For manufacturers and engineering organizations, product lifecycle management (PLM) is at the heart of digital transformation. As one of the industry’s leading PLM platforms, PTC Windchill enables teams to connect data, streamline processes, and deliver innovation faster. But like any business-critical system, Windchill evolves. Regular upgrades and well-planned installations are essential to maintain peak performance, leverage new capabilities, and protect your digital infrastructure.

Before you start your next upgrade or installation, it’s important to understand what’s involved, what drives the need for change, and how to make the transition as seamless as possible.

What does a Windchill upgrade or installation actually involve?

A Windchill upgrade or installation is a structured, multi-phase process that ensures your PLM system runs efficiently, securely, and in alignment with your organization’s goals. An upgrade involves moving your existing Windchill environment to a newer version. That move should be focused on preserving data, customizations, and integrations while implementing new functionality and performance improvements. A new installation, on the other hand, entails setting up the system from the ground up, configuring servers, databases, and environments to fit your company’s needs.

Both processes include preparation, validation, and post-installation testing, ensuring that your Windchill environment integrates smoothly with CAD, ERP, and other enterprise systems. When managed by experts, such as EAC Product Development Solutions, upgrades and installations are strategically planned to minimize downtime and ensure business continuity.

Why should my organization upgrade its Windchill system rather than stay on the current version?

While staying on an older version might seem convenient in the short term, it can lead to significant long-term risks. Outdated systems lack the performance, stability, and security of modern releases. They can quickly become incompatible with newer CAD tools or operating systems. Moreover, PTC periodically sunsets support for legacy Windchill versions, meaning no more bug fixes, patches, or compatibility updates.

Upgrading ensures that your organization benefits from the latest performance improvements, security updates, and usability enhancements. Beyond technical reasons, upgrades also align your PLM system with evolving business processes, supporting initiatives like digital transformation, model-based definition (MBD), and enterprise collaboration.

What is the difference between a new Windchill installation and an upgrade of an existing system?

A new Windchill installation is typically part of a digital transformation or expansion initiative, where an organization is implementing PLM for the first time or deploying it at a new site. It involves defining user roles, data structures, workflows, and system integrations from scratch.

An upgrade, however, focuses on improving an existing environment by migrating data, configurations, and customizations to a newer version. It’s more complex than a fresh install because it requires compatibility validation and regression testing to ensure that all your data, CAD integrations, and business processes function correctly post-upgrade. EAC’s specialists often perform a system assessment beforehand to determine whether an upgrade or a parallel new installation makes more sense for your organization.

Which business drivers justify upgrading or installing Windchill (e.g., performance, new features, compliance)?

Several business drivers can justify a Windchill upgrade or installation, depending on organizational goals and technical needs:

Ultimately, upgrading Windchill is about aligning technology with business growth and sustainability, not just maintaining a system.

What are the new features or enhancements in the latest Windchill release that make upgrading worthwhile?

Each new Windchill release delivers enhancements designed to improve usability, speed, and enterprise connectivity. Recent versions (like Windchill 13) include:

These updates not only streamline daily operations but also prepare organizations for emerging digital initiatives like AI-driven engineering, IoT connectivity, and model-based enterprise workflows.

How does installing the latest Windchill version improve system performance, scalability, or user experience?

Upgrading to the latest Windchill version delivers measurable performance gains: faster page load times, quicker search results, and more efficient data processing. The system’s architecture has evolved to support modern database engines and scalable infrastructure, including hybrid and cloud deployments.

From a user standpoint, the improved interface and navigation reduce clicks, simplify workflows, and shorten onboarding time for new users. For IT teams, better monitoring, backup, and recovery tools make system administration far more efficient. Ultimately, these improvements ensure that Windchill scales seamlessly as your product data, team size, and complexity grow.

Are there optional modules or add-ons in Windchill that require separate installation during an upgrade?

Yes, Windchill’s modular architecture means organizations can extend capabilities through optional add-ons that support specific functions. Examples include Windchill MPMLink (for manufacturing process management), ProjectLink (for collaboration), and PartsLink (for classification and reuse). These modules may require separate installation or configuration when upgrading to ensure compatibility with the core Windchill platform.

