CAD integration for manufacturing companies

CAD integration into the ERP system makes sense. Especially for manufacturing companies that have design and production under one roof.

Most providers advertise that an ERP system can map the creation process of a product. In the best case scenario, the software supports the process from purchasing to delivery. In practice, however, this process is often interrupted by missing software modules. Another alternative is to fill this gap with CAD integration.

The path to the gap

So-called computer-aided design programmes - CAD for short - are now often an integral part of the software landscape of manufacturing companies that also need to map designs. They are used not only to design products in advance, but also to simulate their behaviour in use. In some sectors, such as the automotive industry, this approach is essential.

To ensure this procedure, CAD works together with a product data management system (PDM). This means that all relevant information is available to ensure reliable design. However, if you go one step further in production, you end up in manufacturing. Most of this takes place in the ERP system. And this is where the aforementioned gap arises.

Why CAD and ERP systems need to communicate

As there is no proper interface between the CAD software and the ERP system, the data from the design cannot be transferred automatically and must be transferred manually. The more information that needs to be transferred, the more time-consuming this step is - in the case of complicated designs in the Mechanical Engineering for example, this is a time-consuming and error-prone procedure. This makes subsequent checking and correction necessary, which also takes a lot of time.

SAP Info Day 2017 Mechanical & Plant Engineering on 25.10.2017 in Walldorf

However, this is not the only crux caused by a lack of communication between the CAD software and the ERP solution. The ERP system also has information that the CAD software needs during the design phase, such as the availability of certain materials. If the design department relies on non-up-to-date figures in its work and then passes the data on to production, it is realised that the plans cannot be implemented. So the plans are revised. Manually feeding the CAD system with the latest data from the ERP solution would not only take an enormous amount of time, but would also be prone to errors.

If these "misunderstandings" between the CAD and ERP systems accumulate, it becomes expensive for the company. In order to avoid this procedure, the adjustments are often simply implemented in production without the plans having been adapted in the design department. However, the actual product then differs from the existing data. This means, for example, that the support team cannot react optimally in the event of an error message because they have the wrong information. The rat's tail that this circumstance entails can be long.

Instead of a gap, a direct connection

The simple but holistic solution to the problem: CAD integration for the ERP system. Even during the design phase, the CAD system can access all important (current) data in the ERP software and automatically transfer the finished design data to production. Adjustments can be made at any time during the production process without having to go back a step. This makes the company flexible, as they can also influence production while it is already "in progress". This saves time and money - and also makes customers happy.

When a CAD connection makes sense

Whenever you have design and production under one roof as a manufacturing company. The effort involved in manual data transfer is huge and steals resources from the company.
However, if the company only produces orders and does not develop the products itself, its production chain must primarily map production. However, even then the data transfer from order to production must be correct.

For an optimal solution, bring up the topic with your ERP consultant and don't ignore it when making your selection. Find out more about our range for the manufacturing industry here.

Also interesting: PLM, PDM and ERP - on course for integration

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