What is SaaS PLM software?
SaaS PLM Software transforms traditional enterprise PLM by integrating its robust capabilities with cloud computing and utilizing benefits from its services. This approach provides users with configurable workflows, efficient change management processes, and complete BOM functionality. Additionally, it offers zero-downtime upgrades, effortless adoption of new modules, and built-in security. As the first entirely service-based, feature-rich PLM solution, it enhances multi-enterprise collaboration and establishes a seamlessly connected digital thread.
SaaS PLM Software: Achieving the Industry’s Top Priorities
IDC forecasts a surge in adoption of SaaS PLM Software over the next few years driven by its unique ability to transform product development and manufacturing processes digitally. Businesses rely on SaaS to redefine the customer experience and accelerate the creation of innovative products with a more agile, secure way of working. In this InfoBrief, IDC supports these claims with recent research, including global surveys on product innovation, SaaS adoption, success factors, and outcomes.
“SaaS PLM is the key to product development in a disrupted, global economy—it simplifies collaboration and streamlines information to improve design, manufacturing, and support processes.” – IDC
Winchill+ SaaS PLM Software Advantages
The defining impact of SaaS PLM software can be summed up in one word: speed. By delivering feature-rich PLM capabilities as a service, it goes beyond the limitations of traditional PLM architectures and deployments. This approach adds value across the board—benefiting users, administrators, and projects while streamlining collaboration among engineering teams, divisions, suppliers, customers, and regulators. It also simplifies and accelerates business, administrative, and functional processes, driving faster time-to-market, enhanced innovation, and improved product quality.
Accelerated Time-to-Capability
With just a few clicks, expand functionality to address changing needs or adopt new features to explore opportunities. Zero downtime upgrades ensure that software deployment never disrupts innovation.
Embedded Best Practices
Replace complex customizations with ready-to-use features and extensive configurability. Built-in best practices and standards allow you to focus less on validating software and integrations and more on designing and delivering value.
Ready-to-go Day One
Utilizing a comprehensive stack with secure, up-to-date infrastructure can avoid system configuration hurdles, drive faster user adoption, expand capabilities efficiently, save time and money, and minimize risks.
Introducing Windchill+
In the 2000s, PTC transformed enterprise collaboration with Windchill PLM, setting a new standard for connectivity, integration, and out-of-the-box functionality. It offered an optimized user experience and enabled collaboration across global teams. Today, PTC is innovating again with Windchill+, combining the convenience of SaaS with a foundation for future innovation across the digital thread.
Success with SaaS PLM Software: Top Windchill+ Features
Utilize automated tools, streamlined self-service options, and reduced administrative tasks to boost efficiency. Simplify or eliminate processes like deployments, updates, vaulting, cloning, re-hosting, change management, and security management.
With Windchill+, upgrades and updates no longer demand lengthy or complex implementations. Zero-downtime upgrades are always compatible with your Windchill+ instance and ensure access to the latest capabilities and quality-of-life improvements. Administrators and users can dedicate their time to driving value by relying on PTC for product enhancements.
For organizations prioritizing IT infrastructure and IP protection, Windchill+ delivers integrated, full-stack security. PTC offers world-class safeguards, including certifications, compliance measures, audits, penetration testing, and environment scanning. With Windchill+, IT teams gain enhanced security for their PLM assets and IP, providing peace of mind.
Windchill+ operates on the same codebase as Windchill, delivering its award-winning features, functionality, and user-friendly experience. Quickly scale your user base while accessing enterprise capabilities like change and configuration management, manufacturing engineering, MBSE/MBE, quality control, risk and compliance management, requirements tracking, validation, and more.
IT teams can feel confident that transitioning from an on-premises PLM solution enhances performance and stability rather than compromising it. Windchill+ delivers seamless provisioning, smooth onboarding, SSO support, transparent on-demand backup and restore, faster bug resolution, and real-time product upgrades—always keeping you on the latest version.
Using standards-based integrations like OSLC, REST, and STEP, secure interoperability across diverse systems and applications can be enabled. This approach minimizes the risk of unexpected third-party costs and challenges, ensuring smoother data flow and collaboration.
Quickly and securely onboard users beyond your firewall. Easily grant access permissions to suppliers, customers, or regulators, allowing them to log in and contribute value anytime, anywhere, regardless of location.
