Engineering Data to Manage but no PLM? Synergis Says No Problem

I had the chance to talk with … the team at Synergis Software about their engineering document management solution, Adept. Synergis focuses on providing a simple solution to manage engineering documents – including CAD files – than a full PLM solution. For companies without big plans for PLM, particularly smaller companies, Synergis offers an alternative option. Perhaps they are on to something, 2009 was a tough year in our industry and Synergis reports having a very good year.

What do they Do?

First and foremost Adept is not a PLM system. Some would probably call it Product Data Management (PDM), but certainly not PLM. The solution is intended to help companies get control of their engineering information. The solution primarily manages documents. On the other hand, Synergis can help solve some PLM problems. One of the core needs for PLM is to get data under control. Engineers have documents of all types, including office productivity applications like spreadsheets. This is what Adept is designed to manage.

But most engineers also manage CAD files in Adept. In fact, Synergis has invested in integration with SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor that rivals many PDM systems. They have developed an integrated plug-in that sits in SolidWorks that allows users to perform searches and do check-in/check-out from a right-hand pane in SolidWorks. They have integrated with Inventor as well, and have announced a new plug-in application for that environment.

What do they Offer

In short, Synergis offers a simpler alternative to PLM. Or for architectural engineering, it is simpler than Building Information Management (BIM). Whether you call it “engineering document management” or PDM, Adept is an application that helps companies manage complex CAD and engineering documents.The solution does not have all of the capabilities that a full PLM system would have (see PLM, Please Take 3 Giant Steps Forward), but for some companies might be just what they need to solve a very tangible issue. To make acquisition of the solution easier, they also offer a subscription pricing option for the same solution.

Who do they Work with?

Synergis says that 70% of their customers are in the manufacturing industries. Of course, not all of those are managing product designs in Adept. Many are managing plant / line / equipment information. Synergis also counts companies in the utilities industry, oil & gas, and mining equipment in their customer base. In short, they serve industries that have a lot of engineering documents to manage.

So that’s what I hear from Synergis Software, I hope you found it useful. What do you think? What else should I have asked them?

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Engineering Data to Manage but no PLM? Synergis Says No Problem

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