Engineering and product development teams are under constant pressure to move faster, collaborate better, and bring products to market more efficiently. But for many organizations, traditional CAD systems still create unnecessary friction, from version control problems to file management headaches and IT maintenance burdens.

That’s why more companies are reevaluating how they approach design collaboration and asking an important question: why choose Onshape?

Built specifically for the cloud, PTC Onshape offers a modern approach to CAD that helps organizations streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and reduce the operational complexity associated with traditional engineering software.

In this blog, we’ll explore why companies are choosing Onshape, what sets it apart from legacy CAD systems, and how cloud-native product development is changing the way teams work.

Why Onshape? A New Approach to CAD

For decades, CAD software has relied on file-based workflows. While these systems are powerful, they often introduce challenges that slow teams down. Challenges like file duplication and version confusion, difficult collaboration across locations, and manual software updates. Plus, if your computer doesn’t meet the high-performance hardware requirements, you’re out of luck. Tie that off with the need for a separate system for data management and you have a whole mountain of obstacles to overcome.

As engineering becomes more distributed and product timelines continue to shrink, these limitations become harder to ignore. Onshape was designed to solve these problems from the ground up.

Unlike many traditional CAD systems that were adapted for cloud connectivity later, Onshape was built cloud-native from day one. That distinction matters because it enables capabilities that fundamentally change the product development experience.

Instead of relying on files stored locally, Onshape centralizes everything in the cloud, making collaboration, version control, and accessibility significantly easier.

For organizations looking to modernize their engineering workflows, that shift can be transformative.

Key Reasons for Choosing Onshape

When evaluating CAD platforms, features matter. But so do workflow efficiency, scalability, and long-term flexibility. Here are some of the biggest reasons organizations are choosing Onshape.

Real-Time Collaboration Without Barriers

Traditional CAD collaboration often involves: sending files back and forth, managing check-in/check-out processes, and waiting for teammates to finish edits. These workflows create delays and increase the likelihood of errors. Onshape changes that with real-time collaboration built directly into the platform.

Multiple users can work on the same design simultaneously, see changes instantly, comment directly within models, and collaborate across locations in real time. Many users describe Onshape as “Google Docs for CAD,” and for good reason!

By eliminating collaboration bottlenecks, teams can iterate faster and stay aligned throughout the design process.

No Files, No Version Control Headaches

One of the most common pain points in traditional CAD environments is file management.

Questions like:

can quickly derail productivity.

Onshape eliminates these issues by removing the concept of local design files entirely.

Instead, the platform includes built-in version control, automatic tracking of design history, branching and merging capabilities, and centralized cloud storage. Everyone works from the same source of truth, reducing confusion and minimizing costly mistakes. For many engineering teams, this alone is a compelling reason for choosing Onshape.

Access Anywhere, On Any Device

Today’s teams are no longer confined to a single office or workstation. Whether employees are working remotely, traveling between facilities, or supporting manufacturing operations on-site, they need flexible access to design data.

Because Onshape runs entirely in a web browser, users can access projects from desktop computers, tablets, and mobile devices. There’s no software installation required and no dependency on a specific machine. This flexibility makes it easier for teams to stay productive wherever work happens.

Automatic Updates and Continuous Innovation

Traditional CAD upgrades can be disruptive and time-consuming. Organizations often delay updates because of: compatibility concerns, downtime risks, and IT resource constraints.

As a result, teams may spend years working on outdated software. Onshape takes a different approach. Because it’s delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), updates happen automatically in the cloud. New features and improvements are delivered continuously without requiring manual installations or migrations.

That means no upgrade cycles, no downtime for updates, and immediate access to the latest capabilities. Your entire team is always working on the most current version.

Built-In Data Management (PDM)

Many traditional CAD environments rely on separate Product Data Management (PDM) systems to handle: revisions, access control, design history, and workflow management. Managing these disconnected systems can increase complexity and create additional administrative overhead.

Onshape simplifies this process by integrating PDM directly into the platform. This built-in approach improves traceability, collaboration, workflow efficiency, and data consistency without requiring a separate system to maintain.

Why PTC Onshape Stands Out

Another major advantage of choosing Onshape is the backing of PTC. As part of PTC’s broader product development ecosystem, Onshape benefits from enterprise-grade scalability, ongoing innovation and investment, and integration opportunities with other PTC solutions.

This includes compatibility and alignment with technologies such as: Windchill PLM, Creo CAD, and ThingWorx IoT solutions.

For organizations already invested in PTC technologies (or planning long-term digital transformation initiatives) Onshape can fit naturally into a broader connected ecosystem. It combines the agility of a modern cloud platform with the reliability and support of an established technology leader.

