How Pollux PLM Transformed Product Lifecycle Management in Manufacturing

Executive Summary

A mid-sized automotive parts supplier in Riyadh faced rising inefficiencies in its product lifecycle operations. Disconnected tools, delayed engineering change approvals, and audit stress were slowing innovation and increasing operational costs.

In response, the company adopted Pollux PLM, a modern, AI-powered solution built for cross-functional visibility and lifecycle automation. Within six months, the company cut its product launch timelines by over two months, significantly improved change management turnaround, and reduced engineering errors-without increasing headcount or overhauling core systems.

Company Background

The company manufactures critical components used in powertrains and brake assemblies for major OEMs across Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. With growing customer demand and shorter product cycles, the internal teams-design, quality, procurement, and production-struggled to align efficiently on new product development and change management.

Documentation was spread across emails, local folders, and shared drives. Change requests would get lost or delayed, leading to rework, scrap, and missed deadlines. As the company scaled, these issues became bottlenecks.

Business Challenges

Core Pain Points:

“Even the smallest change required five follow-ups. We weren’t building faster, we were fixing more,” noted a Senior Design Lead.

Why Pollux PLM

After evaluating multiple legacy PLM tools, the company selected Pollux for its balance of simplicity, speed, and intelligence.

Key Decision Factors:

Pollux PLM promised not just digitization, but real-time decision-making and operational clarity-both critical for a growing manufacturing firm with tight margins and tighter deadlines.

Implementation Journey

Phase 1: Discovery & Setup (Weeks 1–3)

Workshops were held with department heads to tailor workflows to their specific needs. Custom templates were created for design approvals and change tracking.

Phase 2: System Integration (Weeks 4–8)

Pollux was integrated with the company’s CAD (SolidWorks) and ERP systems. Version control and part numbering were automated.

Phase 3: Training & Go-Live (Weeks 9–12)

Teams were onboarded through phased rollout. Pollux’s intuitive UI meant most users needed less than an hour to get comfortable.

Key Features Used

Version Control

Pollux PLM ensures that all product design files are centrally managed with version history. This prevents duplication, eliminates confusion across teams, and helps stakeholders always work on the latest iteration -significantly accelerating approval cycles.

Change Management

The platform streamlines engineering change requests (ECRs) by auto-routing them through the appropriate approval hierarchies. This automation reduces delays and ensures that decision-makers receive timely, contextual updates - resulting in up to 3x faster resolution times.

CAD Integration

With seamless integration into leading CAD tools like SolidWorks, Pollux eliminates the need for manual uploads or file conversions. Engineers can directly sync designs, saving time and minimizing the risk of data loss or human error during transfer.

Compliance Tracker

Every product change - from design tweaks to material adjustments - is automatically logged and time-stamped. This creates a tamper-proof audit trail, helping teams maintain regulatory compliance and easily generate reports during inspections or reviews.

Live Dashboards

Real-time dashboards offer dynamic views of workflows, project statuses, and bottlenecks. These visuals provide operational clarity to on-ground teams and also give leadership instant visibility into performance metrics, risk flags, and timelines.

Results & Measurable Impact

Product Launch Acceleration

By unifying workflows across design, quality, procurement, and production, the company reduced bottlenecks and shortened its NPI cycle. Automated handoffs, real-time approvals, and version clarity allowed teams to launch products faster with fewer iterations.

Faster Engineering Change Approvals

Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) were routed instantly to the right stakeholders. With structured workflows and contextual alerts, approvals moved forward without delays.

Reduction in Design Errors and Rework

Version control ensured that all teams worked from a single source of truth. Miscommunication caused by duplicate or outdated files dropped significantly.

Streamlined Audit Preparation

Every change, comment, and approval was logged automatically - creating a ready-to-use audit trail.

Instead of spending weeks gathering compliance documents, the team could generate audit-ready logs in minutes.

Client Testimonial

“Pollux PLM helped us connect engineering, quality, and operations like never before. We’re not just moving faster - we’re moving smarter. It’s the backbone of how we build now.”

— Chief Operating Officer