Working Smarter with Autodesk Vault and PDM Booster

Autodesk Vault helps organisations manage, track and organise design and engineering data throughout the product lifecycle. However, some limitations can still lead to manual processes, repetitive tasks, and additional administrative effort.

PDM Booster for Autodesk Vault extends Vaults capabilities by giving us the ability to create scripts that run during lifecycles, via the right click menu or other triggers. This allows us to integrate Vault with other systems and automate complex tasks.

Here’s 5 ways our customers work smarter with Autodesk Vault using PDM Booster:

1. Systems/EPR Integration
   • Many manufacturers already use Vault to manage CAD data and engineering documentation, but the challenge often comes when that information needs to flow into other business systems such as ERP, MRP, PLM, or production management platforms. This is where PDMBooster can add significant value -information such as item data, BOM structures, lifecycle states, and custom properties can be synchronised automatically. Rather than relying on spreadsheets or manual updates, companies can build repeatable and standardised processes that save time and reduce the risk of errors.
2. Create Manufacturing Packs Automatically
   • For many engineering teams, preparing manufacturing output can still involve a large amount of repetitive manual work. Exporting DXFs, PDFs, STEP files, or other formats one by one, renaming files, sorting folder structures, and making sure the correct revision is issued to production can quickly become time consuming and error prone. PDMBooster can automate these processes by generating manufacturing packs directly from Vault data and workflows. Files can be exported in the required formats, named using consistent rules, organised into predefined folder structures, and prepared automatically for the workshop or external suppliers. This not only saves time but ensures manufacturing teams always receive the correct files, in the correct format, and at the correct revision level.
3. Property Updates and Management
   • PDMBooster helps automate property management by updating metadata in bulk or even synchronising values between objects. However this can also be extended into workflow and lifecycle processes. For example, when a drawing transitions from “Released” back to “Work In Progress” – PDMBooster can automatically clear approval-related properties such as “approved by”, approval dates, or status information. This helps ensure drawings do not retain outdated sign-off information when changes are being made, reducing the risk of incorrect data being carried forward through the design process.
4. BOM Management and ERP Peparation
   • For many manufacturers, transferring BOM data from engineering into ERP or MRP systems can still involve spreadsheets, manual data cleanup, and repeated checking before production can begin. Whether preparing manufacturing BOMs, excluding non-production components, or mapping engineering properties into ERP-ready formats – PDMBooster allows us to automatically prepare and transform this information, before exporting into other systems.
5. Integration with Fusion Manage
   • As more manufacturers look to connect engineering with wider business processes, integrating Autodesk Fusion Manage and Autodesk Vault has become increasingly important. PDMBooster can enable direct bi-directional file integration between these systems, providing an alternative to relying solely on Vault Item-based synchronisation within the native functionality.