Planning your upgrade with these dependencies in mind is essential. EAC’s upgrade assessments typically include a module compatibility review to ensure all extensions, integrations, and customizations migrate successfully with minimal disruption.

How does a Windchill installation or upgrade impact integrations with CAD, PLM, ERP, or other systems?

Windchill sits at the center of the digital thread, connecting engineering, manufacturing, and service data. Therefore, any upgrade or installation must account for integrations with Creo, SolidWorks, SAP, Oracle, and other enterprise systems.

During an upgrade, data models, APIs, or integration frameworks may change. This means careful testing is essential. EAC’s experienced team conducts integration validation to ensure CAD data synchronization, PLM-ERP data exchange, and service publication workflows remain stable post-upgrade. Done correctly, an upgrade can actually enhance integrations, improving data flow, automation, and cross-departmental collaboration.

Preparing for Windchill Success

A Windchill upgrade or installation isn’t just an IT project. It’s a strategic investment in your organization’s digital foundation. Staying current ensures you benefit from the latest features, security enhancements, and process efficiencies while maintaining alignment with evolving business needs.

The key to success lies in careful planning, structured execution, and expert guidance. EAC Product Development Solutions has helped hundreds of organizations upgrade, migrate, and optimize their Windchill environments, minimizing downtime and maximizing ROI. Whether you’re modernizing your existing system or implementing a new installation, our team ensures that your PLM infrastructure evolves with your business.

Next Steps To Take Before Your Windchill Upgrade / Installation

If your organization is considering a Windchill upgrade or new installation, EAC can help you assess your environment, identify gaps, and define a clear roadmap to success. Learn more about EAC’s Windchill Upgrade and Installation Services.

For many engineering and manufacturing organizations, PTC Windchill serves as the backbone of product lifecycle management (PLM). It connects people, processes, and data across the entire product development ecosystem. But as technology advances and business needs evolve, staying on outdated versions – or handling upgrades in-house – can slow innovation and introduce unnecessary risk.

Choosing the right Windchill upgrade and installation partner ensures your system evolves in sync with your business strategy, enabling faster performance, stronger security, and greater productivity.

Business Value Questions

What benefits can my company expect from upgrading Windchill (e.g., faster product development, fewer errors, better collaboration)?

Upgrading to the latest Windchill version delivers measurable improvements in efficiency, collaboration, and innovation speed. With modern architecture, faster data processing, and enhanced usability, teams can manage product information more effectively across engineering, manufacturing, and service.
Newer releases also introduce better CAD integration, multi-CAD management, and collaborative workflows. This helps teams reduce rework and accelerate product launches. The result? Shorter design cycles, fewer data conflicts, and smoother collaboration between departments and suppliers.

What measurable ROI or KPIs should be tracked after a Windchill installation or upgrade?

Organizations that track the right metrics see clearer ROI from their Windchill investments. Common KPIs include:

Tracking these metrics post-upgrade provides a data-driven picture of how Windchill enhances efficiency, collaboration, and compliance. Over time, improved system stability and automation deliver significant cost savings and faster time-to-market.

How does upgrading Windchill support digital-transformation and connected product initiatives?

A Windchill upgrade does more than modernize your PLM. It positions your organization for digital transformation. With native connectivity to ThingWorx IoT, Vuforia AR, and Codebeamer ALM, Windchill acts as the digital backbone linking engineering, manufacturing, and service data.

Upgrading ensures compatibility with these emerging technologies and provides the scalability needed for model-based enterprise (MBE), digital thread, and AI-driven product analytics. The more current your PLM infrastructure, the better equipped your teams are to support smart, connected product strategies.

What risk does my organization face by delaying a Windchill upgrade?

Delaying a Windchill upgrade can lead to serious operational and financial risks. Unsupported versions lose access to critical patches and security updates, making systems more vulnerable to data breaches and compliance violations. Compatibility with modern CAD tools and operating systems also becomes harder to maintain over time.

Even more costly, outdated systems can create inefficiencies in collaboration and reporting, slowing product launches and frustrating engineering teams. In short: delaying an upgrade increases maintenance costs while eroding long-term competitive advantage.

Implementation & Workflow Questions

What are the key steps of a Windchill upgrade project (planning, testing, migration, validation)?

A successful upgrade or installation follows a structured, four-phase process:

EAC typically recommends a pre-upgrade assessment to map dependencies and prevent surprises during execution.