Onshape vs Traditional CAD: What’s the Difference?

When comparing Onshape to traditional CAD systems, the differences go beyond deployment models.

Traditional CAD Challenges

Traditional CAD software can pose any number of challenges. File-based workflows, manual version management, limited collaboration capabilities, hardware-intensive requirements, and complex upgrade cycles are all headaches rooted in older systems. Not so with Onshape.

Onshape Advantages

The result is a more connected, streamlined engineering workflow that reduces friction and supports faster decision-making.

Business Benefits of Choosing Onshape

The technical advantages of Onshape ultimately translate into measurable business value.

Accelerated Time to Market

Faster collaboration and fewer workflow bottlenecks help teams move from concept to production more efficiently.

Reduced IT Costs and Complexity

With no installations, servers, or maintenance requirements, organizations can significantly reduce IT overhead.

Improved Engineering Productivity

Engineers spend less time managing files and troubleshooting software and more time designing and innovating.

Scalability for Growth

Whether supporting a startup or a global enterprise, Onshape can scale with organizational needs without major infrastructure investments.

When Does It Make Sense to Choose Onshape?

Onshape is particularly valuable for organizations that have distributed or hybrid engineering teams, want to modernize legacy CAD workflows, and are pursuing cloud-first strategies. Need better collaboration across departments? Want to reduce IT management complexity? Onshape is a great tool for this.

For companies struggling with disconnected systems or inefficient file-based processes, choosing Onshape can be a meaningful step toward more agile product development.

Why Onshape Is Worth Considering

As engineering organizations continue to evolve, the limitations of traditional CAD workflows become increasingly difficult to ignore. Onshape offers a different approach, one built around real-time collaboration, cloud-native accessibility, integrated data management, and continuous innovation.

Rather than simply replicating legacy CAD in the cloud, PTC Onshape reimagines how modern product development teams can work together more effectively. For organizations looking to improve collaboration, reduce operational friction, and accelerate innovation, Onshape is more than a CAD platform. It’s a strategic shift in how engineering gets done.

Interested in exploring whether Onshape is the right fit for your organization? The EAC team can help you evaluate your current workflows, identify opportunities for improvement, and determine how cloud-native CAD fits into your broader product development strategy.

Designing products has always come with friction: file management headaches, version control issues, and collaboration bottlenecks that slow innovation. Traditional CAD tools weren’t built for today’s distributed, fast-moving teams. That’s where Onshape comes in.

So, what is Onshape? In simple terms, Onshape is a cloud-native CAD and product development platform that runs entirely in your web browser. Developed and owned by PTC, Onshape rethinks how engineers and product teams design, collaborate, and bring ideas to market.

In this blog, we’ll break down what Onshape is, how it works, and why it’s becoming a go-to solution for modern product development teams.

What Is Onshape?

At its core, Onshape is a cloud-based CAD (computer-aided design) platform delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Unlike traditional CAD systems that require installation on powerful local machines, Onshape operates entirely in the cloud.

This means no downloads or installations, no local file storage, and no manual updates. Instead, everything (from 3D modeling to data management) lives in a secure cloud environment that you can access from any device.

But Onshape isn’t just CAD. It combines 3D CAD modeling, built-in Product Data Management (PDM), and real-time collaboration tools within a single platform. This unified approach eliminates the need for separate systems and simplifies the entire product development process.

What’s PTC Onshape? Understanding the Platform

If you’ve heard the term “PTC Onshape,” you might be wondering how it fits into the bigger picture.

Onshape was acquired by PTC in 2019, bringing it into a broader ecosystem of product development solutions that includes tools like Creo (CAD), Windchill (PLM), and ThingWorx (IoT).

Within this ecosystem, Onshape stands out as:

Unlike legacy CAD tools that were adapted for the cloud, Onshape was built cloud-first from day one. That distinction matters. It enables capabilities that simply aren’t possible with file-based systems.

When people ask, “what’s PTC Onshape?”, the best answer is this:

It’s a fully cloud-native product development platform that combines CAD, data management, and collaboration into one seamless experience.

How Does Onshape Work?

Onshape’s power comes from its architecture. By moving everything to the cloud, it fundamentally changes how teams interact with design data.

Fully Cloud-Based Architecture

Onshape runs on remote servers, not your local machine. All you need is a web browser or mobile app.

This means you can work from virtually any device. Additionally, performance isn’t limited by your hardware, and your data is always backed up and secure.

There are no files to manage because designs are stored centrally in the cloud.

Real-Time Collaboration

One of Onshape’s most impactful features is real-time collaboration.