SaaS PLM Software and Windchill+ Packaging Overview
Enhance a company’s value realization with Windchill+ and PLM by accelerating enterprise adoption and growth. Expand PLM quickly beyond core engineering with persona-based packages designed for both expert and non-expert users.
| Users: | Engineering | Manufacturing | Quality | Service | Non-Expert Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View | |||||
| Windchill+ View Access via a Web Browser | – | – | – | – | |
| Search/View all Windchill Content | – | – | – | – | |
| Download ANY NON-CAD Content | – | – | – | – | |
| CreoView Lite | – | – | – | – | |
| Participate in Collaboration Projects | – | – | – | – | |
| Access 9 Navigate View Apps | – | – | – | – | |
| Contribute | |||||
| All View Functionality | – | – | – | – | |
| Windchill+ Contribute Access via a Web Browser | – | – | – | – | |
| Document Creation | – | – | – | – | |
| Issue Identification | – | – | – | – | |
| Reviewer/Approver Access | – | – | – | – | |
| Access 2 Contribute Apps | – | – | – | – | |
| Author | |||||
| All View & Contribute Functionality (minus Apps) | | | | | – |
| Document Management | | | | | – |
| Change Process Management | | | | | – |
| Project Plan Authoring | | | | | – |
| Dynamic Document Management & Integrations | | | | | – |
| Markup Collaboration (including PDF) | | | | | – |
| IP Protection (security labels) | | | | | – |
| Document Classification | | | | | – |
| Publishing Capacity for Office Documents | | | | | – |
| Storage Allocation | | | | | – |
If you’d like to add to the base author capabilities listed above, the following role-based bundles are available:
| Users: | Engineering | Manufacturing | Quality | Service | Non-Expert Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design Engineering Lite | |||||
| Create/Manage Designs in MCAD | | – | – | – | – |
| Publishing Capacity for CAD | | – | – | – | – |
| Increased Storage Allocation | | – | – | – | – |
| Design Engineering | |||||
| All the Functionality of Design Engineering Lite | | – | – | – | – |
| Part Creation & Classification | | – | – | – | – |
| Supplier Part Management / Sourcing | | – | – | – | – |
| BOM Structure | | – | – | – | – |
| Product Engineering | |||||
| Part Creation & Classification | | – | – | – | – |
| Supplier Part Management / Sourcing | | – | – | – | – |
| BOM Structure | | – | – | – | – |
| Advanced Product Design | |||||
| Manage Complex, Configurable Product Platforms | | – | – | – | – |
| BOM Transformation | | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing | |||||
| Part Creation & Classification | – | | – | – | – |
| Supplier Part Management / Sourcing | – | | – | – | – |
| BOM Structure | – | | – | – | – |
| Create Associative Manufacturing BOMs | – | | – | – | – |
| Author Manufacturing Process Plans | – | | – | – | – |
| Deliver Work Instructions Associated with Process Plans | – | | – | – | – |
| Quality Management | |||||
| Manage Quality Control Processes Related to Product Design | – | – | | – | – |
| Create and Manage CAPA, NON-Conformances, Complaints | – | – | | – | – |
| Document Control & Training Tracking | – | – | | – | – |
| Part & BOM Management (including classification) | – | – | | – | – |
| Audit Management | |||||
| Deliver Quality Control Documentation | – | – | | – | – |
| Manage Quality Audit Processes | – | – | | – | – |
| Part & BOM Management (including classification) | – | – | | – | – |
| Service Information | |||||
| Manage Tech Pubs & Part Associativity | – | – | – | | – |
| Author Multi-Language Documents | – | – | – | | – |
| Service Information Management | – | – | – | | – |
| Part & BOM Management (including classification) | – | – | – | | – |
| Service Parts | |||||
| All ‘Service Information’ Functionality | – | – | – | | – |
| Author Corporate Parts Catalog | – | – | – | | – |
| Create Associative Service BOMs | – | – | – | | – |
| Automate Generation of Parts Lists | – | – | – | | – |
| Author Corporate Parts Catalog | – | – | – | | – |
| Create Parts List Illustrations | – | – | – | | – |
| Service Parts Creation | – | – | – | | – |
Packaging Overview
Tap to view User features
Links to Other Pages
- Onshape: Leading the Edge in Product Development!: Discover how Onshape leads in product development with its innovative features and collaborative capabilities.
- Mathcad Price Comparison Chart: Compare Mathcad pricing options with our comprehensive chart, helping you choose the right solution for your engineering calculations.
- Streamline Your Design – Creo Plus CAD SaaS Platform: Optimize your design processes with Creo Plus CAD SaaS Platform, enhancing efficiency and collaboration in product development.
- Onshape SaaS Introduction: Get introduced to Onshape’s Software as a Service (SaaS) model, offering scalable and accessible CAD solutions in the cloud.
- CAD Cloud SaaS with Onshape!: Explore the benefits of CAD Cloud SaaS with Onshape, providing secure and flexible CAD solutions tailored to modern design needs.
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