How long does a Windchill installation or upgrade typically take for a manufacturing organization?

The duration depends on system complexity, data volume, and the number of integrated tools (e.g., Creo, ERP, MES). A standard Windchill upgrade may take 4–8 weeks, while large-scale installations or cloud migrations can extend to 12–16 weeks.

A skilled provider like EAC can shorten timelines by using automated migration scripts, modular testing, and parallel validation processes. Early stakeholder engagement and clear change management planning are key to keeping projects on schedule and on budget.

What pre-installation or pre-upgrade checks should I perform (hardware, OS compatibility, database, customizations)?

Before upgrading or installing, perform a system readiness assessment. Key checks include:

This proactive step reduces the risk of unexpected downtime and ensures your infrastructure fully supports the new Windchill version.

What are the common pitfalls or issues encountered during Windchill upgrades and installations?

The most common challenges include customization conflicts, data migration errors, and integration breakdowns with other enterprise systems. Failing to test these dependencies can lead to post-upgrade instability or performance degradation.

Organizations also struggle with user adoption when upgrades significantly change the interface or workflows. The best way to avoid these issues is to partner with a provider experienced in handling complex, multi-version upgrades. The ideal partner performs regression testing and provides user training as part of the rollout.

What best practices should be followed to minimize downtime and risk during a Windchill upgrade?

Effective upgrades rely on structured planning and communication. Best practices include:

When executed with proper governance, downtime can often be limited to just a few hours.

Deployment, Licensing & Support Questions

What deployment models are available for Windchill installations/upgrades (on-premises, cloud, hybrid)?

Windchill supports three primary deployment models:

The right model depends on your IT strategy, compliance needs, and future growth plans. Many organizations are now moving toward cloud-first PLM strategies to improve accessibility and cost efficiency.

Are there differences in licensing or costs between a Windchill installation and a version upgrade?

Yes. A new installation may require full license purchases for new modules, whereas an upgrade typically involves maintenance or subscription renewals. Costs can also vary depending on whether you’re moving from perpetual to subscription licensing or from on-prem to SaaS deployment.

EAC’s PLM specialists often conduct license rationalization assessments—helping companies identify redundant modules, optimize user roles, and reduce ongoing costs while upgrading.

What kind of partner or vendor support is recommended for a successful Windchill upgrade or installation?

Choosing an experienced PTC-certified partner is essential for a smooth upgrade. The right partner will offer:

EAC Product Development Solutions, for example, provides Windchill upgrade assessments, installation services, and ongoing support designed to maximize uptime and minimize disruption.

What security, compliance or governance aspects should be considered when installing or upgrading Windchill?

Security should be built into every stage of your upgrade or installation. Modern Windchill versions support enhanced encryption, user access control, and audit logging to meet ISO, ITAR, and NIST requirements.

Your provider should verify compliance with data residency, identity management, and federated authentication standards during setup. Regular patching, role-based access reviews, and vulnerability scans are best practices that help maintain governance after go-live.

Choosing the Right Windchill Upgrade and Installation Partner

Upgrading or installing Windchill is more than a technical project. It’s a strategic move that impacts your company’s agility, efficiency, and digital maturity. The right partner helps you plan every phase, reduce risk, and unlock long-term value from your PLM investment.

EAC Product Development Solutions has decades of experience guiding manufacturers through successful Windchill upgrades and installations. With a proven process, certified expertise, and a focus on business outcomes, EAC ensures your upgrade delivers measurable results from day one.

Ready to start your Windchill upgrade journey?
Learn more about EAC’s Windchill Upgrade and Installation Services

In the fast-evolving world of digital product development, companies are increasingly turning to Windchill for its powerful Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) capabilities. However, to truly unlock Windchill’s potential, it’s essential to understand the various services that support its implementation, performance, and long-term success. From installation and configuration to ongoing maintenance and support, Windchill services ensure your PLM system is optimized, secure, and aligned with business objectives.

Why Windchill Services Matter

Implementing and maintaining a PLM system like Windchill isn’t just a one-time task—it’s an ongoing commitment to system reliability, efficiency, and performance. Without expert support and regular maintenance, businesses risk facing system downtimes, data inaccuracies, and delays in product development. Windchill services are designed to minimize these risks while maximizing the return on your PLM investment.

