivering to
the Company an authorization:

         A. Stating the percentage to be deducted regularly from the employee's
 pay;

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              B.   Authorizing the purchase of stock for the employee in each
      Payment Period in accordance with the terms of the Plan; and

              C.   Specifying the exact name in which stock purchased for the
      employee is to be issued as provided under Article 11 hereof.

      Such authorization must be received by the Company at least ten (10) days
before the beginning date of the next succeeding Payment Period.

      Unless an employee files a new authorization or withdraws from the Plan,
the deductions and purchases under the authorization the employee has on file
under the Plan will continue from one Payment Period to succeeding Payment
Periods as long as the Plan remains in effect.

      The Company will accumulate and hold for the employee's account the
amounts deducted from his/her pay. No interest will be paid on these amounts.

Article 8 - Maximum Amount of Payroll Deductions.
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      An employee may authorize payroll deductions in an amount (expressed as a
percentage) not less than one percent (1%) but not more than ten percent (10%)
of the employee's total compensation, including base pay or salary and any
bonuses or commissions.

Article 9 - Change in Payroll Deductions.
----------------------------------------

      Deductions may not be increased or decreased during a Payment Period.
However, an employee may withdraw in full from the Plan.

Article 10 - Withdrawal from the Plan.
-------------------------------------

      An employee may withdraw from the Plan in whole but not in part, at any
time prior to the last business day of each Payment Period by delivering a
withdrawal notice to the Company, in which event the Company will promptly
refund the entire balance of the employee's deductions not previously used to
purchase stock under the Plan.

      To re-enter the Plan, an employee who has previously withdrawn must file a
new authorization at least ten (10) days before the beginning date of the next
Payment Period. The employee's re-entry into the Plan cannot, however, become
effective before the beginning of the next Payment Period following his/her
withdrawal.

Article 11 - Issuance of Stock.
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      Certificates for stock issued to participants will be delivered as soon as
practicable after each Payment Period by the Company's transfer agent.

      Stock purchased under the Plan will be issued only in the name of the
employee, or if his/her authorization so specifies, in the name of the employee
and another person of legal age as joint tenants with rights of survivorship.

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Article 12 - Adjustments.
------------------------

      Upon the happening of any of the following described events, an optionee's
rights under options granted under the Plan shall be adjusted as hereinafter
provided:

              A. In the event shares of Common Stock of the Company shall be
      subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares or if,
      upon a reorganization, split-up, liquidation, recapitalization or the like
      of the Company, the shares of the Company's Common Stock shall be
      exchanged for other securities of the Company, each optionee shall be
      entitled, subject to the conditions herein stated, to purchase such number
      of shares of Common Stock or amount of other securities of the Company as
      were exchangeable for the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company
      which such optionee would have been entitled to purchase except for such
      action, and appropriate adjustments shall be made in the purchase price
      per share to reflect such subdivision, combination or exchange; and

              B. In the event the Company shall issue any of its shares as a
      stock dividend upon or with respect to the shares of stock of the class
      which shall at the time be subject to option hereunder, each optionee upon
      exercising such an option shall be entitled to receive (for the purchase
      price paid upon such exercise) the shares as to which he/she is exercising
      his/her option and, in addition thereto (at no additional cost), such
      number of shares of the class or classes in which such stock dividend or
      dividends were declared or paid, and such amount of cash in lieu of
      fractional shares, as is equal to the number of shares thereof and the
      amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares, respectively, which he/she
      would have received if he/she had been the holder of the shares as to
      which he/she is exercising his/her option at all times between the date of
      the granting of such option and the date of its exercise.

      Upon the happening of any of the foregoing events, the class and aggregate
number of shares set forth in Article 4 hereof which are subject to options
which have been or may be granted under the Plan and the limitations set forth
in the second paragraph of Article 5 shall also be appropriately adjusted to
reflect the events specified in paragraphs A and B above. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any adjustments made pursuant to paragraphs A or B shall be made only
to the extent that the Committee, based on advice of counsel for the Company,
determines that such adjustments will not constitute a change requiring
stockholder approval under Section 423(b)(2) of the Code.