Multiple users can work on the same design simultaneously, see changes instantly, and leave comments directly within the model. Think of it like Google Docs, but for CAD.

It eliminates version conflicts, file duplication, and lengthy check-in/check-out processes. The result? Faster design cycles and better team alignment.

Built-In Data Management (PDM)

Traditional CAD systems often require a separate PDM system to manage files, revisions, and approvals. Onshape changes that by building PDM directly into the platform. Key capabilities include automatic version control, branching and merging design changes, and full design history tracking.

Because everything is integrated, there’s no risk of losing data or working from outdated files.

Key Features of Onshape

Onshape’s feature set is designed to simplify workflows and improve productivity across the product development lifecycle.

Some of the most notable features include:

One of the biggest advantages? Updates happen automatically, typically every few weeks, so your team always has access to the latest capabilities without downtime.

Benefits of Using Onshape

Beyond features, Onshape delivers tangible business value. Here’s how it impacts organizations.

Faster Product Development

With real-time collaboration and no file management delays, teams can iterate designs more quickly, reduce bottlenecks, and accelerate time to market.

Lower IT Overhead

Because Onshape is SaaS-based there’s no software to install, no servers to maintain, and no upgrade cycles to manage. This reduces IT burden and frees up internal resources.

Improved Collaboration Across Teams

Onshape makes it easy for engineers, designers, manufacturing teams, and external partners to work together in a shared environment, regardless of location.

Always Up to Date

With automatic updates, your team never falls behind. There’s no need to schedule upgrades, migrate data, or worry about compatibility issues. Everyone is always working on the same version.

Onshape vs Traditional CAD

To fully understand the value of Onshape, it helps to compare it to traditional CAD systems.

Traditional CAD:

Onshape:

The difference is more than technical. It’s a shift in how teams approach product development.

Onshape removes the friction caused by files and enables a more connected, agile workflow.

Who Uses Onshape?

Onshape is used by a wide range of organizations and professionals, including:

Common use cases include 3D modeling and design, prototyping, engineering collaboration, and product development workflows.

Is Onshape Right for Your Organization?

Onshape is particularly well-suited for organizations that:

However, there are a few considerations. A reliable internet connection is required. And teams may need time to adjust from traditional CAD systems. That said, for many organizations, the benefits far outweigh the transition effort.

What Is Onshape and Why It Matters

So, what is Onshape? It’s more than just another CAD tool. Onshape represents a fundamental shift in how products are designed and developed.

By combining cloud-native architecture, built-in data management, and real-time collaboration, Onshape enables teams to work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

As product development continues to evolve, tools like Onshape are helping organizations move beyond the limitations of traditional CAD and embrace a more connected, agile future.

Ready to learn how cloud-native CAD can improve collaboration, simplify data management, and accelerate product development?
Explore our blog on why organizations are choosing Onshape to see how modern engineering teams are replacing traditional CAD workflows with a more connected approach. Or, learn more about how EAC can help you evaluate and implement Onshape for your business.

Manufacturers in regulated industries are facing increasing pressure to develop more complex, software-driven products while maintaining compliance, accelerating development timelines, and improving product quality. Across these industries, engineering organizations are being asked to do more with fewer resources, all while managing growing product complexity and evolving regulatory requirements.

For many organizations, traditional requirements management and disconnected engineering workflows are no longer enough.

Modern Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) platforms are helping regulated manufacturers improve collaboration, strengthen traceability, streamline compliance activities, and support connected digital engineering initiatives. But with several ALM platforms on the market (Codebeamer, DOORS, Jama, Polarion) organizations are increasingly evaluating which solution best aligns with their long-term product development strategy.

Explore this high-level overview of how today’s leading ALM platforms compare for regulated manufacturing environments.

Why Regulated Manufacturers Are Reassessing ALM Strategies

Products are becoming increasingly differentiated by software, electronics, and connected functionality. At the same time, regulated manufacturers must comply with standards and frameworks such as: ISO 26262, ASPICE, DO-178C, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, IEC 61508, and ISO 14971.

As complexity grows, disconnected workflows across software, systems, quality, and product engineering teams create operational inefficiencies that can slow development and increase compliance risk.

Many organizations still manage requirements, testing, and validation activities across spreadsheets, documents, legacy tools, and disconnected systems. These environments often create limited lifecycle visibility and manual audit preparation. They can make managing changing requirements difficult and increase rework. Further challenges include fragmented collaboration across engineering disciplines and difficulty scaling Agile and hybrid workflows

As a result, many regulated manufacturers are reassessing whether their current ALM environment can support modern engineering demands.

