Bridging the Gap Between Engineering Data and Product Information

Hardware engineering teams are at the forefront of innovation, developing increasingly complex products at an unprecedented pace. The rise of AI-driven design, validation, and prototyping has accelerated time to market while reducing capital expenditures. However, as engineering data proliferates, traditional systems of record have become bottlenecks rather than enablers of innovation. Automation across these systems is now imperative to maintain the velocity required for modern product development.

Traditional product data management (PDM) systems were built on-premises, often leveraging SQL-server databases as static repositories for engineering data. While these legacy architectures once served their purpose, they no longer align with the demands of today’s dynamic hardware engineering workflows. As innovation accelerates, so too must the foundational tools that support it.

The 21st century workflow: a shift toward cross-functional collaboration

In the 1990s, PDM systems established themselves as the source of truth for engineering teams, enabling a design repository and version control for CAD data. This created a standardized process for managing iterations, but these systems were inherently siloed, serving the engineering department while leaving manufacturing and operations disconnected. To bridge this gap, organizations adopted additional systems—PLM, MRP, ERP, MES—each designed to manage distinct facets of the product lifecycle.

Over the past decade, however, the landscape has shifted. Cross-functional collaboration has become essential, requiring engineering data to be surfaced earlier in the development process. PLM and ERP systems increasingly rely on engineering models to drive key decisions, making seamless data synchronization a necessity. The era of isolated engineering workflows is over—digital continuity and automation across tools are now essential.

Middleware: bandages don’t fix bullet holes

To facilitate data transfer between engineering systems (CAD, PDM) and product information systems (PLM, ERP), teams initially resorted to manual exports via CSV and Excel files. This inefficient approach was prone to errors and could not scale with growing complexity.

In response, custom middleware solutions emerged, promising automated data transfer. However, these solutions introduced new challenges:

1. Upgrade Constraints: Engineering and target systems could not be freely upgraded, as middleware dependencies often lagged behind.
2. Maintenance Overload: Middleware solutions were highly bespoke, requiring long implementation cycles and ongoing maintenance.
3. Operational Dependence: Maintenance and updates relied heavily on third-party providers, placing innovation outside the control of engineering teams.

The need for a seamless, scalable, and automation-driven solution has never been more evident.

Bild + Arena: bridging the gap between engineering data and product information

As engineering workflows outgrow the limitations of legacy PDM systems, the demand for automation has reached a critical point. Bild’s cloud-native PDM is designed to eliminate administrative burdens, allowing engineers to focus on innovation. By automatically processing every CAD model—extracting metadata, relationships, geometries, and BOM information—Bild transforms raw design data into structured intelligence that can be seamlessly integrated across the product lifecycle.

With Bild and Arena, teams can:

• Generate and Synchronize Part Numbers: Engineers can create part numbers within Bild, categorized according to Arena-specific classifications. These items are instantly generated in Arena and linked to CAD models, ensuring real-time synchronization.
• Automate CAD Data Translation: Native CAD files are automatically converted into universally compatible formats such as STEP and PDF, eliminating manual exports and ensuring downstream teams always have access to the latest design iterations. These universal file formats are automatically added and synchronized to Arena items from Bild.
• Streamline Change Management: When a design enters the change process in Bild, its corresponding items in Arena are automatically included in a linked Arena change order. The workflow is seamlessly managed, with items marked as “Arena – In Review.” Upon making the change order effective in Arena, revisions are updated, and designs in Bild are synchronized with their respective revision number and marked as “Released.”

This deep integration removes the friction traditionally associated with managing engineering and manufacturing data. By eliminating redundant manual tasks, engineers can focus on designing, while manufacturing and operations teams gain real-time access to critical product information.

For teams looking to automate data flows between engineering and product information systems, the Bild + Arena integration offers a unique, powerful solution. Establish a digital thread between your PDM and PLM in minutes and create a seamless feedback loop between engineering, manufacturing, and operations.

Together, we are redefining the future of hardware development—bridging the gap between engineering and manufacturing to enable faster decision-making and accelerated product innovation.