Whether you are visualizing a new product or project, and want to use a 3D model to turn your vision into reality, or track product information, you can create it under the general term “product data management.” It sounds simple enough, but with this concept can come a lot of complications. With the amount of data, processes, and passing between other team members, things can become difficult to manage and messy.
A product data management (PDM) system is used to manage design data and engineering processes in a central location. The engineering team uses PDM software to organize product-related information, track revisions, collaborate, manage change orders, and generate bills of materials. PDM software will help a team across an organization manage and make sense of data when creating a product from start to finish.
However, as the world evolves from having physical products stored in warehouses to e-commerce, companies are using PDM software to develop and manage their brands.
Below is a list of the top 15 best data management software you can choose from.
Top 15 Best Product Data Management Software
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SolidWorks PDM | Request quote | Usability |
| 2. GrabCAD Workbench | $416/ month | Distributed teams |
| 3. Epicor Kinetic | Request quote | Manufacturers |
| 4. PDXpert | $17/ month | Engineering teams |
| 5. Synergies Software | $19/ month | Design documents |
| 6. Plytix | Free – $300/ month | E-commerce |
| 7. Specright | Request quote | Specification management |
| 8. Syndigo | Request quote | Analytics |
| 9. Salsify | Request quote | Digital assets |
| 10. Catsy | Request quote | User friendliness |
| 11. Akeneo | Request quote | End-users and developers |
| 12. aPriori | Request demo | Product lifecycle management |
| 13. Delogue PLM | $134/ month | Apparel & Lifestyle |
| 14. PTC | Request quote | Variety of products offered |
| 15. Autodesk Vault | $735/ month | Enterprises |
#1. SolidWorks PDM – Best Product Data Management Software for Usability
Pricing: Requires quote
Their proprietary platform 3DExperience allows your business to use their VR technology to create new products and services. Your vision can go from the creative stage to planning to development. Access real-time data on your product’s design, manufacturing, and marketing all on SolidWorks PDM’s powerful platform. Regardless, Whether you take the VR route or not, SolidWorks PDM provides a large selection of PDM tools for any business owner.
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive UI | Long setup time |
| Can be complicated |
#2. GrabCAD Workbench – Best Product Management Software for Distributed Teams
Pricing: Starts at $416USD/ month for 25 licenses
Cloud-based PDM software that helps your team track, update, and work inside your CAD system. One of the great things about being cloud based is the ability to access files from anywhere in the world. All you need is a computer. With how the world is operating now on a grand scale, stay on the same page with all of your team members with the click of a button. Some features GrabCAD offers are 3D print preparation, multi-printer control, CAD agnostics, scheduling, business intelligence, and advanced FDM control.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great for remote workers | Bugs in software as company was recently acquired |
| Works with sites like DropBox | Limited preview file types |
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#3. Epicor Kinetic – Best Product Data Management Software for Manufacturers
Pricing: Requires Quote
This powerful cloud ERP is made specifically for the manufacturing industry. If you use Epicor as an ERP, it will be easier to add Kinetic as a module to your business. This powerful company has been in this field for more than 30 years and is a major player in the manufacturing field.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great if you’re using Epicor’s suite of cloud-based programs, Kinetic can be added quickly and easily | Caters to manufacturing, distribution, construction and automotive industries |
#4. PDXpert – Best Product Data Management Software for Engineering Teams
Pricing: Starts at $17USD/ month per user
PDXpert is created and run by a group of engineers, taking into account product ingenuity during the production process. Their platform includes modules suitable for handling bills of materials (BoM), documents, electronic files, and change forms and workflow management. They also offer ‘share my screen with an engineer’ where you can be connected to one of their team members if you ever need troubleshooting on their platform.
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers discounts | Features can be limited |
| Offers a 3-week free trial | UI can be modernized |
| Affordable |
#5. Synergies Software – Best Product Management Software for Design Documents
Pricing: Starts at $19USD/ month per user
Integrate with AutoCad, SolidWorks, MicroStation, Inventor, SolidEdge, Word, Excel and more using Synergies Software’s suite of powerful tools. Connect your team with real-time collaboration through web-based applications. One of the world leaders in engineer information management. Synergies Software has over 30 years’ experience in product management.
| Pros | Cons |
| Multiple permissions levels can be accessed for products requiring more than one stakeholder | Performance issues, users often complain about slow run times |
| Webinars and training provided |
#6. Plytix – Best Product Data Management Software for E-Commerce
Pricing: Free platform available, then starts at $300USD/ monthly
This intuitive IU gives you an overview of all your products and information in one single dashboard. The view for your platform can be customized to show exactly what columns you’d like to keep track of. If you’re using the platform amongst multiple users, each user has access to their own view of the data. The platform is ideal for retailers, e-commerce owners, and businesses that work with multiple suppliers in the market.
| Pros | Cons |
| Their REST API can enable a bridge between their software to any dataset | API can be time consuming to set up, especially if you have a large number of SKUs |
#7. Specright – Best Product Data Management Software for Specification Management
Pricing: Offers free trial, then requires quote
This software provides proprietary technology to help you manage the building blocks of your product. Anything you need to make a product like the tiny nuts and bolts or ingredients to a cake can be tracked and managed in Specright’s platform. They focus on managing up to 60,000 products to help you reduce costs and digitize your supply chain.