What to Look for When Assessing ALM Tools

Selecting an ALM platform involves more than evaluating requirements management functionality alone. Organizations should assess how platforms support:

Modern engineering organizations increasingly require ALM strategies that support software, systems, mechanical, and electrical development within a connected environment.

Codebeamer vs. Legacy / Homegrown Systems

Setting the Baseline

Many regulated manufacturers evaluating ALM modernization initiatives are not comparing Codebeamer against a single enterprise ALM platform. They’re comparing it against years of disconnected processes, spreadsheets, shared drives, legacy databases, institutional knowledge, and homegrown tools.

In many organizations, requirements, testing, validation, and compliance activities still live across:

These environments often evolve over time to support immediate business needs, but they can become increasingly difficult to scale as products, teams, and compliance requirements grow more complex.

Key Areas of Differentiation

Single Source of Truth

Homegrown and document-based environments often create fragmented lifecycle visibility across teams and disciplines.

Codebeamer centralizes requirements, testing, risk management, and lifecycle workflows within a connected ALM environment, helping organizations improve collaboration and reduce disconnected processes.

Traceability & Compliance

Manual traceability processes can make audit preparation time-consuming and difficult to maintain consistently across projects.

Codebeamer provides end-to-end lifecycle traceability with connected audit trails linking requirements, testing, validation, and downstream engineering artifacts.

Change Management

Organizations relying on spreadsheets and institutional knowledge often struggle to manage changing requirements and understand downstream impacts.

Codebeamer supports automated impact analysis, change notification workflows, and connected lifecycle visibility that improve responsiveness to evolving requirements.

Scalability & Maintainability

Homegrown systems frequently require ongoing internal maintenance, custom support, and specialized knowledge that can become difficult to sustain over time.

Codebeamer provides a scalable ALM platform with configurable workflows, modern architecture, and support for Agile, waterfall, SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid methodologies.

Talent & Modernization

Modern engineering teams increasingly expect collaborative, connected, and user-friendly development environments.

Organizations relying heavily on outdated processes and disconnected tools may face challenges attracting and retaining engineering talent while supporting broader digital engineering initiatives.

When Legacy or Homegrown Systems May Be the Right Fit

Legacy and homegrown environments may continue to work for organizations that have relatively simple product development processes.

However, as software complexity, compliance demands, and cross-functional collaboration requirements increase, many organizations begin evaluating more connected and scalable ALM strategies.

Codebeamer vs. DOORS

Common Ground

Codebeamer and DOORS are both commonly evaluated in highly regulated industries where requirements traceability and compliance are critical. Organizations in aerospace & defense, automotive, and medical devices often compare the two platforms when modernizing requirements management and engineering workflows.

DOORS has long been associated with structured requirements management, while Codebeamer is increasingly positioned as a broader ALM platform supporting connected lifecycle management.

Key Areas of Differentiation

Lifecycle Scope

DOORS is often centered around requirements management, while Codebeamer connects requirements, testing, risk management, validation, and lifecycle workflows within a centralized environment.

Agile & Hybrid Workflow Support

Codebeamer supports Agile, waterfall, SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid methodologies within a configurable ALM platform.

Digital Thread & Integration

Codebeamer supports integrations across engineering ecosystems using standards such as OSLC and ReqIF, along with integrations to GitHub, Jira, Windchill, and MBSE environments.

Modernization & Scalability

Organizations modernizing legacy engineering environments often evaluate how platforms support scalability, workflow flexibility, and long-term digital engineering initiatives.

When DOORS May Be the Right Fit

DOORS may be a strong fit for organizations that are primarily focused on traditional requirements documentation workflows. But modernization means shifting to more novel, scalable methods, even in the face of daunting change management.

Codebeamer vs. Jama

Common Ground

Codebeamer and Jama are frequently evaluated by organizations looking to improve collaboration, traceability, and requirements visibility across regulated product development environments.

Both platforms support requirements management and traceability initiatives, but organizations often compare them based on lifecycle scope, workflow flexibility, and long-term engineering scalability.

Key Areas of Differentiation

Lifecycle Management Depth

Jama is often positioned around requirements collaboration and review workflows, while Codebeamer provides broader lifecycle management capabilities across requirements, testing, risk, and validation activities.

Variant & Reuse Management

Codebeamer emphasizes strategic reuse and variant management capabilities that help organizations efficiently manage complex product families and development artifacts.

Compliance & Audit Readiness

Codebeamer includes industry-focused templates and workflows supporting standards such as ASPICE, ISO 26262, FDA, and aerospace regulations.

Workflow Flexibility

Organizations evaluating Agile and hybrid development environments often compare how each platform supports configurable workflows and cross-functional lifecycle visibility.

