How CIDEON SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Integration connects to SAP S/4HANA
SAP partner solution (SAP Store)
The add-in works from within the PDM client. It reads the part list or BOM structure from SOLIDWORKS PDM and creates or updates the corresponding material masters and BOMs in SAP. The vendor describes this as one-click; the exact SAP interfaces and release dependencies should be confirmed with CIDEON.
What data moves
| From | To | Data | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOLIDWORKS PDM | SAP S/4HANA | New material masters from parts and assemblies | Engineer transfers a released item |
| SOLIDWORKS PDM | SAP S/4HANA | BOM structure with quantities and units | Part list transfer |
| SOLIDWORKS PDM | SAP S/4HANA | Changes to existing materials and BOMs | Revision released in PDM |
| SAP S/4HANA | SOLIDWORKS PDM | Transfer status and SAP material numbers | After posting |
Setting it up
- 1Define the engineering-to-ERP handoverDecide at which PDM workflow state a part may go to SAP and who is allowed to trigger the transfer.
- 2Agree on material master fieldsDecide which SAP views and fields are filled by engineering and which by purchasing, planning and costing.
- 3Map PDM attributes to SAP fieldsMap description, unit of measure, material type, weight and revision to SAP fields and rules.
- 4Settle numberingDecide whether SAP material numbers come from SAP number ranges or are derived from the PDM item number.
- 5Configure the SAP connection and authorizationsCreate a technical user with rights to maintain materials and BOMs for the relevant plants.
- 6Test with real assembliesTransfer multi-level assemblies, change a revision, and compare SAP BOMs with the PDM structure.
What usually breaks
- !Unit of measure and quantity rounding in CAD part lists not matching SAP BOM rules.
- !Phantom or virtual assemblies and purchased parts treated wrongly as manufactured items.
- !Change numbers and revision handling in PDM not aligned with SAP engineering change management.
- !Duplicate materials created because numbering rules differ between CAD descriptions and SAP search.
- !Plant-specific views missing, so production cannot use the new material until someone extends it.
A private AI layer across both systems
Transfer error triage
A private assistant reads transfer failures and SAP messages, explains the cause such as a missing material type, and drafts the correction for engineering to approve.
Duplicate material detection
Search SAP and PDM descriptions and attributes to flag likely duplicates before a new material is created.
BOM comparison
Compare the released PDM structure with the SAP BOM and summarize differences in plain language for the change board.
Try it here, free
SOLIDWORKS PDM Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator
Generate a plan for adding a private, on-prem AI assistant to a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vault using the PDM API.
When something else fits better
- SAP Engineering Control Center or other SAP PLM integrations, if you want an SAP-native engineering hub.
- Manual BOM entry from exports, workable only for very small catalogs.
- Other PDM-to-ERP connectors, if you use a different PDM or PLM than SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.
Frequently asked questions
What does the integration create in SAP?
According to CIDEON, it creates and updates SAP materials and BOMs from SOLIDWORKS PDM part lists in one click. Which fields and views are filled depends on your configuration, so plan the split between engineering and downstream functions.
Does it work with on-prem S/4HANA?
The SAP Store listing covers S/4HANA and S/4HANA Cloud. For an on-premise system, confirm the supported release and connection method with CIDEON, as network access from the PDM client or server to SAP must be planned.
Where can private AI help?
A private assistant on your own servers can check transfer errors, find duplicate materials and compare PDM and SAP BOMs, with engineers approving any correction. Design data stays inside your network.
Pairing documented at www.sap.com/products/scm/partners/cideon-software-services-gmbh-cokg-cideon-soli . CIDEON SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Integration is a product of CIDEON Software & Services; Netray is independent and not affiliated with either vendor.