| Pros | Cons |
| Videos and webinars available for training | Slow performance |
#8. Syndigo – Best Product Data Management Software for Analytics
Pricing: Requires quote
Combine all of your supply chain, logistics, and distribution needs all in one platform. In terms of solutions they offer: product information management, e-commerce analytics, content creation, and more. What sets them apart from the competition is they offer their ‘content experience hub’ which is a solution that helps you optimize your digital assets through syndication amongst their 12,000 global brands. That means you can create, manage, and optimize your product data all with the effectiveness of using Syndigo’s vast network of product data.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong support team | Pay model is SKU based |
| Easy to understand UI | Publishing a product does not push to all consumer websites |
#9. Salsify – Best Product Data Management Software for Digital Assets
Pricing: Requires quote
Combine all of your digital products into one platform where you can create, analyze, and manage your product data under one roof. The UI is intuitive enough that any department head and its users can use the functions of the platform. They have drag-and-drop functionality in their UI, allowing you to customize workflows and manage product data the way you want.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great for thousands of SKUs | Most integrated retailers are US-based |
| Cloud-based |
#10. Catsy – Best Product Data Management Software for User Friendliness
Pricing: Requires quote
Centralize, optimize, and publish new and existing products in Catsy’s platform. For product data such as images, descriptions, and statistics, it can be time-consuming to update spreadsheets and keep them updated. With Catsy’s platform, all of your data is automatically synced and kept up to data to and from your database and storefront.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great customer service | No user training documentation |
| Intuitive system that requires little training |
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#11. Akeneo – Best Product Data Management Software for End-Users and Developers
Pricing: Requires quote
A global leader in the product data management space, Akeneo aims to deliver an all-in-one omnichannel product experience. They offer different editions of the platform depending on your needs. Some of the integrations they provide are integrations with major e-commerce companies such as Shopify, Salesforce, Bigcommerce, Magento Commerce, etc.
| Pros | Cons |
| Includes 3D-modeling | Modeling module can be clunky |
| Not cloud-based | Needs to be install in Virtual Machine – IT experience required |
#12. aPriori – Best Product Data Management Software for Product Lifecycle Management
Pricing: Requires demo request
Define your goals, plan deployment, and sustain long term value across multiple departments. aPriori can help you stay on track when managing your daily activities, while providing ways to reduce costs and deal with manufacturing-related issues.
| Pros | Cons |
| RFQ functionality included | Some functionality requires addon |
| Not compatible with some CAD software | |
| For a more accurate cost estimate, some manual input may be required |
#13. Delogue PLM – Best Product Data Management Software for Apparel & Lifestyle
Pricing: Starts at $134USD/ month
From concept to market, Delogue helps you and your team increase productivity by giving you access to a web-based platform. The platform is used by designers and product developers to connect your development team and suppliers. Some of the key functions they provide are analysis, collection planning, procurement and cost management, and sample management.
| Pros | Cons |
| Has product marketing functions, such as product copy creation | The company is located in Denmark; pricing is in Euros |
#14. PTC – Best Product Data Management Software for Variety of Products Offered
Pricing: Requires quote
Stay on top of the every changing technology environment by using PTC Windchill’s software to stay on top of tasks and keep up with manufacturers. From concept design to production, PTC’s platform takes you through every design challenge scenario.
| Pros | Cons |
| Integration with CREO Cad software | Expensive |
| Great for automotive and manufacturing companies | No proper user documentation |
#15. Autodesk Vault – Best Product Data Management Software for Enterprises
Pricing: Starts at $735USD/ annually, contact sales for better quote
Massive global company that is a leading provider of PDM software. Autodesk Vault also offers CAD software amongst their many other products. They also provide student prices for anyone who wants to enter engineering. They provide more than 50 different products, including Upchain, Cloud PDM.
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers deals on the platform if you sign up for 3 years | Complicated setup |
| Great for bigger teams | Crashes often |
| Maintaining the system requires a lot of IT |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between PIM, PCM, PDM, PLM?
Software that helps your business manage the product management lifecycle can be called different acronyms. Whether it’s PIM (Product Information Manager), PCM (Product Content Manager), or PDM (Product Data Management), PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) all of these tools aid in the process of collecting and making sense of product data in one form or another.
What the future of Product Data Management Software?
PDM can be a limiting tool in today’s world, especially in industries that are not related to sectors in technology, engineering, and design. With the world moving towards online retailing, you can still use a PDM to manage your inventory. However, with so many new products being launched every day, the industry has expanded to include software that allows you to handle large product catalogs.
What are the major areas PDM software helps your business in?
In addition to managing and storing product data, PDM software also specializes in providing services to companies that have multiple teams to handle your products. If you have multiple teams in different departments such as CAD design, engineering, tool design, production, etc., it may be difficult to coordinate between the teams, especially when all the teams are not in the same office.
What makes PDM software different than an ERP or a CRM?
Although ERP can host a large number of different types of data, and CRM will host customer data, PDM will exclusively store your product data. This idea can vary in terms of process management, data collection, and analytics based on the data. Putting this information in a separate database can bring convenience to your team and separate the processes required for this type of work.