We do things differently here at xLM. The scope of our PLM consulting services for the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and other PLM and PDM solutions certainly sets us apart from others in our field, but I think our partner mentality is our greatest differentiator.
What I mean by that is simple: The companies we work with are more than clients, they’re partners. We support our partners from start to finish with PLM and PDM implementation, integration, data migration and customization services, but our work doesn’t really begin or end there.
Before a project kicks off, we work with our partners’ technical and executive teams to determine how the project fits within their digital transformation strategy. The partnership continues after the project achieves technical completion, with our experts remaining available to answer questions and assist with further needs. Our goal is to support you every step of the way, from identifying KPIs to measure the effectiveness of your PLM project through the lens of your strategic objectives to ensuring a smooth implementation and future success.
Our partners know they can turn to our experts for anything, and one thing they’re most interested in is our best practices, tips and tricks for data migration, integration and other PLM services. Transparency and helping the entire industry move toward PLM excellence is important to us, and we can attest to this by the many testaments and references we get from our partners/customers.
We decided to host a three-part summer webinar series and 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable discussion tailored to your most pressing concerns. Details follow.
Using the XPDM Tool for Various Import and Export Scenarios
Our first webinar was inspired by one of our two presentations from COE 2023. We discussed best practices for using the XPDM Import and Export tool to import and export data from 3DEXPERIENCE. We also covered the XPDM XML data schema and how to use business logic to enhance and/or customize import/export behaviors.
During the webinar, we took a deep dive into XPDM techniques, licenses, basic uses and walked through a few different applications, including the process for starting an import/export batch. XPDM is a useful tool for many different types of data migration projects, but it isn’t your only option.
If you attended the event, check your email for the full recording. If not, it’s available for download here. Our website is also a great resource for learning more about data migration.
Migrating Data to 3DEXPERIENCE
Our second webinar also built on one of our presentations from COE 2023 and covered our proven methodologies for conducting data migrations to 3DEXPERIENCE.
Best practices that we follow include:
- A thorough pre-migration data analysis to review the type and location of the data.
- A review of business processes and user experiences to identify areas for improvement
- A comprehensive identification of source and target system environments relating to data access, search options, permissions, data mappings and license implications.
- A complete review of all data loading options
- A decision to select the best data extraction formula, format, and tools/methods such as XPDM. We also develop customized scripts and programs where needed.
- Read more about our data migration process, methodology and best practices.
A full recording was sent to attendees via email, but you can also access the download here.
SOLIDWORKS PDM Data Migration Strategies and Overview of PDM Integration With Other Systems
Our third and final webinar arrived at the perfect time because it followed the release of Dassault Systèmes’ new XTA-OC 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant for migrating data from SOLIDWORKS PDM to 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud. We describe the tool in this blog post and our process for cleaning up reference data in this one.
While Dassault’s new tool was part of the conversation, the webinar also focused on best practices and strategies for loading data from legacy systems into SOLIDWORKS PDM. We discussed considerations and assessments you need to account for, best practices for organizing data ahead of loading and different methods to load and validate data.
We discussed simple ways PDM can integrate with other enterprise systems like Microsoft SharePoint and provided examples for loading data from Autodesk Vault to SOLIDWORKS PDM, merging multiple PDM Vaults together and integrating SOLIDWORKS PDM with SharePoint. We recently had the pleasure of helping two customers move from Autodesk Vault to SOLIDWORKS PDM and you can learn more about the process and results in this case study.
A full recording was sent to attendees via email, but you can also access the download here.
3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable and Future Learning Opportunities
Ilan and I hope that our three webinars were packed full of meaningful insights for you and your team, but understand you may have questions. You’re welcome to get in touch at any time. Another great option is to keep an eye out for our next 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable this fall.
We host 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable discussions several times a year to provide an open forum for you to ask questions and learn directly from our experts. These events are always based on the topics that matter most to you and, in June, that meant having a transparent conversation about data migration, collaboration best practices, widget/data model customization and key roles such as CSV and XEN. Click here to tune into our June 2023 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable.
Keep an eye out for an invitation to our next 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable; they’ll be deploying soon. We also have a webinar planned for October, this time on Enterprise Knowledge Language (EKL) fundamentals and how you can use Dassault’s programming language to automate 3DEXPERIENCE tasks. Interested in learning more? Here’s the link to register.
Until next time, don’t forget that our experts will always be here for you when you need us most. Get in touch anytime. Thank you!
