How to Migrate from SOLIDWORKS ePDM to the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud

In today’s fast-paced engineering landscape, agility and collaboration define success. However, many organisations still rely on legacy Product Data Management (PDM) systems like SOLIDWORKS ePDM, which were built for local, file-based environments. As global collaboration and cloud adoption accelerate, these systems struggle to keep up with the demands of real-time product development and digital continuity.

That’s where the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform steps in — a unified, scalable environment that connects people, processes, and data across the entire product lifecycle. Migrating from ePDM to the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud is not just an upgrade — it’s a strategic step toward future-ready engineering.

While ePDM has served as a reliable vault for CAD data, its limitations become evident in modern, distributed engineering setups:

• File-based storage makes data replication and sharing inefficient.
• Limited version control across teams causes confusion and errors.
• Disconnected tools lead to silos between design, manufacturing, and project management.
• Inconsistent data security and dependency on local servers increase IT overhead.

In contrast, the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform integrates design (SOLIDWORKS, CATIA), collaboration, BOM management, simulation, and project tracking in one environment. It eliminates file-based challenges, ensuring all stakeholders access a single source of truth — from anywhere, at any time.

Migrating to 3DEXPERIENCE offers more than just data centralisation — it transforms how engineering teams operate:

• Unified Platform: All CAD, BOM, and lifecycle data live in one digital thread.
• Scalable Cloud Infrastructure: No server maintenance or upgrade downtime.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Teams co-author, share, and validate designs simultaneously.
• Enhanced Traceability: From concept to production, every change is recorded and auditable.
• Business Continuity: Built-in redundancy and Dassault Systèmes’ secure cloud environment ensure reliability and compliance.

This migration not only reduces IT dependency but also enables innovation at scale by bringing engineering, manufacturing, and business users into a shared digital workspace.

Migrating critical engineering data from ePDM to the cloud requires a structured, validated, and low-risk process. The UPS migration methodology follows a step-by-step, rule-based approach designed for minimal disruption and maximum data fidelity:

• Discovery & Assessment: The process begins with analysing existing ePDM data — file structures, configurations, workflows, and metadata — to identify migration scope and dependencies.
• Mapping & Configuration: SteepGraph’s team configures data models, object types, and attributes within 3DEXPERIENCE to align with the organisation’s engineering structure.
• Data Extraction & Transformation: UPS extracts data from ePDM and transforms it into 3DEXPERIENCE-compatible formats using automated validation rules, ensuring correct mapping of CAD references, metadata, and version history.
• Validation & Testing: Comprehensive checks verify that migrated assemblies, parts, and relationships maintain their integrity. Any anomalies are flagged early through automated reports.
• Go-Live & Support: Once validation is complete, data is migrated into production. SteepGraph provides post-migration support, ensuring users transition smoothly to the 3DEXPERIENCE environment.

From the webinar discussion, several key challenges often arise during ePDM-to-3DEXPERIENCE transitions:

• Managing linked CAD files and complex assemblies
• Ensuring BOM accuracy and part number consistency
• Handling metadata mismatches and revision conflicts
• Adapting to new workflows and permission models

SteepGraph’s UPS solution addresses these through automation, validation, and configuration flexibility. It supports multi-CAD environments, ensures data quality consistency, and integrates with enterprise systems like ERP or MES for end-to-end continuity.

Migrating from SOLIDWORKS ePDM to the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud is more than a data transfer — it’s the foundation for digital transformation. With a well-defined UPS migration approach, companies can ensure a smooth transition that preserves data integrity, enhances process efficiency, and empowers global collaboration.

Migrating from SOLIDWORKS ePDM to the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud enables organisations to move beyond file-based limitations and adopt a more connected, collaborative engineering environment.