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Product frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Product evaluation
- Can I see a product demonstration before I start my evaluation?
- Yes, you can view training videos on our website. In the US, Canada
and India, we can
also schedule a live demonstration via
web meeting software and your browser (contact us for details).
- OK, I'm ready to try out PDXpert software. How do I start?
- Download
the PDXpert Application Server (which includes the Microsoft SQL
Server Express Edition database engine) and the PDXpert client
software. We'll send you an email with links to our download page. You
should also download and read the PDXpert PLM Installation Guide (available
on the product literature page).
- What's the best approach for evaluating PDXpert PLM software?
- We have created the PDXpert
PLM Evaluation Guide, which describes a general approach to evaluating
our software (or, for that matter, anyone else's PLM product). In addition to
the broad guidelines, we include a very detailed step-by-step procedure for
creating a few parts and a simple bill of materials (BOM), and then
releasing these using a change form. This information is also available in a
BOM & ECN tutorial slideshow.
- I want to compare PDXpert PLM to another PLM solution.
How do I get started?
- You need only three things: (1) the PDXpert PLM
application, (2) the alternative PLM product, and (3) an understanding of
how your engineering and production processes will be defined. Getting a
free copy of
PDXpert PLM is easy: just download it from this website. Which of the
other two is more challenging depends upon the evaluation policies of the
other PLM supplier, and whether there's general agreement within your
company on what PLM practices you want to adopt.
- We suggest that you download and install
PDXpert PLM now, and model your proposed PLM configuration for your
colleagues. When everyone's satisfied with your new PLM process,
configure it in the
other solution.
- Can I run the evaluation as a multi-user system?
- Yes. We want you (and your colleagues) to fully evaluate the software as
you'd actually use it. Since the actual production software is installed for your evaluation,
you can add or remove user accounts to match your company's needs.
- How long is the trial period? Do I lose all my data when this period
expires?
- The evaluation period expires 21 days after you enter the first part, document
or change into the PDXpert PLM database. You'll be asked to
provide a license registration key at the expiration, but your data will remain
intact. All previously-entered data will again be available after you enter
the license registration key.
- I may need more than 21 days to evaluate PDXpert PLM. How
do I extend the trial period?
- The 3-week evaluation period won't start until you enter a part, document
or change into the PDXpert system. This allows you to take as long
as you want to set up the system rules and collections to model your development
and production environment.
- We suggest that, just prior to entering your first
part or document, you take a backup of the configured database. This will allow
you to restart the evaluation if you decide to change your configuration design
or if the evaluation period expires before you finish your assessment.
- If you've invested significant time in creating items that you want to use
in production, and just need a little more time to complete your evaluation,
we can usually provide you with a free temporary license.
Installation
- How long does it take to install the PDXpert PLM system?
- About 15 minutes if you follow the recommended system requirements and accept the default
configuration. Of the 3 installation
components (Microsoft SQL Express Edition database server, PDXpert Application
Server, and PDXpert client), only the SQL Server takes significant time. Fortunately,
it's configured to install without any user inputs, so there's really nothing
you need to do beyond launching the installer.
- Can I run PDXpert PLM to a remote location over the Internet?
- Yes, using a virtual private network (VPN). You will need to install a
PDXpert PLM client onto the remote computer. The performance will be
affected principally by the bandwidth available.
Purchase
- I've decided to buy, and want to continue using
PDXpert PLM while my company processes your invoice. Can you send
me a license immediately?
- Generally, yes. We issue a temporary license upon receipt of your
purchase order and, after we receive your payment,
we'll send you the final perpetual or subscription license.
Legacy data migration
- Can existing part and assembly data from be imported from my purchasing
and manufacturing ERP system into the PDXpert PLM database?
- Yes. We prefer using ERP data where available, since the data integrity
is generally better than a collection of individual spreadsheets. The
extracted data should be in a reasonably standard format, either as a native
database backup or something like CSV. We typically quote the work on a per-day
basis, but will also consider a fixed-cost project bid if the conversion/import
appears straight-forward.
- Can existing part and assembly data be imported from Microsoft Access and
Excel into the PDXpert PLM database?
- We can import your legacy product data for you. We'll first need some sample
files to understand how your data maps to the PDXpert PLM data
attributes. To minimize the cost of conversions, all of your data should be
accurate and the format should be consistent. Otherwise, we can do some manual
pre-processing at additional cost.
- I have all of my CAD files in a library directory on my department server.
How do these get imported into PDXpert PLM?
- All files managed PDXpert PLM will be renamed and copied into the library
folder, and then tied to the related part or document. To do this
accurately, there must exist an unambiguous relationship between the current
library file and the related item record. Typically, this requires that the
current file name (and possibly
the folder that contains the file) be related to the item type, number and revision.
