The management of CAD drawings, especially in large and complex projects with a high volume of CAD files, is a crucial part of CAD data management. While data management is responsible for the overall organization of all relevant project data, typically within an ECM (Enterprise Content Management System) or DMS (Document Management System), CAD drawing management focuses on the core documents—CAD drawings themselves.
Additional important documents in a CAD project include models, metadata, simulation results, and other related files. In most cases, these documents are closely linked to CAD drawings, which means that a good drawing management software must seamlessly integrate and manage these connections.
As a verified Bentley Gold Channel Partner, we help businesses choose the right platform, ensuring optimal CAD data management and drawing management, including DMS/ECM integration. With years of expertise in project management for construction and engineering projects, we provide valuable insights into process optimization and efficient data management—two key topics in today’s industry.
What is your specific use case, and where do you see room for optimization? Get in touch with us, and we will help you find the best software solution tailored to your business needs!
Key takeaways:
This article provides an overview of the topic of “CAD drawing management” and what needs to be considered in practice and when selecting the right software. In addition, typical challenges that can arise when managing CAD drawings are examined in more detail.
Finally, a particularly interesting software solution is presented that can make work easier and faster – and is therefore particularly economical.
Which software is suitable for CAD drawing management?
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of various software solutions suitable for CAD drawing management and describes the approach/type of software and typical use cases:
Bentley Systems ProjectWise | Project collaboration and CAD drawing management software from Bentley Systems, specifically designed for infrastructure projects. ProjectWise offers numerous features for drawing management and workflow automation. |
Autodesk Vault | PDM (Product Data Management) software from Autodesk, specifically designed for managing CAD drawings and other design data. Includes functions for versioning, access control and data organization. |
Dassault Systèmes ENOVIA | PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solution from Dassault Systèmes that provides comprehensive tools for managing CAD drawings, other linked CAD data and other product information. |
PTC Windchill | PTC’s PLM software, which enables CAD data management, versioning, change tracking and real-time collaboration, is used in complex product development projects. |
Siemens Teamcenter | A comprehensive PLM solution from Siemens that enables CAD data management (including drawing management), version control, change management and data integration into business processes. |
SolidWorks PDM | PDM software from Dassault Systèmes, specifically designed to manage SolidWorks files and other design data/drawings. |
Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle | Cloud-based PLM solution from Autodesk for managing CAD data (including drawing management), project documentation, change management and collaboration, seamless integration with other Autodesk products. |
Aras Innovator | Scalable PLM platform that supports CAD data management, change management and collaboration, has an open architecture that enables integration with different CAD systems. |
Professional and comprehensive CAD drawing management includes organization, storage, versioning and access control of CAD drawings and the data directly linked to the drawings. Let’s take a closer look at the four central aspects:
Organizational structure of the software: Systematics of filing or saving and correct categorization / tagging of all CAD drawings, usually based on projects, project / construction phases or other logical and hierarchical structures
Versioning / change management: Tracking any changes to drawings; this avoids version conflicts and ensures that the most current version or the correct version is always used
Control of access / definition of user rights: Settings for who can access which drawings (view) and who can actually edit them
Another important point in practice is integration into workflows, be it existing ones or newly defined ones. Smooth workflows are ensured through direct and error-free integration of CAD drawing management via suitable software into existing design and construction processes.
Industries that particularly benefit from professional CAD drawing management
The smooth management of CAD drawings is naturally particularly important in industries in which a particularly large number of particularly complex CAD drawings are created, regularly updated and retained long after the project has been completed. Prime examples are industries such as construction, mechanical engineering/manufacturing, utilities and, of course, the automotive and aviation industries.
construction industry | Coordination between architects, engineers and construction companies is essential. Good CAD drawing management helps to efficiently organize all plans and drawings, control versions and track changes – and make it all visible to all project partners. |
mechanical engineering / manufacturing industry | Effective CAD drawing management ensures that everyone involved always has access to the latest versions, which minimizes errors and increases production quality, as these industries require precise design drawings and models for the manufacture of components and machines. |
Utility companies | Energy and water utility companies use CAD drawings to plan and maintain utility networks. Structured management of these drawings is crucial for maintaining and expanding network infrastructure and for complying with regulatory requirements. |
Automotive and aviation industries | These sectors are subject to particularly high demands on precision and documentation. Professional CAD drawing management helps to organize complex design data, track change processes and coordinate collaboration between different departments and suppliers. |
As a rule of thumb, the larger, more complex and the higher the budget, the less you can do without professional and dedicated software for CAD drawing management. Not to mention aspects of safety (e.g. power plants and other critical infrastructure) and legal aspects (e.g. legal disputes afterwards).
Checklist: choose the right software for CAD drawing management
When choosing the right software for CAD drawing management, companies have to consider many important criteria. That’s why we have put together a checklist for you:
- Functionality / adaptability: the software must – logically! – offer all basic functions such as versioning, change management, access control, and in many scenarios integration with existing CAD systems is important
- User friendliness / training requirements: the more intuitive the user interface and the easier it is to use, the higher the acceptance in the team will be – and experience shows that training costs will be lower
- Scalability / future-proofing: ideally the software should be scalable in order to be adaptable to the size of the company and the projects
- Security / compliance: every solution must meet strict security standards and compliance requirements, this is especially true for companies in regulated industries
- Costs / total costs: the total cost of a solution is crucial for companies, so in addition to license fees and implementation, maintenance and required training must also be taken into account
Conclusion and recommendation / tip
Are you not completely satisfied with your current solution for CAD drawing management? Are you already using Microstation from Bentley Systems? Would you like to manage your CAD engineering data even more intelligently and particularly economically in the future?
Then CME BElink2ELO is a recommended solution because it is superior to other products for Bentley CAD data, enables intelligent drawing management with a full range of ECM functions and is also the clear market leader in terms of cost-effectiveness. We will answer your questions and advise you on this and related topics based on your needs!