As you’re onboarding with Windchill, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by its wide array of functionality …assembly instructions, supplier management, classification searches… the list goes on and on.

Let’s face it – change can be intimidating, and ‘doing it all at once’ can seem like a lot.

In a perfect world, we’d always be implementing WT Parts and accounting for Change Management at the start of every single Windchill implementation, but the unfortunate truth is, that’s not always the case.

It’s natural to have the desire to implement a Windchill project in bite-sized pieces. This article aims to explain the advantages of phasing your Windchill implementation to do just that.

Phase 2: What is a WT Part? Why WT Parts?

The WT Part is misunderstood and why often, many shy away from it.

Sure, it’s a different concept, but that doesn’t mean its necessarily hard.

So, what do I mean by different? It’s different in the way that most organizations aren’t thinking about their engineering data.

But, as a matter of fact, that same engineering data is exactly what I would consider the ‘enabling piece’ which has the ability to facilitate the core functionality every organization should have within Windchill.

It’s a vital piece that lets you do all the ‘other stuff’.

Another way of describing the WT Part (or gear icon) is a central hub of all information that is related to a part. It has to do with your relevant CAD files, drawings, engineering change history, primary BoM structures that link to all your other parts.

I’ll use a hypothetical situation to explain.

Imagine, inside Windchill you have a CAD structure of a bicycle.

There are all kinds of different parts that go into designing this bicycle. You have some assemblies that you have built up in Creo, along with a bunch of other different parts and sub-assemblies.  

You use Windchill to check your parts in, or in other words, manage all of your data.

In this case your bicycle has a variety of different parts, that have many different versions – but the important part is – at this point, you have your data under control. You check out a part, make a change, check it back in. Soon enough, version A.1 becomes A.2, A.3, etc.

With WT Parts enabled, your system has the ability to create a paralleled data structure. This means you can have the same assembly structure in CAD that you do in Windchill.

WT Part acts almost as a placeholder (I like to think of it as a shoebox). Inside your shoebox, you can put all kinds of ‘other things’, and I’m not talking about just CAD files. For your organization this could mean PDF’s, published visualizations (allowing you to look at your bicycle in Creo view), word documents, links to other webpages, or just about anything else you want.

Let’s say (in this scenario) you outsource the break calibers, the tires, or the spokes.

WT Parts allows you to have images and direct links to your supplier webpages allowing you to document and specify the exact parts and versions you need. This creates a parallel data structure.

But even with your paralleled data structure (for your bicycle line), you know that how your products are modeled in CAD won’t mirror the way they need to be assembled in manufacturing.

Your manufacturing assembly process includes other things, such as tape, Loctite for the handlebars, cable shrouds, etc. In fact, there are all kinds of things you’re never going to model in CAD, but are still essential components within your manufacturing bill of material.

By using WT Parts, you can start off with an engineering bill of material, create a parallel data structure, then add to it, and even rearrange that part structure in your manufacturing bill of material.

This allows you to properly represent how things should be put together in the shop.

Furthermore, down the line when you create a service bill of material, you’ll no longer need to need use your entire CAD structure (as it was designed in Creo) because your product only needs new tires and inner tubes.

With WT Parts you can easily create a service bill of material that states exactly what’s needed to service your product.

It creates individual containers allowing you to put things in, shuffle them around, and re-arrange them, so you can easily create different bill of material structures. These structures can even be based on what you need to do, downstream from your CAD models.

It also allows you to quickly create a service document explaining how to properly change your tires.

Phase 2: Change Mangement

Perhaps you have heard of it as the ECN process or maybe even the ECR process. What these really consist of – is just one stop along the journey of your change management process.

You might be wondering why more organizations choose Change Management for phase 2 over WT Parts.

The answer is quite simple. It’s because most companies are already doing a change process today in one way, shape, or form.

You might be more familiar with the outdated process, or what I like to refer to as ‘the red folder’.

Many companies today still trudge around the office with that red manila folder when they need sign off on a change. They walk from station to station with documents, prints and more to whoever needs to sign off on that change to get it done.

The Windchill Change Management piece has the ability to replicate what your physical real-world processes can. This allows you to entrench the workflows you’ve already established digitally, inside Windchill.

