Microsoft Office Integration Overview

The Infor PLM Discrete integration for Microsoft Office enables you to incorporate your Microsoft Office documents into PLM product data. From the first specifications typed out on a word processor, the budgets (worksheets) and project plans prepared by project management, and the marketing presentations prepared by the sales people, Microsoft Office and PLM exchange information throughout the life cycle of the product and documents.

The PLM- Microsoft Office integration menu is embedded within the native Microsoft Office application menus. It provides some of the core functions of PLM from within the familiar Microsoft Office environment.

The integration allows you to run Microsoft Office programs simultaneously, while taking advantage of PLM's basic features. You can track the life cycle of files within the integration, in conjunction with all related engineering design objects.

The Infor PLM Discrete integration for Microsoft Office allows effective exchange of information between PLM and the supported Microsoft Office applications. All authorized users are provided with the tools to search, browse, view and manipulate documents from a secured central database, enhancing collaborative teamwork.

Once the PLM- Microsoft Office integration has been installed, the PLM toolbar is added to your Microsoft Office application toolbars, and the PLM menu is added to the Microsoft Office application menu bar. All the options that can be accessed from the toolbar can also be accessed from the menu.

You can run the PLM- Microsoft Office integration from the following Microsoft Office applications:

  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook

The main features of the Infor PLM Discrete integration for Microsoft Office include:

  • Easy access to PLM document management operations from the Microsoft Office application through a fully embedded menu and toolbar.
  • Microsoft Office documents, worksheets, project plans and presentation files are represented from within PLM, via graphic displays of the file dependency and structure for all projects, using the familiar tree view component.
  • All files supported by Microsoft Office Word, and Excel can be imported into PLM, with automatic updates of links, reflecting the relationships between all types of documents and files. These can be quickly and easily accessed using the PLM document management system.
  • File names are maintained for all new Microsoft Office files. They are automatically checked against the PLM database to eliminate redundancy or errors caused by overwriting files.
  • Foolproof authorization ensures security and enables monitoring during the entire product life cycle, based on user access rights and status of the document.
  • All files can be vaulted from within the Microsoft Office environment, based on authorization.
  • For Word and Excel files, the PLM- Microsoft Office integration allows you to map PLM data into Microsoft Office file properties. For example, you can choose to view the PLM ID of a document in your Microsoft Office file.
  • Microsoft Office documents can be linked to items directly from the integration. This way, for example, a design document can be easily linked to the item it describes.