When Jama May Be the Right Fit

Jama may be a strong fit for organizations that want a lightweight requirements-centric environment. That may not be enough for every manufacturer in some of the more heavily regulated industries.

Codebeamer vs. Polarion

Common Ground

Codebeamer and Polarion are both enterprise-grade ALM platforms commonly evaluated by regulated manufacturers seeking strong traceability and lifecycle management capabilities.

Organizations often compare the two platforms based on integration flexibility, workflow configurability, ecosystem alignment, and support for modern engineering initiatives.

Key Areas of Differentiation

Ecosystem Flexibility

Polarion is commonly associated with Siemens-centric ecosystems, while Codebeamer integrates across broader engineering environments and the PTC ecosystem.

Connected Lifecycle Visibility

Codebeamer emphasizes centralized lifecycle traceability connecting requirements, testing, risk management, validation, and downstream engineering artifacts.

Agile & Modern Development Support

Codebeamer supports Agile, waterfall, SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, LESS, and hybrid development methodologies within a configurable ALM environment.

Open Architecture & Interoperability

Codebeamer’s open architecture supports REST APIs, OSLC interoperability, ReqIF support, and integrations with common engineering toolchains.

When Polarion May Be the Right Fit

Polarion may be a strong fit for organizations that prioritize alignment with Siemens-based engineering strategies.

Choosing the Right ALM Strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all ALM platform for every regulated manufacturer. The right solution depends on factors like product complexity and software content, regulatory requirements and existing engineering ecosystem, development methodologies and long-term digital engineering goals.

Organizations evaluating ALM modernization initiatives should look beyond requirements management alone and consider how platforms support:

Final Thoughts on Assessing ALM Tools

Modern regulated manufacturing environments require more than disconnected requirements management and fragmented engineering workflows.

As product complexity grows, organizations increasingly need ALM platforms capable of connecting requirements, testing, validation, risk management, and product development activities within a scalable and collaborative environment.

Codebeamer continues to gain traction in regulated industries because of its focus on connected lifecycle management, traceability, Agile support, interoperability, and digital engineering alignment. PTC positions Codebeamer as a platform designed to help organizations improve collaboration, reduce operational risk, and accelerate software innovation across increasingly complex product development environments.

Reduce Product Development Risk with Modern ALM

Modern ALM strategies are about more than requirements management. They’re about improving visibility, reducing operational risk, and building scalable engineering processes for the future.

Learn how organizations are using Codebeamer to improve traceability, strengthen collaboration, and support connected product development initiatives. Download our guide, Reducing Risk in Product Development: The Business Value of Codebeamer.

Most organizations today have at least a high-level understanding of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). They know it’s meant to connect product data, streamline processes, and improve collaboration across teams. But that definition feels abstract. Engineering leaders aren’t waking up thinking, “We need lifecycle management.” They’re dealing with very real, very specific challenges: disconnected systems, version confusion, slow change processes, and increasing product complexity. That’s where the real value of PLM comes into focus.

PLM isn’t just a concept. It’s a solution to the operational issues that slow teams down, introduce risk, and make scaling difficult. Let’s break down the most common challenges engineering organizations face today, and how PLM addresses them.

Disconnected Engineering Data

One of the most persistent challenges across engineering teams is fragmented data. CAD files may live in one system, BOMs in another, and supporting documentation in shared drives or spreadsheets. In many cases, teams are still relying on email or manual processes to share critical product information.

The result is a lack of visibility and consistency. Engineers spend time searching for the right files, verifying accuracy, or recreating work that already exists elsewhere. PLM addresses this by creating a centralized backbone for product data. Instead of multiple disconnected systems, teams operate from a single source of truth. Everyone (from engineering to manufacturing) can access the same, up-to-date information in a controlled environment. This shift alone can significantly reduce wasted time and improve overall data confidence.

Version Control and Change Chaos

As products evolve, managing versions and changes becomes increasingly complex. Without a structured system in place, it’s easy for teams to work from outdated files or lose track of revisions. Change processes are often handled manually, making it difficult to maintain consistency or trace decisions over time. These issues don’t just create confusion. They introduce real risk. Errors caused by incorrect versions can lead to rework, delays, or even costly mistakes in production.

PLM brings structure to this process through automated version control and formalized change management workflows. Every revision is tracked, every change is documented, and teams always know they’re working from the latest approved data. With full traceability, organizations gain both control and accountability, two things that are difficult to achieve with manual processes.

Poor Cross-Functional Collaboration

Product development doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams all need to work from the same information, but too often, they don’t. When systems are disconnected, each team operates within its own silo. Engineering may release a design without full visibility into manufacturing constraints, or downstream teams may be working from outdated data.

