SOLIDWORKS Manage: The PLM Platform More Organizations Should Be Considering

June 18, 2026 PLM, SolidWorks Like: 0

ByxLM Solutions

SOLIDWORKS Manage may not receive the same attention as larger PLM platforms, but its combination of workflow automation, business process management, reporting, and tight SOLIDWORKS PDM integration makes it a compelling option for organizations looking to extend PLM across the enterprise.

When people discuss Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, the conversation often centers around the industry’s largest platforms. However, one solution that deserves more attention is SOLIDWORKS Manage. At xLM Solutions, we’ve been involved in a growing number of SOLIDWORKS Manage implementations and extensions over the past several years. While it may not receive the same level of marketing attention as some enterprise PLM platforms, we’ve found it to be a powerful and highly flexible solution for organizations looking to extend their data management and business processes beyond traditional PDM capabilities.

What Is SOLIDWORKS Manage?

SOLIDWORKS Manage is positioned as a full PLM platform that can operate as a standalone solution or be tightly integrated with other systems, most notably SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional. For organizations already using SOLIDWORKS PDM, Manage provides a natural path to expand beyond CAD file management without requiring a migration to an entirely new PLM system. It allows companies to leverage their existing PDM investment while introducing more advanced lifecycle management, process automation, reporting, and project management capabilities across the organization. A simple way to think about it is: SOLIDWORKS PDM manages your CAD data. SOLIDWORKS Manage manages everything else.

Core Capabilities of SOLIDWORKS Manage

SOLIDWORKS Manage provides a broad range of PLM capabilities, including:

Document Management

Manage provides centralized control of business-critical documents and records, helping organizations maintain consistency, traceability, and visibility across departments.

Item and Bill of Materials Management

With strong integration to SOLIDWORKS PDM, Manage can work with CAD-driven BOM structures while also supporting non-CAD components, purchased parts, documentation, and other business records.

Process and Workflow Management

Organizations can create and automate approval processes, routing workflows, and business procedures such as:

Engineering Change Requests (ECRs)
Engineering Change Orders (ECOs)
Engineering Change Notices (ECNs)
Customer request approvals
Quality and compliance processes
Document release workflows

Project Management and Time Tracking

Manage includes project planning, task assignment, resource management, and time tracking capabilities that help engineering organizations better manage projects and workloads.

Reporting and Dashboards

Real-time dashboards and reporting capabilities provide visibility into key business metrics, process performance, project status, and operational KPIs.

Open Integration Framework

Manage includes a RESTful API and data import capabilities that enable organizations to integrate with ERP systems, migrate legacy data, and extend functionality beyond standard out-of-the-box capabilities.

How Organizations Are Using SOLIDWORKS Manage

One of the reasons we continue to see interest in Manage is its ability to connect engineering data with broader business processes. For example, at one customer, the mechanical design data is managed in SOLIDWORKS PDM while the product structure and associated business records are managed in SOLIDWORKS Manage. The CAD BOM structure is synchronized into Manage, where users add purchased components, non-modeled items, and supporting documentation. From there, the entire package is routed through a controlled engineering approval and release process. The workflow ensures that designs are reviewed by the appropriate stakeholders before being released in both Manage and PDM. Once approved, downstream users in manufacturing and on the shop floor are automatically notified that new or revised information is available and how it should be dispositioned. In another implementation, the process begins with a customer request entered into Manage. The request is routed through a configurable review and approval workflow. If approved, the system automatically initiates additional processes, including creating a product structure within SOLIDWORKS PDM so engineering can begin designing the requested product. These types of workflows help organizations eliminate manual handoffs while improving visibility and process consistency.

Highly Configurable Without Custom Code

One of the aspects we appreciate most about SOLIDWORKS Manage is its configurability. In many cases, organizations can implement sophisticated business rules without writing custom code. Examples include:

Showing or hiding fields based on user selections
Making fields required under certain conditions
Controlling who can view or edit information
Assigning tasks automatically based on configurable criteria
Driving workflows based on field values and record states

This flexibility allows companies to model a wide variety of business processes using configuration rather than development.

Integration Options Beyond the Platform

When organizations need capabilities beyond configuration, SOLIDWORKS Manage also provides a fully supported RESTful Web API. ERP integration is a common example. Depending on business requirements, organizations can integrate Manage with ERP systems using several approaches, including:

Third-party fields that display ERP information such as cost, supplier data, or inventory levels directly within Manage
BOM exports to XML or CSV files for ERP consumption
SQL-based integrations that monitor and process changes
API-based event triggers using ActiveMQ for item creation and update events

Similarly, legacy data can be migrated into Manage using import tools, direct database methods, or API-driven approaches.

More Than Software Implementation

At xLM Solutions, we provide a full range of services around SOLIDWORKS Manage, including:

Whether you’re looking to extend an existing Manage implementation or evaluating PLM options for the first time, our team can help identify the approach that best aligns with your business objectives.

Choosing the Right PLM Platform

The PLM market is full of competing messages, competing platforms, and competing opinions. At xLM, we take a different approach. Because we are not tied to selling a specific software platform, we focus on helping customers identify the solution that best fits their requirements, processes, and long-term goals. Our objective is not to sell software. Our objective is to help organizations successfully manage product data, improve business processes, and maximize the value of their PLM investment. For many organizations, SOLIDWORKS Manage is a platform worth considering. Get in touch with our team today to learn more and find the right solutions for your challenges.