Engineering document management or engineering information management software is a collaboration tool used for scanning through, finding, and managing an organization's complex engineering documents, information, and designs. It provides a centralized and consistent repository of engineering data to facilitate communication among project stakeholders, ensures compliance, allows document version control, and increases efficiency.
While there is an overlap between the product data management (PDM), the enterprise content management (ECM), and the engineering document management categories, each of them differ with regard to the core functionalities they offer. Manufacturing companies primarily use PDM to manage product data from design to production. Likewise, ECM software helps manage general business documentation and does not have a specialized focus on managing engineering content. Engineering document management software helps manage engineering content related to plant facilities, equipment, and more.
To qualify for inclusion in the Engineering Document Management (EDM) category, a product must:
Provide a single centralized repository for all engineering information, including CAD and business documents, drawings, equipment specifications, metadata, and more
Automate workflows to prevent errors and provide greater control over document changes and approvals
Provide document history and audit trail to track data ownership, version control, and release status and notify team members about document revisions
Facilitate communication and sharing of engineering design files and other documents between internal and external stakeholders