Core Components of Windchill Services

Windchill services are made up of several core components that work together to ensure your PLM environment is strategically implemented and continuously optimized. Each of these services plays a crucial role in supporting the success, scalability, and security of your Windchill system.

1. PLM Implementation Planning

Successful PLM implementation starts with a solid strategy. Services in this stage focus on aligning Windchill capabilities with your organizational goals, ensuring a smooth rollout that meets your technical and business requirements.

2. Installation & Configuration

Whether you choose an on-premise or cloud deployment, professional Windchill services ensure that your environment is installed correctly and configured to support scalability, security, and performance from the beginning.

3. Windchill System Maintenance & Support

System maintenance involves routine health checks, patch updates, bug fixes, and performance optimization. Regular maintenance reduces system disruptions and ensures ongoing compliance with evolving industry regulations.

Why IT Departments Shouldn’t Go It Alone

Many companies rely on their internal IT teams to manage PLM systems like Windchill. While IT is essential to infrastructure, managing PLM requires specialized knowledge in product development, CAD integrations, and lifecycle management. Overburdening IT with Windchill responsibilities often leads to delayed upgrades, missed opportunities for optimization, and increased total cost of ownership.

By leveraging dedicated PLM service providers, companies gain access to expert-level support, faster problem resolution, and proactive system management.

Advanced Windchill Services for Growth and Innovation

Beyond foundational implementation and maintenance, advanced Windchill services enable businesses to fully capitalize on their PLM investment. These services focus on enhancing system capabilities, user adoption, and integration across the digital enterprise—driving long-term growth and innovation.

Data Migration & System Integration

Merging legacy data into Windchill and integrating with systems like ERP or CAD requires technical precision. Professional services ensure clean, accurate data transitions and seamless integrations that support end-to-end digital thread visibility.

User Training & Change Management

A successful Windchill deployment hinges on user adoption. Windchill services often include customized training programs, documentation, and change management strategies to help teams fully utilize the platform.

Customization & Extension Development

Businesses often need to tailor Windchill to meet specific industry or organizational needs. Expert services can create custom extensions, dashboards, and workflows that enhance usability and functionality.

The Business Value of Professional Windchill Services

Beyond maintaining system performance, professional Windchill services contribute directly to business outcomes. With the right partner, organizations can achieve better product quality, faster release cycles, and streamlined regulatory compliance.

Utilizing expert Windchill services leads to significant business advantages:

Windchill support services also ensure your PLM system evolves with your business, rather than holding it back.

How to Choose the Right Windchill Services Provider

Choosing the right Windchill services provider is critical to achieving a high-performing and future-ready PLM system. The ideal partner not only brings technical expertise, but also understands your industry-specific challenges, business objectives, and internal workflows. Look for a provider who offers flexibility, proactive communication, and a proven track record of success with organizations similar to yours.

When evaluating a service provider, consider:

A good Windchill partner doesn’t just keep your system running—they help you get the most out of your investment.

Next Steps with Windchill

Windchill services are a critical component of any successful PLM strategy. From implementation and maintenance to integration and training, these services ensure your PLM system is reliable, scalable, and delivering maximum value to your organization. Whether you’re just beginning your Windchill journey or looking to optimize an existing deployment, partnering with experienced professionals can transform your digital product development environment.

Ready to get more from your Windchill system? Learn how EAC services can help you meet your business needs.

Windchill is a mission-critical enterprise system with multiple components and touch points across an entire enterprise. Because of this complexity, you might recognize the need for Windchill Managed Services. EAC has created a managed services program for your Windchill system: the EAC Alliance Program. The Alliance Program provides PTC Windchill managed services such as Windchill administration and support.

Our team of expert system administrators help improve system performance, optimize server and license configurations, and maintain a stable PLM environment for your organization. Looking to understand what we deliver? Below are some frequently asked questions.

Frequently asked questions around Windchill Administration

When manufacturing and engineering leaders evaluate their PLM strategy, they have a lot of critical questions. Decision-makers need clear answers on what Windchill administration involves, when they should consider outsourcing, and what risks unmanaged environments pose. Below we provide focused answers to frequently asked questions to help you evaluate whether a Windchill managed services program is right for your organization.