This misalignment leads to miscommunication, late-stage design changes, and delays that ripple across the organization. PLM helps break down these silos by providing shared access to product data across departments. With role-based visibility, each team can access the information they need, without compromising control or security.

The result is better alignment, fewer surprises, and a more collaborative product development process.

Inefficient Product Development Processes

Many organizations rely on manual workflows for approvals, reviews, and change processes. These workflows are often inconsistent, difficult to track, and prone to bottlenecks. As products become more complex, these inefficiencies become more pronounced. Teams struggle to keep projects moving, and delays in one area can impact the entire timeline.

PLM introduces structure and automation into these processes. Workflows can be standardized, approvals can be routed automatically, and progress can be tracked in real time. This not only improves efficiency. It also creates consistency across the organization. Teams can move faster, with greater confidence that processes are being followed correctly.

Lack of Traceability and Compliance Risk

For organizations in regulated industries, traceability isn’t optional. It’s essential. But even outside of strict regulatory environments, the ability to track requirements, changes, and decisions over time is critical. Without it, organizations face increased risk, whether in the form of audit challenges, quality issues, or difficulty identifying the root cause of problems.

PLM provides end-to-end traceability across the product lifecycle. From initial requirements through design, change, and release, every action is recorded and accessible. This creates a clear audit trail and supports compliance efforts, while also improving internal visibility and decision-making.

Challenges with Scaling

What works for a small team doesn’t always work at scale. As organizations grow, product complexity increases, teams expand, and processes become more difficult to manage. Systems that once felt sufficient begin to show their limitations. Manual processes break down. Data becomes harder to manage. Collaboration becomes more complex.

PLM is designed to scale with the organization. It provides a structured framework for managing product data and processes, regardless of team size or product complexity. Whether supporting global teams or highly engineered products, PLM enables organizations to grow without sacrificing control or efficiency.

From Challenges to Business Outcomes

When these challenges are addressed collectively, the impact goes beyond operational improvements. Organizations move from reactive to proactive. Instead of responding to issues after they occur, they build processes that prevent them in the first place.

With PLM in place, teams can:

Ultimately, this leads to faster time-to-market, improved product quality, and better overall business performance.

Where Windchill Fits In

While PLM as a concept addresses these challenges, the platform you choose plays a critical role in how effectively they are solved. PTC Windchill is designed specifically to support complex product development environments. It provides a robust foundation for managing product data, enabling collaboration, and connecting processes across the organization.

With capabilities that support the digital thread, integration with CAD tools like Creo, and scalability for enterprise use, Windchill helps organizations move beyond disconnected systems and manual processes. It’s not just about managing data. It’s about enabling a more connected, efficient approach to product development.

PLM Is a Business Solution, Not Just a System

At the end of the day, organizations don’t invest in PLM for the sake of implementing new software. They invest in it to solve problems. If your team is struggling with disconnected data, version control issues, inefficient processes, or challenges scaling, PLM may be the next step toward improving how you develop and deliver products.

Understanding what PLM actually solves is the first step in evaluating whether it’s the right fit for your organization, and how to move forward with confidence.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a priority for engineering organizations. From design and simulation to product lifecycle management and documentation, teams are looking for ways to move faster, reduce manual work, and make better decisions using the data they already have.

PTC has responded to this demand by embedding AI capabilities across its product suite, including: Windchill, Creo, Codebeamer, Arbortext, Mathcad, and ThingWorx. These tools are helping teams improve productivity within specific workflows. What exactly do the PTC AI updates look like? Let’s explore these additions, their benefits, and their limitations.

Where AI Shows Up in Today’s Engineering Stack

Before we go into the weeds, we should address the elephant in the room. AI in engineering has exploded. And that isn’t just focused on one single area of engineering. It’s a growing set of capabilities embedded across multiple systems. Have a look at the high level focuses below:

Each of these tools applies AI to improve specific tasks. To get the full picture, let’s look at what AI is actually doing within each system.

AI in Windchill (PLM): Unlocking Product Data

Windchill is the backbone of product data for many engineering organizations, making it a natural place for AI to deliver value. AI capabilities in Windchill include:

These capabilities help engineers find the information they need faster, reduce duplicate work, and make more informed decisions.

However, most AI functionality remains focused within the PLM environment itself. Access to insights is often limited to Windchill users and interfaces, leaving broader workflow opportunities untapped.

AI in Creo (CAD): Faster Design and Simulation

In Creo, AI is focused on improving how engineers design and validate products. Key capabilities include:

These features allow engineers to explore more design options, iterate faster, and reduce reliance on physical prototypes.

