Companies use product lifecycle management (PLM) to improve collaboration, streamline processes, and control critical product data. PTC Windchill provides a set of applications and modules that help teams manage product information and workflows across the product lifecycle.
Windchill modules address different needs, from managing engineering data and product structures to supporting project collaboration, manufacturing planning, quality, and service. Product names and packaging can vary by Windchill version and deployment. Some familiar module names may appear in older materials, while current offerings may group similar capabilities into role-based packages or add-ons.
Windchill Modules
Windchill products are application modules that offer users specific sets of features and capabilities within the Windchill application suite. Some of the most common Windchill PLM modules include:
- Windchill PDM Essentials
- Windchill PDMLink
- Windchill ProjectLink
- Windchill PartsLink
- Windchill Quality and quality management applications
- Windchill Manufacturing Process Planner
- Windchill Supplier Management and Navigate collaboration applications
- Windchill Requirements and Validation
- Windchill Service Information and Service Parts
- FlexPLM
What is Windchill PDM Essentials?
Windchill PDM Essentials is a packaged product data management offering built on Windchill. It has been aimed at helping teams manage engineering data, including CAD files, documents, and bills of materials, with capabilities such as version control and search.
Because this product name and its availability can depend on the Windchill version and package, confirm that it applies to the customer’s environment before presenting it as a current offering..
What is Windchill PDMLink?
Windchill PDMLink is a familiar name for Windchill product data management. It helps teams manage product information, including parts, documents, CAD data, configurations, and engineering changes.
Teams use these capabilities to control versions and releases, track changes, and maintain relationships between product data. For current proposals, confirm the applicable product name and package, since current offerings may bundle these capabilities differently.
What is Windchill ProjectLink?
Windchill ProjectLink is a collaborative proWindchill ProjectLink has been used for project-based collaboration around product information. Teams can coordinate project activities and share information in a common workspace.
The name remains familiar in Windchill discussions, but current packaging may differ by environment. Confirm the available collaboration application or package before describing ProjectLink as a standalone add-on.
What is Windchill Partslink?
Windchill PartsLink is associated with part classification and attribute-based search. Classification helps teams organize parts, find similar components, and identify opportunities to reuse existing designs rather than create duplicates.
In current Windchill+ packaging materials, parts classification is included with BOM Management. Since packaging can vary, confirm whether PartsLink is the applicable product name for the customer’s deployment before positioning it as a separate module..
What are Windchill Quality Applications?
Windchill quality applications connect quality processes with product information and change management. Depending on the selected offering, teams can manage issues such as nonconformances, corrective and preventive actions, supplier corrective actions, and customer complaints.
Older descriptions of Windchill Quality Solutions 10.1 refer to specific desktop, administrator, and web-access applications. Those version-specific descriptions should not be used as a current product overview. Current materials include Audit and Quality Management, with capabilities and packaging dependent on the selected offering.
Is there other Windchill Software for product data management and process management?
Windchill supports additional product and process needs through other applications and role-based offerings. The exact product name and package can vary between Windchill deployments.
- Manufacturing process planning: The current EAC catalog lists Windchill Manufacturing Process Planner. It supports connecting the engineering BOM to an associative manufacturing BOM, managing process plans, and creating work instructions. MPMLink is a familiar name in older Windchill materials.
- Supplier management and collaboration: Supplier Management supports managing supplier information and approved manufacturer or vendor lists. Supplier authoring and supplier collaboration are distinct use cases, with current catalog offerings for both.
- Requirements management: Windchill Requirements and Validation supports requirements-related work. Confirm the applicable package and integrations for the customer’s environment.
- Service information and service parts: These offerings support managing product-related service information and service parts across the service lifecycle.
- FlexPLM: FlexPLM is a product lifecycle management solution for retail, footwear, apparel, and consumer product companies.
- Portfolio management: PPMLink appears in older Windchill materials as a portfolio management product. Confirm current availability before describing it as an add-on.
Choosing Windchill Modules
The right Windchill modules depend on the work a company needs to support. A team focused on engineering data management may look at PDMLink-related capabilities. A team coordinating project work may look at ProjectLink-related collaboration. Part classification and reuse, manufacturing planning, supplier processes, quality, requirements, and service each point to other Windchill applications or add-ons.
Because product names and packaging depend on the Windchill version and deployment, confirm the current offering before recommending a specific module. EAC works with manufacturers to implement and optimize Windchill around their product development processes.
Explore the modules and related offerings that fit your team’s needs, then read our blog “What’s New in Windchill?” for recent Windchill updates!