Once you share your file naming rules with us, we can take it from there.
- We're moving from a more expensive PLM system to PDXpert PLM.
How do we prepare our existing data?
- Your existing part, document and change information can be moved into PDXpert PLM with
very good fidelity. Based on our previous
experience, we can advise how data attributes and configuration settings
are mapped between PLM systems. Since each PLM system's change
workflow is quite different, all in-process changes should be completed
prior to moving.
Configuration and best practices
- Is factory assistance available to help configure our PDXpert PLM
system?
- Yes. Our support includes a detailed installation guide, a
pre-configured "starter" database, and advice via phone, email or
web meeting. If you wish, we can even "visit" your computer via our
PDXpert TeamViewer widget to help
you configure your system. It's also
quite cost-effective to exchange configuration data (or even complete databases)
via email or FTP. We've used these tools often
- Can I get on-site assistance to configure our PDXpert PLM
system?
- Sure. While we're happy to provide configuration advice via telephone or
email, you may find it's more efficient to have us visit your site for interviewing
stakeholders, investigating current practices and configuring your solution.
We charge a per-day fee for configuration activities; all travel expenses must
be pre-paid. Please contact us for details.
- Can I use my own part, document and change numbering and revision formats?
Do I have to start my item numbers from a specific place, or can I continue
my current sequence?
- PDXpert PLM has very flexible numbering and revisioning
capabilities. It can accommodate most of the common approaches for automatic
numbering, including category-based prefixes (e.g., resistors are RES-??????)
and iteration suffixes (e.g., ??????-001), or both (RES-??????-001). The
sequential value
can be defined to begin at any point, and can include both letters and
numbers.
- Who decides what are "PLM best practices", and does PDXpert PLM
require me to use them?
- Many people don't realize that the formal engineering discipline called
"configuration management" has been evolving since the 1960s. Although you're
welcome to take advantage of our configuration management expertise (including
our professional certification), you will have complete control over which practices
you adopt. Many best practices are offered in the configuration sections of
the PDXpert PLM help file.
- There are only a few best practices
that are hard-coded into PDXpert PLM. The principal one is
that items with the same item identifier (e.g., part number) are fully interchangeable between revisions.
(This allows PDXpert PLM to always display the latest item revision
on a BOM without requiring a formal change to the structure.)
Training
- How do I get training?
- The most common method is to view the on-line videos,
go through the software evaluation, and read the help
file. These materials are freely
available before your purchase, so you can judge whether the software will
be a good fit for your organization. We can also set up a live training
session via web meeting software.
- Can I get on-site training for my administrators and users?
- Yes, we can arrange to visit your facility for training. This is
typically customized for your company's environment, and therefore we
suggest that we begin training only after the PLM system has been configured
and the database has been populated with your data. You may wish us to help
with these activities, as well. Therefore, it may be most efficient to
combine on-site configuration and administrator training, followed by user
training.
- Can I send someone to your facility to get trained?
- Only in special cases. We have found that most users don't need a theoretical
knowledge of our product. You'll want to know how PDXpert PLM
works in your environment, using your data. Learning is substantially less efficient
if there's a constant "translation" between our idealized demonstration data
and your company's actual development environment.
Maintenance, support and updates (MSU)
- Am I obligated to purchase maintenance, support and updates (MSU) with my
software license?
- If you're buying a perpetual license, you have the option of declining maintenance, support
and update services. This gives you the permanent right to use your original
PDXpert PLM software, but your license key will not work with updated
software releases containing new features and improvements, and telephone
and email product support is limited.
- We recommend buying MSU with your
initial perpetual license, and using your support and update experience to
assess the utility of subsequent annual MSU purchases.
- Subscription licenses always include MSU.
- I purchased a perpetual license without MSU. Can I upgrade to the most recent
release?
- Yes, there are two paths to acquiring upgrades. The typical path would be
to purchase a new MSU license for the perpetual licenses you currently have.
Since upgrades require that you be current on MSU, the amount you'll owe will
depend on how long you have been without MSU. If you've been without MSU for
several years, it may be less expensive to acquire a brand new license with
MSU rather than pay for the accrued MSU on the older license. We can help you
choose the most economical alternative.
- How often is PDXpert PLM updated?
- We target for one major release, and between 2 and 6 less significant
releases, each year. A major release would add notable new user and/or
administrative capabilities. Minor releases refine existing
functions and enhance
product performance.
- Can I request new product features?
- Absolutely! Most of our product enhancements are a direct result of feedback
from our customers.
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