End User FAQ
Overview
- What is the PTC PLM On Demand service and why is it named "Windchill On Demand"?
- The PTC PLM On Demand service is a web-based solution for manufacturers to gain control over their product development processes and simplify collaboration between groups, departments, customers, suppliers, and manufacturers. Anyone, regardless of his or her location in the world, can easily access On Demand using a standard Web-browser.
- The On Demand service provides critical capabilities to improve the process of conceptualizing, designing, manufacturing, and servicing your products. Capabilities include vaulting (check-in and check-out, revision/ versioning), document management, search, CAD data management, Bill of materials (BOM) management, embedded visualization, internal and external collaboration, and reporting. Optional add-on modules include change management and project templates for Six Sigma, NPI, and APQP.
- The service is named "Windchill On Demand" because Windchill is the brand name for the products powering the service. The two primary products are Windchill PDMLink for control of product information and change management and Windchill ProjectLink for collaboration and project templates. When users log into Windchill On Demand, PDMLink functionality is accessed via the Product and Library folder tabs. ProjectLink functionality is accessed through the Project folder tab.
- What do I need to do to learn how to use the solution and be most productive?
- We recommend that new users take the self-paced Web-based training courses available to On Demand users through PTC University. These training subscriptions include access to:
- All recorded Virtual Classroom material
- Over 40 hours of Web Based Training Content
- Pro/FICIENCY Benchmark Assessment
- Role-based Communities
- The recommended courses depend upon the solutions purchased by your company and your role.
- At a minimum, all users should take the introductory courses for either or both Windchill PDMLink and Windchill ProjectLink. Users should take additional courses in their library depending upon their role (Power User, Project Manager, Information Author, or Information Browser) in the company.
- Windchill PDMLink - courses by role
- Windchill ProjectLink - courses by role
- Windchill PDMLink and ProjectLink - courses by role
- To access your classes, go to the login page for PTC University. Please use your ptc.com user account to login to PTC University. If you are unsure if you have access or need access to these courses, please contact your Super User.
- How do I access the On Demand service for my company?
- The PLM On Demand service can be accessed in two ways. First, you can use the web-link provided to you by your On Demand Super User. Second, if you have been invited to participate in a Project or Product being managed in the On Demand service, you will receive an e-mail with access instructions.
- Using a standard web-browser, follow the On Demand web-link provided. You will then be prompted to login to the On Demand system. Please enter your ptc.com user account and associated password.
- Please note the Web address and copy it for your records. We also recommend that you create a bookmark (essentially a shortcut) to the solution with your Web-browser.
- To logout of the service, simply close the Web-browser through which you accessed the system the first time. If you navigate to another site without closing the browser window, you will still be logged into the system.
- Are there any initial configurations of my computer or Web-browser settings that I should make before using the service?
- No initial configurations are required. However, the user can improve usability by registering the ptc.com domain as a trusted site. By making ptc.com a trusted site, you are acknowledging that you want to accept connections to the On Demand service. This can be accomplished in Internet Explorer by going to Tools -> Internet Options, the tab "Security" and then selecting the "Trusted Sites" icon, clicking on "Sites", and adding the site "*.ptc.com".
- Users should also select "Always Trust" when presented with a digital certificate when first connecting from a computer onto the PTC PLM On Demand service.
- Additional detail for configuration may be found in the Pre-Production Checklist.
- As a Pro/ENGINEER user, what can I do to optimize performance with PTC PLM On Demand?
- Pro/ENGINEER users should modify the following config.pro options to improve performance.
- reduce upload bandwidth requirements
dm_http_compression_level=6
compress_output_files=yes - improve download efficiency with a sufficiently large local cache (in MB)
dm_cache_size=7000
- reduce upload bandwidth requirements
- Additional detail for optimization may be found in the Client Settings for CAD Performance.
- How do I learn more about using Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire with the Windchill On Demand service?
- There is a specific guide that provides an overview of the PTC approach to Product Data Management and best practices for working with a Windchill system. The guide is in the Reference documents section of PTC Technical Support and can be downloaded here.
Getting Started
Account Management
- How do I create a ptc.com user account for use with the On Demand service?
- To create a ptc.com user account for use with the On Demand service, first access the New Account setup page to create a generic ptc.com account using your company e-mail address as your username. If you are a supplier or external partner of the PLM On Demand company, you can now use your generic ptc.com account to access any part of the PLM On Demand service to which your account has been invited.
- For users that are members of a company that has subscribed to the PLM On Demand service, you should upgrade from a generic to a customer-recognized ptc.com account. The process is very simple and you only you're your company number and the Service Contract Number (obtainable from your company's Super User).
- Step by step instructions are available in the On Demand Account Management Guide.
- To get CREATE capabilities within the Product or Project tabs, please contact your Super User.
- What if I forget my ptc.com password?
- If you forget your password or need to reset it, please go to PTC.com under Customer Resources and select ptc.com Accounts to manage your account.
Technical Support
- If I have an issue with the service, whom should I contact for support?
- If you have any questions or technical issues with the On Demand service, you should contact your company Super User. The Super User is the main contact between your company and PTC for all service and/or administrative issues.
- If you need to lookup your company Super User, you can find their contact information at the ptc.com Account Management tool.