What does Windchill administration involve and why is it important?

Windchill administration encompasses the full set of tasks required to keep your PLM system healthy, secure and aligned with organizational processes—such as user and license management, system configuration, performance tuning, and lifecycle/workflow definitions. Effective administration ensures data integrity, minimizes downtime, and keeps product data flowing smoothly across engineering, manufacturing and service operations. For example, administrators will manage user access, define roles/teams, configure workflows, administer object types and versioning, and monitor system logs to identify issues before they escalate.

Without dedicated administration, companies risk slow performance, inconsistent processes, and lost productivity—making this role foundational for any serious Windchill deployment.

When should a company consider outsourcing Windchill administration instead of managing it in-house?

Outsourcing Windchill administration makes sense when internal resources are limited, the system has become complex, or you want access to specialist expertise without hiring full-time staff. Many companies turn to managed services when they lack sufficient Windchill-specific knowledge in-house, or when maintaining uptime, performance, patching and monitoring become too burdensome for their IT/engineering teams. According to recent program data, partnering with a managed services provider can deliver high-availability environments and relieve internal teams to focus on strategic PLM usage rather than just maintenance.

If your Windchill system is integral to product development and you can’t afford extended downtime or degradation in performance, outsourcing can be the smarter and more scalable choice.

What are the typical risks of poorly managed Windchill environments?

When Windchill systems are under-managed, organizations face risks such as unplanned downtime, degraded system performance, data inconsistency, version misalignment, and security vulnerabilities from delayed patching. These issues can slow engineering workflows, hamper collaboration between teams, increase support costs, and even result in compliance or audit failures if product data is uncontrolled. For instance, if workflows or lifecycles aren’t properly configured, teams may inadvertently work on the wrong version of a part or document—leading to errors that propagate downstream. In highly regulated or competitive manufacturing sectors, these problems compromise innovation speed and product quality, making adequate administration essential rather than optional.

What types of administrative tasks are included in a Windchill managed services program (patching, system tuning, replication, license optimization)?

A Windchill managed services program typically includes proactive system tasks such as regular patching and updates, server and application performance tuning, license usage tracking and optimization, data cleanup, replication site management, CAD worker configuration and environment monitoring. For example, administrators will monitor system logs for error patterns, manage replication sites to support multiple locations or disaster recovery, and alert you when license groups or worker scripts need attention. Additionally, managed service offerings may include scheduled health checks, junior to expert support tiers, shared service dashboards and continuous improvement planning so your Windchill environment evolves rather than stagnates. Outsourcing these tasks ensures consistent support for your PLM environment and often delivers performance gains and uptime improvements beyond what internal teams achieve alone.

What can customers expect from our Windchill managed services?

Here’s what customer’s see with our Windchill Managed Services and what you can expect.

Windchill Managed Services Percent of Uptime

95.1% of our EAC Alliance Program customers achieve 100% Windchill uptime. Our customers that do not have 100% Windchill uptime still maintain over 99% availability.  This is an overall average of 99.95% or more uptime.

Windchill Managed Services Predictive Maintenance

Our Alliance program executes planned (weekly, monthly, etc) Windchill maintenance.  Predictive maintenance is more efficient and the preferred approach to system maintenance. Roughly 1/4 of Alliance customers choose to implement PTC System Monitor (PSM) as a way to bolster EAC’s already rigorous proactive maintenance.

Speed/Performance of Windchill with Managed Services

100% of EAC’s Alliance Program customers see an improvement in the speed and performance of their Windchill system.  Out of the box, Windchill leaves a lot of room for performance tuning and server optimization. Our EAC Alliance Program Team are skilled in analyzing  and optimizing system resources to suit your individual needs

Windchill Managed Services Security/Patches

100% of our EAC Alliance customers receive (or are notified) of patches.  This way you can be assured that your system is running with maximum security at all times. 

Next Steps: Optimize Your Windchill System with Confidence

Your Windchill system is the backbone of your product development process. Don’t let preventable performance or maintenance issues slow down your innovation. Whether your team needs help managing system uptime, planning proactive maintenance, or optimizing your PLM environment for scalability, EAC Product Development Solutions is here to help.

Our Windchill Managed Services give you direct access to certified PLM experts who monitor, maintain, and continually optimize your environment, so your engineers can stay focused on product design, not system administration.

