What is workflow management in PLM?

Workflow management in PLM refers to defining, automating, and tracking the sequence of tasks, approvals, and reviews in product development. It ensures that every change, release, and review follows a consistent, traceable path.

How does workflow management work in Nora IPLM?

Nora IPLM provides built-in Workflow Management tools such as the Workflow Widget and Workflow Templates. These tools let teams create visual workflows, assign tasks, automate approvals, and track progress in real time.

What makes Nora IPLM’s workflow management more flexible than other PLM systems?

Unlike rigid state-based systems, Nora IPLM allows users to easily create, modify, and adapt workflows as business needs evolve. This flexibility helps maintain efficiency and process control without heavy IT dependencies.

What is a Workflow Template in Nora IPLM?

A Workflow Template in Nora IPLM defines the flow of tasks and approvals for common processes like object releases, BOM approvals, or change requests. It standardizes operations and ensures error-free, repeatable execution.

How can teams benefit from using workflow automation in PLM?

Workflow automation reduces manual effort, speeds approvals, improves compliance, and provides real-time progress visibility. In Nora IPLM, automation helps teams work faster and more efficiently throughout product development.

Smarter Workflow Management in PLM: Flexibility and Control with Nora IPLM

Introduction to Workflow Management in Nora IPLM

Managing approvals, reviews, and tasks across a product lifecycle can get complicated fast. When teams rely on manual coordination or disconnected tools, delays, confusion, and missed deadlines follow.

In many PLM systems, workflow management is rigid and hard to adjust. Processes are locked into fixed states, so adapting when projects change or teams grow becomes difficult. That rigidity slows progress and makes consistency across products and departments harder to maintain.

We are changing that. Nora IPLM’s built-in Workflow Management gives teams full control without extra complexity. With the Workflow Widget, you can map each step visually, assign tasks, and track progress in real time in one place.

Unlike traditional PLM tools, Nora IPLM lets you shape workflows around how your teams actually work. You can automate approvals, standardize processes, and update flows as your business evolves. It is a smarter, more flexible way to keep everyone aligned and keep projects moving.

In the post below, you will find a step-by-step guide to building an automated PLM workflow, starting from the workflow template, then moving to workflows, nodes, and tasks, and finally to the “workflow content.” Let’s dive in.

What Is the Workflow Widget?

The Workflow Widget is a core feature of Nora IPLM that helps teams define, visualize, and manage their product lifecycle processes.

It allows you to:

Manage approval processes and review cycles
Track workflow progress in real time
Maintain consistency, efficiency, and compliance across all lifecycle stages

In short, it acts as a central hub for managing product-related workflows. Teams gain complete visibility into task ownership, approval status, and process flow. This ensures work moves forward smoothly and nothing gets missed.

What Is a Workflow Template?

A Workflow Template is a reusable framework that defines how specific processes flow within Nora IPLM. Instead of building workflows from scratch, teams can apply templates to automate and standardize recurring activities.

Common use cases include:

Object releases and revisions
Obsolete part management
BOM and design approvals
Change requests and ECOs
Design review cycles

By using Workflow Templates, teams ensure repeatable, accurate, and compliant execution across all product development and release activities.

Creating a Workflow or Workflow Template

There are two ways to create a workflow in Nora IPLM:

1. Using the Create Option

Click Create to start a new workflow or workflow template.
Once created, the workflow opens directly in the Workflow Widget, where you can begin defining its structure.

2. Using Quick Create Inside the Workflow Widget

The Quick Create option allows you to start a new workflow or template instantly from within the widget, saving setup time and keeping you focused on the task at hand.

Configuring the Workflow Template

After creating your workflow template, you can configure its structure and logic to match your organization’s needs.

1. Update key fields: Choose the Workflow Type and Purpose.

2. Click Create to save and open the new workflow template.

3. Start adding new Nodes (or reuse existing ones).

4. Assign assignees: Designate responsible users for each node.

5. Define Actions for each node:

Task Creation Action promotes or demotes workflow content when a task starts.
Task Finalization Action promotes or demotes workflow content when the task is completed or approved.

Build the workflow logic: For example, create a release workflow for an object’s first revision.

Each configuration step ensures your workflow reflects real business logic while maintaining flexibility for complex projects.

Connecting Objects to a Workflow

Once a Workflow Template is ready, any object can be connected to it within Nora IPLM. You can use this to easily manage the lifecycle of your items and documents.

Steps:

Select an existing Workflow Template.
Define the relationship as “Workflow Content”.

3. Enter a Workflow Name and choose one of the following options:

Initialize a Workflow creates a clone of the template as a workflow that can be modified before starting.
Initialize and Start a Workflow clones the workflow template and starts it immediately.

Note: You need to finalize your workflow template before you can initialize a workflow from it.

4. Switch between Icon Mode and Card Mode for better visibility.

5. Start the workflow to automatically convert nodes into tasks and assign them to users.

Starting a workflow automatically creates a task from the first node of the workflow. All relevant attributes and relations of the nodes are carried over to the tasks by the system once the task is created. This means that the assignee definitions made at the workflow level will be applied to each task.

Note 1: The workflow cannot be started unless all nodes have an assigned user.
Note 2: Multiple assignees can be added to the same task. In this case, duplicate tasks will be generated for each user, and the workflow will continue only after all tasks are completed.
Note 3: Groups can also be assigned to tasks.

6. As assignees complete or approve their tasks, the workflow progresses through its defined stages.

7. When all steps are complete, the Workflow Content is released according to the defined process.

The Result: Streamlined and Controlled Product Workflows

By combining Workflow Templates and the Workflow Widget, Nora IPLM helps teams:

Automate approval and review processes
Maintain control and traceability across product data
Reduce manual work and prevent bottlenecks
Ensure every release follows a consistent, auditable path

Workflows become more than just task lists. They become connected, transparent, and actionable lifecycle processes that help organizations move faster and work with greater confidence.

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