The result is better-performing products developed in less time. While AI enhances design tasks, it does not inherently connect those insights to downstream systems like PLM or manufacturing.

AI in Codebeamer (ALM): Smarter Requirements and Traceability

For organizations managing complex or regulated products, Codebeamer uses AI to improve development processes. Key capabilities of this addition include:

These features reduce manual effort, improve compliance, and help teams identify issues earlier in the development lifecycle.

Still, these insights often remain within the ALM domain, without full integration into product data or engineering workflows.

AI in Arbortext: Smarter Technical Documentation

Arbortext applies AI to one of the most time-consuming areas of product development: technical documentation. AI capabilities include:

These features help organizations produce accurate, consistent documentation more efficiently while reducing redundant work.

For service, manufacturing, and support teams, this means faster access to reliable information. However, documentation insights are still often disconnected from real-time engineering and product data.

AI in Mathcad: Improving Engineering Calculations and Knowledge Capture

Mathcad brings a different kind of intelligence to engineering, one focused on calculations, validation, and knowledge transfer. Key capabilities include:

While not always labeled as “AI” in the same way other tools are, these capabilities reduce errors and make complex calculations easier to understand and reuse.

This is especially valuable for organizations looking to preserve engineering knowledge and improve collaboration. However, these calculations are typically not connected to broader product data systems or workflows.

AI in ThingWorx and Kepware: Operational Intelligence

On the operations side, ThingWorx and Kepware enable AI-driven insights using real-world data. Capabilities include:

These tools help organizations improve uptime, optimize performance, and make better operational decisions.

But like other systems, these insights often remain siloed unless integrated with engineering and product data.

The Gap: AI Is Still Siloed Inside Each System

As evidenced product by product, AI is clearly delivering value across the PTC ecosystem. But this value is mostly within individual tools. That’s where the limitations currently lie. And those limitations pave the way for potential challenges:

As a result, organizations still struggle to answer some fundamental questions. Questions like “Where has this design been used before?”, “What issues are associated with this component?”, or “What data across systems is relevant to this decision?”

The problem isn’t a lack of AI. It’s a lack of integration. AI inside tools improves individual tasks. AI across systems transforms entire workflows.

What Engineering Teams Actually Want from AI

Most engineering teams aren’t looking for standalone AI features. They’re trying to solve practical problems:

These workflow challenges aren’t limited to isolated tools, but span multiple systems.

Why Windchill Is the Foundation for Engineering AI

If you’re looking to apply AI across engineering workflows, Windchill is the logical starting point. Why?

First, it contains structured, governed product data. Second, it connects to the other systems: CAD (Creo), ALM (Codebeamer). Finally, it represents the digital backbone of product development.

By anchoring AI to Windchill, organizations can ensure that insights are grounded in accurate, up-to-date product information.

Connecting AI to Windchill: Where the Real Value Happens

The next step is not adding more AI tools. It’s connecting AI to your existing environment. When AI is integrated with Windchill, organizations can enable:

This is where AI moves from isolated capability to enterprise value.

How EAC Helps You Integrate AI with Windchill

PTC provides powerful tools with embedded AI, but most organizations need help connecting those capabilities across their environment. That’s where EAC comes in. EAC specializes in integrating AI with Windchill and related systems to support real engineering workflows. Our approach focuses on:

We’re not introducing disconnected AI tools. We’re helping you make AI work within the systems your teams already rely on.

Getting Started with AI in Your Engineering Environment

For most organizations, the best place to start is not with technology, but use cases. Where are engineers losing time today? What data is hardest to access or reuse? Which workflows would benefit most from faster insights? In answering these question you can define an approach that connects AI to your Windchill environment and expands over time.

AI is already transforming engineering tools, but the biggest gains come from connecting those capabilities across your systems. If you’re using Windchill, you already have the foundation. The next step is making that data more accessible, actionable, and intelligent.

Learn more about EAC’s Windchill AI Integration services today.

In engineering, precision and clarity aren’t optional, they’re essential. That’s why professionals around the world trust PTC Mathcad to document, solve, and share complex calculations using natural math notation. But as product design becomes more complex and workflows more integrated, staying current with the latest tools is essential.

If you’re wondering what the latest in Mathcad has to offer, this blog explores the most important updates, features, and reasons engineers are making the move to Mathcad Prime 12.

What is Mathcad and Why It Matters

Mathcad is an engineering calculation software that allows users to create, verify, and share complex math in a clear, readable format. If you’re looking to know more about it, check out our blog on Mathcad.