This is also one of the many reasons why you should not be afraid of the Change Management capabilities inside of Windchill.

So how does change management inside of Windchill work exactly?

The out-of-the-box Windchill Change Management workflows include problem reports, change requests, and change notifications.

Built within the core capabilities of Windchill Change Management, there’s a process in place for problem reports.

Starting at the beginning, the typical entry level is what’s called, ‘the problem report’. You can think of this as your digital suggestion box. Anyone can create a problem report (PR).

With a widget, your problem report gets pushed forward to a change admin, who can then review that report.

Your change admin has the ability to either approve or reject the change request. They can even send it back to the person who originated it (if needed) to ask for further clarification.

This helps you easily keep track of your problem reports, know the length of time they have been opened, and be aware of how many reports are currently active. This enables you to see, as a company, how you’re doing with respect to your problem reports.

The next step along the way is a change request. In the instance that your problem report is moved forward, it gets sent to the next person in line who sees that as an engineering change request.

At this point, there may be some additional research to say, “well, wait, now what other part is used, or what other assembly part is done, and what they might impact?”

When deciding to make a change, its crucial to think downstream and about what the implications of that change might be.

This is what the engineering change request feature inside of Windchill is all about. It allows you to do the research.

Once you meet the set of criteria or you obtain a certain serial number, you can say – “yes, we are going to do that.”

This allows you to have a formalized process where you can either individually approve changes or run change requests through a more formalized review board.

That’s when the change notification task gets assigned back to your design engineer that can then go into Creo, open up the part, and make the change.

The best part? With Windchill Change Management you actually have a way to keep track of your changes, processes, and documentation.

You’ll no longer need to wonder what hasn’t been completed or what the status of a change request might be.

Although that’s the out of the box Windchill Change Management functionality, there’s a lot of subtleties and nuances that can be tailored and configured to your specific company needs. It doesn’t have to be a strict 1 to 1 mapping – there’s flexibility with respect to how you map and manage them.

Say, for example – you had three different problem reports on one specific part. You could now bundle those altogether and roll that into a single change request.

You could also take 2 or 3 different change requests and roll those forward into a single change notification.

Yes, this change process will be new and different – it’s designed to make your life easier.

The difference is – now you’re not cruising around the office with that red folder trying to catch up with all the information. Instead, everything you need is right in front of you. You can see which assemblies will be impacted, what you have on-hand, and what series you want to do the cutover on.

That concludes the first half of a closed loop change management process.

Phase 3: Windchill Quality

The second half of the closed loop change management process stems from things such as nonconformance, that actually come from the Windchill quality management piece.

Again, more Windchill functionality here is also tied together in WT Parts, but these are your corrective and preventive actions.

Looking at the nonconformance piece – where you actually build and manufacture something, but it isn’t measuring out right. Or perhaps your drilled holes that are in the wrong place…or your part is the wrong dimension…or something to that extent.

Windchill Quality enables corrective actions you can take against these incidents to make sure that you’re not building parts to the wrong specifications or dealing with nonconformance. This helps you to take preventive action.

In other words, what steps are you going to take to make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes again? What are you going to do with the parts that you’ve already built?

That’s the second half of the closed loop change management process.

To truly explain how all the Windchill functionalities can be intertwined to create a true ‘digital thread’ – this article would go on for days.

Sure, you can learn about all the different parts and pieces individually, but my organization has a real, tight, concise methodology for doing this.

That’s why EAC Product Development Solutions is here to help. We know and understand what it takes to get your system stood up and in place to truly transform your organization.

Don’t leave your Windchill system with untapped potential. It’s time to make the most out of your money.

We can help with that.

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment, agility, accuracy, and collaboration are more essential than ever. Windchill, PTC’s powerhouse Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution, delivers all three by providing secure, real-time access to product data across disciplines and locations. Companies stand to reduce costs, speed innovation, and enhance next generation products. PTC’s product lifecycle management (PLM) software, Windchill, lets you do just that. Designed to streamline product development from concept to service, Windchill empowers teams to work smarter, innovate faster, and maintain quality—no matter how complex the lifecycle. But let’s start by answering the basics first: what is windchill?

What is PTC Windchill?

