The Integration Between Autodesk Vault and the ERP System Optimized the Workflows and Increased the Quality of Product Data Management

There was no integration between Vault and their ERP system and the data was transferred manually. IFS did not provide a standard API, so the ERP partner had to provide a custom API. Additionally, the dataset in Vault did not align with the data within IFS, due to too many years of manual data transfer between the two system. Also, the Inventor features were not properly used in the past, which led to an unreliable CAD BOM. Personnel changes on the ERP partner side also lead to some delays and refactoring of the provided API.

The primary project goal identified was to integrate Vault to the ERP System (IFS) on items, BOM's and documents in order to optimize workflows and increase the quality of Product Data Management.

powerGate connected Vault and their ERP system (called IFS) on items, BOMs and documents. The creation of items happened within Autodesk Inventor and Vault and respects the IFS item revision scheme. On release inside Vault, the integration validated the Vault data with IFS and prevented a release in case some data was not compliant. The BOM transfer managed the creation, update, and revision of BOMs within IFS. On release in Vault, jobs were triggered to generate PDF and DWG files and upload them to a document object within IFS, which was linked with the according IFS item and set to the appropriate state and revision.

Data became consistent between Vault and IFS, allowing further automations on the IFS side and providing overall process reliability. The time saving for the item creation, BOM transfer, and file publishing was very high. The reduction of errors due to manual activities went down to zero. The better use of the Vault and Inventor features in combination with the integration to IFS, helped get the design team to achieve a new level of professionalism and proficiency.

The great collaborations with the customer and the fantastic insight into the Autodesk products enabled the coolOrange team to guide the customer in the right directions doing the system design. All the customer inputs were received with seriousness and solutions were found and implemented with optimism and professionalism. Today Makeen Energy has a solution that has optimized their workflow substantially and day by day lift the quality of the in-house product data management to benefit themselves and their customers.

" CoolOrange was the only Solution Provider that were able to fulfill all our demands and ambitions in regard to real Inventor / Vault integrated plugins. CoolOrange gave us the perfect balance between specific Autodesk expertise and a customizable solution respecting our requirements and legacy problematics. "

Bent Lindrup - Technical Director

Delivery Date

Project Duration

Autodesk Solutions

• Inventor
• Vault
• Vault PLM
• Vault

Services Provided

• Assessment of Needs
• Implementation
• Process Automation
• Strategy & Planning
• Workflow Optimization
• Software Development & Customization
• Installation
• Configuration & Deployment
• System & Software Maintenance
• System Integration
• Updates & Upgrades

Customer Industry

• Oil & Gas