A Modern PLM for Today's Engineering Needs - Free Demo

Why Choose a Modern PLM?

For hardware teams evaluating PLM software, the big question is whether the platform was built for the way modern product development actually works. Many older PLM systems were designed for slower, more rigid engineering environments. They often require long implementations, heavy configuration, specialized administration, and disconnected handoffs between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and quality.

Modern hardware teams need a modern PLM that helps them move quickly without losing control.

What Makes a PLM Modern?

A modern PLM platform is more than a place to store product data. It acts as a connected product backbone across design, sourcing, change management, manufacturing, and release. That means your team can manage parts, BOMs, documents, approvals, and engineering changes in one shared system instead of relying on spreadsheets, emails, file folders, and disconnected tools.

A modern PLM should be:

Cloud-native
Access product data from anywhere, reduce IT overhead, and get continuous improvements without waiting for major upgrade cycles.

Fast to implement
Start with practical, out-of-the-box workflows instead of months of custom configuration before your team can get value.

Connected across the product lifecycle
Link CAD, BOMs, change orders, suppliers, ERP, manufacturing, and quality workflows into a clear digital thread.

Programmable and integration-friendly
Use APIs, automation, and configurable workflows to connect PLM to the rest of your hardware development stack.

Built for AI-ready product data
AI is only useful when it can work from structured, reliable, connected product information—not scattered files and stale records.

Simple enough for cross-functional teams to use
Engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing should all be able to work from the same source of truth.

Legacy PLM vs. Modern PLM

Legacy PLM systems were built to control product complexity, but they unfortunately often add too much friction for an agile engineering team. Long onboarding timelines, complex administration, rigid workflows, expensive customization, and slow change processes bog down development. Over time, users resort to working around the system with spreadsheets, email threads, and side documents; creating the exact version-control problems PLM was supposed to solve.

Modern PLM keeps the control but removes unnecessary drag. Instead of forcing teams into heavyweight processes, a modern PLM helps product development move in tighter loops: design changes flow into review, sourcing context is available earlier, approvals happen with better information, and manufacturing feedback can make its way back to engineering faster.

What to Look for When Comparing PLM Options

As you compare PLM vendors, do not evaluate the platform only by the number of features listed on a comparison page. Ask how the system will actually work for your team day to day.

Consider questions like:

• Can we get started quickly, or will implementation take months?
• Is the system truly cloud-native, or is it an older product hosted in the cloud?
• Can engineering, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing all work from the same product record?
• Does the PLM connect easily to CAD, ERP, MES, and other tools in our stack?
• Can we automate workflows or build extensions with APIs?
• Will our team actually use it, or will they fall back to spreadsheets and email?
• Does the platform support the way we build today—and the way we want to scale tomorrow?

Duro: Modern PLM for Fast-Moving Hardware Teams

Duro is a modern PLM platform built for hardware companies that need speed, control, and connected product data. Teams can now manage BOMs, parts, documents, change orders, suppliers, and product records in a cloud-native system designed for modern engineering and manufacturing workflows. And instead of spending months configuring a legacy PLM, teams can get started faster with practical workflows, connected data, and a platform designed to fit into the broader hardware development stack.

For teams comparing PLM options, Duro offers a simpler path forward: modern product lifecycle management without the legacy overhead.