PTC Windchill is a product lifecycle management (PLM) application suite that leverages a consolidated view of product information through multi-system data. It’s a systemic enterprise wide approach to maintaining product and process quality throughout the entire product lifecycle. Released by PTC in 1998, Windchill made its mark as one of the first internet-based PLM platforms. It has since become an industry staple across sectors (automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical devices, and more) supporting over a million users globally.

PTC Windchill PLM software provides a complete functionality dimension to help organizations capture product structures from computer-aided design tools, transform them into full engineering bill of materials (eBoMS), to manufacturing bill of materials (mBoMS), to service bill of materials (sBoMS) all while retaining the linkages between different perspectives on the product. Windchill solutions break down organizational barriers, allowing teams to work faster and more accurately all while reducing time-to-market and cutting costs.

Why Windchill Matters: Core Capabilities that Redefine PLM

When companies are juggling increasingly complex product designs, global supply chains, and regulatory demands, having the right PLM foundation is critical. Windchill provides the structure, visibility, and automation needed to handle this complexity without slowing innovation. Its core capabilities not only keep product data accurate and accessible but also empower teams to make faster, better decisions across the entire lifecycle.

Centralized, Secure Product Data Management

Windchill functions as a single source of truth (consolidating CAD files, BOMs, requirements, and supplier data) all housed in a scalable web architecture. Whether you’re working in engineering or collaborating with external partners, you’ll always have a current, secure view of product information.

Effortless BOM and Change Management

Windchill’s dynamic Bill of Materials (BOM) management enables inline editing, structural comparisons, and variant configuration for agile product planning. And with built-in Engineering Change Management (ECM) workflows, you can automate review processes, approvals, and compliance documentation to speed up time-to-market and reduce errors.

Workflow Automation and PLM Collaboration

With task and role-based apps, Windchill supports intuitive collaboration for both expert and casual users. From manufacturing to service teams, everyone can access relevant data through task-specific interfaces without over-customizing the system. This makes handoffs smoother and ensures alignment across functions.

Scalability and Deployment Flexibility

Whether deployed on-premises, in a private cloud, or via Windchill+ SaaS, the platform scales with your needs. Organizations benefit from streamlined upgrades, uptime, and strong compliance controls.

Elevating PLM: AI-Ready Product Development

Windchill isn’t just about data—it’s about intelligent data. By housing consistent, accessible product information, Windchill forms a foundation for AI-powered innovation. That means better decision-making, automated routine workflows, optimized resource use, and faster design improvements.

Key Benefits at a Glance

For many organizations, the true value of a PLM system comes down to the tangible benefits it delivers day-to-day. Windchill is designed to make collaboration easier, processes faster, and information more reliable, no matter how large or distributed your teams may be. By looking at its benefits side by side, it becomes clear how Windchill helps manufacturers overcome common product development roadblocks.

Core Windchill Capabilities

Beyond the big-picture advantages, Windchill delivers a deep set of tools that tackle the nuts and bolts of product lifecycle management. These capabilities are what allow engineering, manufacturing, and service teams to stay aligned—even when managing thousands of parts, configurations, or requirements. By exploring its core features, you can see how Windchill creates a connected, digital foundation for end-to-end product success.

Windchill’s robust feature stack supports even the most intricate development environments:

Windchill also supports industry-specific packages—PDMLink, MPMLink, ProjectLink, Compliance, Cost, FRACAS, FMEA, and more—so your team can tailor the platform to its use case, from reliability analysis to technical documentation.

Example Use Case: Digital Thread with IoT Integration

PTC’s integration of Internet of Things (IoT) with Windchill closes the loop between product data and actual performance in the field. That enables real-time error reporting, role-based insights, and proactive maintenance or design improvements—putting reliability right in your development cycle.

Next Steps with Windchill

So, what is Windchill? It’s much more than PLM. It’s the digital backbone that unifies product data, processes, and people across your organization. With modern deployment options, robust feature breadth, and readiness for AI, PTC Windchill equips manufacturers to innovate confidently, reduce cost, and accelerate delivery all while maintaining quality and control.

Looking to better understand how a PLM solution like Windchill can benefit your company? Check out The Manufacturer’s Guide to PLM Best Practices to learn more.