Design Collaboration

Connect engineering, suppliers, and operations on a unified product thread so design intent moves faster from concept to release.

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Connected Design Data Accelerates Products to Market
What is Design Collaboration?
Design collaboration is the coordinated process by which engineering, sourcing, suppliers, and operations teams share, review, and iterate on product designs, BOMs, and change records across the development cycle. Propel unifies MCAD, ECAD, and document-based design data on a single product record, giving every stakeholder real-time visibility and in-context communication from first concept to release.
CAD-to-PLM Continuity
Design data syncs automatically from your CAD and PDM tools into a complete product record, so engineers keep building while the rest of the business stays current.
Preview Before You Commit
Every CAD import surfaces a preview of new and changed items, BOMs, and files before anything touches the product record, so engineers catch errors and accept changes with confidence instead of cleaning up mistakes after the fact.
Supplier Engagement Built In
Design partners and contract manufacturers collaborate directly in permissioned workflows, so feedback reaches the right engineers without copies flying around in email.

Propel Connects Design Teams From First File to Release

CAD Sync Without Friction
Design Hub connects SolidWorks, Onshape, Altium, Creo, and 15+ other CAD and PDM systems directly to Propel, auto-assigning part numbers and syncing BOMs, files, and AMLs to the product record in real time. Engineers stay in their native tools while the rest of the organization works from accurate, up-to-date design data.
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Visual Design Reviews
Visual Collaboration, powered by RenderDraw, renders 2D and 3D CAD files into neutral-format viewables that anyone can spin, cross-section, and annotate inside change orders and quality workflows without a CAD license. Suppliers capture feedback directly on the model, and every annotation links back to the audit trail.
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In-Context Communication
Chat-based in-context collaboration ties every discussion, decision, and file directly to each relevant Item, Change, or Quality record. Combined with Propel One AI-driven summaries, engineering, sourcing, and operations stay aligned on a unified product thread without email threads or stranded tribal knowledge.
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See Propel's unified platform in action
You already have the product data. See what becomes possible when it's all connected.
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More Capabilities
BOM Comparison and Redlines
Change Order Routing
Supplier Community
Component Risk in BOM
AI-Powered Design Intelligence
BOM Comparison and Redlines
Propel's hierarchical BOM management lets teams compare revisions, visualize redlines, and manage multiple work streams simultaneously. Design history and key decisions are captured as contextual communications tied directly to product artifacts, preserving institutional knowledge across every revision.
Change Order Routing
Configurable, automated approval rules route change orders and requests to the right reviewers from any device. Every design decision stays connected to formal change control with full traceability from initiation through implementation.
Supplier Community
A permission-based workspace gives design partners and contract manufacturers controlled access to BOMs, documents, and change workflows in context with internal teams. Suppliers participate directly without receiving file copies or requiring full PLM licenses.
Component Risk in BOM
Component Insights surfaces availability, cost, risk, and environmental compliance data alongside every part in the BOM. Engineers get the supply chain context they need to make smarter sourcing decisions before designs are locked in.
AI-Powered Design Intelligence
Propel One summarizes item records, specifications, and revisions; creates multiple items in bulk to accelerate data entry; and automates change assessments, reducing manual work at every stage of the design and review cycle.
Concept To Customer Solutions for Fast-Moving Product Companies
Design Hub
CAD-to-PLM integration centralizes design data across every tool and team so engineers spend less time reconciling files and more time building great products.
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Visual Collaboration
Interactive viewables and annotations bring product designs to life, reducing rework, accelerating decisions, and democratizing design data across teams.
how it works
Supplier Community
Secure partner management extends quality workflows, BOM collaboration, and supplier onboarding across your value chain so you launch better products faster.
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150+ Change Orders Released in First Month
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One platform connects global design teams
Formlabs unified SolidWorks and Altium CAD data, change order approvals, and supplier portals on Propel, replacing manual Google Forms-based workflows. Engineering changes started flowing across time zones and language barriers immediately, cutting prototype delivery time by 5+ weeks with 120+ people onboarded in two weeks.
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FAQ
How does Propel connect existing CAD tools to the broader product development team?
Propel Design Hub integrates with 15+ MCAD, ECAD, and PDM systems including SolidWorks, Altium, Creo, and Onshape. Engineers work in their native CAD environment while Propel automatically syncs part numbers, BOMs, files, and AMLs into the shared product record. Most implementations reach value in weeks, not months. Explore Design Hub.
Can external suppliers participate in design collaboration without full PLM access?
Yes. Supplier Community provides a permission-based external portal where design partners and contract manufacturers can view BOMs and documents, participate in change order workflows, and submit feedback in context with internal teams, without receiving file copies or requiring full PLM licenses. Explore Supplier Community.
How does Propel accelerate design collaboration with AI?
Propel One agentic AI summarizes item records and revisions, creates items in bulk to reduce data entry time, and automates change impact assessments across the product record. It surfaces design insights directly where engineers work so cross-functional teams move faster at every stage of development. Explore Propel One.

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