      If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another entity in
a merger, a sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets or
otherwise (an "Acquisition"), the Committee shall, with respect to options then
outstanding under this Plan, either (i) make appropriate provision for the
continuation of such options by arranging for the substitution on an equitable
basis for the shares then subject to such options the consideration payable with
respect to the outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock in connection
with the Acquisition; or (ii) terminate all outstanding options in exchange for
a cash payment equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares
subject to the options (determined as of the date of the Acquisition) over the
Option Price thereof (determined with reference only to the first business day
of the applicable Payment Period).

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      The Committee or Board of Directors shall determine the adjustments to be
made under this Article 12, and its determination shall be conclusive.

Article 13 - No Transfer or Assignment of Employee's Rights.
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      An employee's rights under the Plan are the employee's alone and may not
be transferred or assigned to, or availed of by, any other person other than by
will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any option granted under the Plan
to an employee may be exercised, during the employee's lifetime, only by the
employee.

Article 14 - Termination of Employee's Rights,
---------------------------------------------

      An employee's rights under the Plan will terminate when he/she ceases to
be an employee because of retirement, voluntary or involuntary termination,
resignation, lay-off, discharge, death, change of status or for any other
reason, except that if an employee is on a leave of absence from work during the
last three months of any Payment Period, he/she shall be deemed to be a
participant in the Plan on the last day of that Payment Period. A withdrawal
notice will be considered as having been received from the employee on the day
his/her employment ceases, and all payroll deductions not used to purchase stock
will be refunded.

      If an employee's payroll deductions are interrupted by any legal process,
a withdrawal notice will be considered as having been received from the employee
on the day the interruption occurs.

Article 15 - Termination and Amendments to Plan.
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      Unless terminated sooner as provided below, the Plan shall terminate on
January 26, 2006. The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Company's Board
of Directors but such termination shall not affect options then outstanding
under the Plan. It will terminate in any case when all or substantially all of
the unissued shares of stock reserved for the purposes of the Plan have been
purchased. If at any time shares of stock reserved for the purpose of the Plan
remain available for purchase but not in sufficient number to satisfy all then
unfilled purchase requirements, the available shares shall be apportioned among
participants in proportion to their options and the Plan shall terminate. Upon
such termination or any other termination of the Plan, all payroll deductions
not used to purchase stock will be refunded.

      The Committee or the Board of Directors may from time to time adopt
amendments to the Plan provided that, without the approval of the stockholders
of the Company, no amendment may (i) materially increase the number of shares
that may be issued under the Plan (except pursuant to Article 12) or change the
class of employees eligible to receive options under the Plan or (ii) cause Rule
16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to become inapplicable to the
Plan.

Article 16 - Limits on Sale of Stock Purchased Under the Plan.
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      The Plan is intended to provide shares of Common Stock for investment and
not for resale. The Company does not, however, intend to restrict or influence
any employee in the conduct of his/her own affairs. An employee may, therefore,
sell stock purchased under the Plan at any

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time the employee chooses, subject to compliance with any applicable Federal or
state securities laws; provided, however, that because of certain Federal tax
requirements, each employee agrees by entering the Plan, promptly to give the
Company notice of any such stock disposed of within two years after the date of
grant of the applicable option showing the number of such shares disposed of.
THE EMPLOYEE ASSUMES THE RISK OF ANY MARKET FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICE OF THE
STOCK.

Article 17 - Participating Subsidiaries.
---------------------------------------

      The term "participating subsidiary" shall mean any subsidiary of the
Company, as that term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code, which is
designated from time to time by the Board of Directors to participate in the
Plan. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make such designation
before or after the Plan is approved by the stockholders.

Article 18 - Optionees Not Stockholders.
---------------------------------------

      Neither the granting of an option to an employee nor the deductions from
his/her pay shall constitute such employee a stockholder of the shares covered
by an option until such shares have been actually purchased by the employee.

Article 19 - Application of Funds.
---------------------------------

      The proceeds received by the Company from the sale of Common Stock
pursuant to options granted under the Plan will be used for general corporate
purposes.

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Article 20 - Governmental Regulations.
-------------------------------------

      The Company's obligation to sell and deliver shares of the Company's
Common Stock under this Plan is subject to the approval of any governmental
authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance or sale of
such shares, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal
Revenue Service.

Article 21 - Approval of Board of Directors and Stockholders of the Company.
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      The Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on January 26, 1996 and the
stockholders of the Company as of January 26, 1996.