If you’re ready to improve your system’s reliability, performance, and ROI, connect with us to help your organization achieve:

THE PEOPLE WHO POWER DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT LIVEWORX 2023

Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A – 2023 EAC Product Development Solutions, an award-winning PTC Solutions Partner and Global Services Provider, returns to Boston May 15-18 for LiveWorx 2023 with seven presentations covering today’s most impactful solutions in the manufacturing space.

EAC partners with companies to help them navigate their digital transformation journey by providing extensive capabilities that span the entirety of the manufacturing process, including solutions such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Simulation, Additive Manufacturing, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Augmented Reality (AR) and more.

“We are excited to be a part of LiveWorx 2023 and to have the opportunity to showcase our latest technology solutions,” said EAC’s Chris Woerther, VP of Business Development. Our team of experts is looking forward to connecting with attendees and sharing how our solutions can help businesses succeed in the digital age.

LiveWorx 2023, the world’s premier digital transformation conference, brings together innovators, forward-thinkers, and experts to explore the latest technologies in digital transformation. EAC provides the essential services, support, and strategic expertise that manufacturing companies need to extract the maximum value from technology investments.

As such, EAC has been selected to present seven sessions at LiveWorx 2023:

[AR1088B] – Creo Illustrate for AR Developers

Monday, May 15 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM EDT | Breakout Session 102 B

Clay Helberg, EAC Solution Architect, will provide insights into Creo Illustrate, a powerful tool for creating engaging augmented reality (AR) content, and the key insights you should know to get the best use for authoring.

[PL1842B] – Minimum Windchill Implementation to Achieve Significant ROI

Monday, May 15 3:10 PM – 3:40 PM EDT | Breakout Session 105

During this session, Chris Woerther, EAC Vice President of Business Development, will present how to achieve strong ROI by expanding Windchill usage to other departments and the shop floor to share product data and create a closed-loop change process with minimum implementation. 

[AR18431] – AR and Expert Capture – How Easy it Can Really Be to Get Strong ROI

Tuesday, May 16 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM EDT | IgniteTalX Stage 1

Todd Liebenow, EAC Senior Application Engineer, will discuss the significance of Augmented Reality in capturing, standardizing, and sharing workforce knowledge, including how it improves efficiency and speeds up onboarding and training for new employees. 

[CA1179B] – Why Model-Based Definition?

Tuesday, May 16 2:50 PM – 3:20 PM EDT | Breakout Session 205 A 

During this presentation, Stephen Pralle, EAC Application Engineer, will explain what model-based definition is, why it is beneficial, and how to implement this strategy into the product development process. 

[PL18451] – Assessing Your Business Practices to Find Optimization Opportunities

Wednesday, May 17 8:15AM – 8:30AM EDT | IgniteTalX Stage 2

Scott Dufresne, EAC Business Development Manager, will discuss the significant business benefits assessments achieve and how they identify areas of improvement in design, management, operations, and service sectors. 

[CA11801] – Rapids Prototyping Made Simple with Creo Additive Manufacturing

Wednesday, May 17 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM EDT | IgniteTalX Silent Stage 

Stephen Pralle, EAC Applications Engineer, will present the power of Creo and Additive Manufacturing together for earlier design success that enables faster time-to-market. 

[CA1181I] – Simulation-Driven Design with Creo Simulation Live

Thursday, May 18 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM EDT | IgniteTalX Silent Stage 

Stephen Pralle, EAC Application Engineer, will showcase the powerful capabilities of PTC’s Creo Simulation Live (CSL) to easily leverage simulation earlier in the design process with real-time feedback to save time and boost innovation. 

Attendees will have the chance to speak with EAC industry experts and leaders to explore the best-fit solutions to drive business growth and achieve their strategic goals. 

Check out our Digital Transformation blog featured on the PTC LiveWorx page:

EAC will be available throughout the conference at Booth No. 700. 

Liveworx is happening at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on May 15-18, 2023. To plan your agenda and attend EAC’s live sessions, visit www.liveworx.com. 

For more information about EAC Product Development Solutions, visit www.eacpds.com. 

Media Contacts

PTC Senior Director, Global Corporate Communications 

Greg Payne – gpayne@ptc.com 

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.