Whether you’re designing aerospace systems or developing next-gen electronics, Mathcad simplifies the documentation of your work, helping make it reusable, auditable, and easy to understand.

The latest version, Mathcad Prime 12, builds on this foundation with new features designed to enhance speed, flexibility, and documentation power.

What’s New in Mathcad Prime 12

Mathcad Prime 12 introduces significant improvements in performance, visualization, usability, and engineering calculation capabilities. The latest release helps engineers solve, document, and share calculations more efficiently while improving the overall worksheet experience. From enhanced plotting tools to more powerful solver functions, Mathcad Prime 12 continues to strengthen its position as the industry standard for engineering calculation software.

Enhanced Native 2D Plotting

One of the most noticeable improvements in Mathcad Prime 12 is the expansion of native 2D plotting capabilities. Engineers can now add: plot titles, axis titles, gridlines, and legends. These can be directly within native plots, reducing the need to use Chart Components for many common visualization tasks. These enhancements make it easier to create professional-looking engineering documentation while simplifying worksheet development.

Faster Worksheet Performance

Building on the performance gains introduced in previous releases, Mathcad Prime 12 includes extensive under-the-hood optimizations that improve worksheet rendering and calculation speed.

For organizations working with large, complex engineering worksheets, these improvements can significantly reduce wait times and improve the overall user experience.

More Powerful Engineering Calculations

Mathcad Prime 12 introduces several new engine enhancements that expand the software’s analytical capabilities.

New features include:

These updates provide engineers with greater flexibility when solving complex mathematical and engineering problems.

Improved Documentation and Reporting

Documentation remains one of Mathcad’s greatest strengths, and Prime 12 introduces several enhancements designed to improve report creation.

New capabilities include customizable page numbering, different headers and footers for cover pages, hidden symbolic keywords and modifiers, and support for larger page sizes.

These improvements help engineers create cleaner, more professional calculation reports while maintaining complete transparency and traceability.

Usability Enhancements

Mathcad Prime 12 also delivers several workflow improvements that simplify worksheet creation and editing.

Highlights include:

These enhancements help users work more efficiently while reducing the effort required to maintain large engineering calculation worksheets.

All of these features contribute to a better user experience and allow engineering teams to do more with fewer errors, and in less time.

How These Updates Help Engineering Teams

Mathcad Prime 12 helps engineering teams work more efficiently by improving calculation workflows, enhancing documentation capabilities, and expanding visualization tools. New native 2D plotting features make it easier to communicate results without relying on additional components.

Performance improvements help users work more effectively with large and complex worksheets, while enhancements to solver functions, symbolic calculations, and derivatives provide greater flexibility for tackling advanced engineering problems.

Mathcad Prime 12 also strengthens one of its core advantages: engineering documentation. Expanded formatting options, customizable page numbering, and improved worksheet controls make it easier to create professional, traceable calculation reports that support design reviews, compliance requirements, and knowledge sharing.

By combining calculations, units, documentation, and visualizations in a single worksheet, Mathcad Prime 12 enables teams to improve accuracy, streamline collaboration, and make more confident engineering decisions throughout the product development process.

Comparing Versions: Should You Upgrade?

If you’re currently using Mathcad Prime 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11, or are still holding onto legacy versions like Mathcad 15, upgrading to Mathcad Prime 12 can provide meaningful improvements in both productivity and usability. While previous releases introduced enhancements to worksheet performance and calculation capabilities, Prime 12 builds on that foundation with expanded native plotting features, improved solver functionality, enhanced symbolic calculations, and more flexible documentation tools.

Engineers can now create clearer visualizations directly within native plots using titles, legends, axis labels, and gridlines, reducing the need for additional chart components. New solver enhancements and calculus improvements also provide greater flexibility when analyzing complex engineering problems.

For organizations that rely on Mathcad to document, validate, and communicate engineering calculations, Prime 12 offers a more efficient and polished user experience while maintaining compatibility with existing workflows. Upgrading ensures access to the latest performance improvements, engineering capabilities, and documentation features that help teams work more effectively and maintain confidence in their calculations.

Next Steps with Matchcad

Mathcad Prime 12 delivers powerful new capabilities that help engineering teams improve productivity, create clearer documentation, and solve complex problems with greater confidence. From enhanced native plotting and solver functionality to improved worksheet performance and reporting tools, the latest release makes it easier to develop, validate, and share engineering calculations.

Whether you’re considering an upgrade from an earlier version or evaluating Mathcad for the first time, now is a great opportunity to explore how Mathcad Prime 12 can support your engineering workflows.

Ready to see if your company is ready for engineering calculation? Use this checklist to confirm your company needs more than spreadsheets.