Software applications in design and engineering aid in product development by automating tasks and data management. The data generated in design engineering plays a crucial role in subsequent activities during the product lifecycle, such as procurement, manufacturing, commissioning, and support. It is important that the data created by design and engineering software applications is seamlessly integrated with other business systems.
Design and engineering software applications like computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE), integrate with product data management (PDM) software to manage and control access to the files, ensuring that the right people have the right data at the right time. PDM software works alongside product lifecycle management (PLM) software to manage design and engineering processes such as new product introduction (NPI), bill of materials management (BOM), and quality control. CAD software also integrates with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, which uses 2D and 3D CAD data to create computer numerical control (CNC) tool paths or slicing patterns for 3D printing. The integration of CAD and CAM with manufacturing execution systems (MES) (US Site) allows for efficient monitoring, tracking, and control of the manufacturing processes. To propagate product design data where it is needed throughout the business, design and engineering software applications integrate with business systems such as materials requirements planning (MRP) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software applications.