CIMCO MDM manages NC programs, CAM files, setup documentation, and the approval workflows that control what reaches the shop floor.
What it does not do by default is talk to the rest of your business.
Your ERP knows what jobs are scheduled, what work orders are open, and what quantities have been committed. MDM knows which programs are approved, which revisions have been released, and what documentation is current.
Without a connection between the two systems, those two sources of truth live in separate silos, and the people who need both spend their day manually bridging the gap.
MDM has several integration mechanisms which allow production and document management data to flow between MDM and ERP systems in both directions.
Status changes can write records to ERP databases. ERP job data can populate MDM database fields automatically. Workflows can generate structured files that ERP systems consume directly.
The result is a document management system that doesn’t just organize files but actively participates in the production data flow across the business.
Here is what changes when ERP integration is added to a CIMCO MDM installation.
1. ERP Data Populates MDM Records Automatically
Every level item in MDM has a set of database fields that can be populated manually when a record is created.
For shops running an ERP, the data that belongs in those fields often already exists somewhere: the job number, the work order reference, the customer name, the required delivery date, the part revision.
Entering it again in MDM is redundant at best and a source of inconsistency when the two systems diverge.
CIMCO MDM’s External Data Sources configuration solves this directly.
A data source is configured per level to connect to an external database, which can be MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle, and an SQL query is defined that retrieves the relevant data using a variable derived from the MDM level name.
When a programmer opens a part number record in MDM, the configured data source queries the ERP database using that part number and surfaces the matching work order data, customer information, or scheduling fields in the Database Preview panel without any manual entry.
The practical result is that MDM records stay synchronized with ERP records automatically.
The ERP is the source of truth for job data. MDM reads from it at the moment a record is accessed. No duplicate entry, no reconciliation step, no risk of MDM holding a work order reference that the ERP already closed.
2. Workflow Steps Write Records Back to the ERP
The integration is bidirectional. CIMCO MDM’s Workflow engine can execute SQL queries as a workflow step, which means a status change in MDM can write data directly to an ERP database table in the same automated sequence.
A practical example: when a programmer changes an NC program’s status from Pending Review to Approved, a configured Workflow fires. One step changes the program status and lifts the transfer restriction. Another step executes an SQL query that updates the corresponding work order record in the ERP, logging the approval event with the approving user, the program revision, and the timestamp. The ERP receives the update automatically, without anyone logging into a separate system or entering data manually.
The same mechanism works for any status transition that has a corresponding ERP event: program released to production, first article complete, revision superseded, program archived.
Each transition becomes an automated write to the ERP rather than a manual notification that someone has to remember to send.
3. Workflows Generate Structured Files for ERP Consumption
For ERP systems that consume data through file imports rather than direct database connections, MDM’s Workflow engine can generate XML or text files on demand as a workflow step.
When a status change triggers the workflow, one of the configured steps writes a structured output file to a monitored directory. The ERP picks up the file, processes it, and updates its records accordingly.
This integration path requires the least change to existing ERP infrastructure. No database credentials, no API configuration, no middleware.
CIMCO MDM writes a file in whatever format the ERP expects, to whatever directory the ERP already monitors, triggered automatically by the workflow event that makes the data relevant.
For ERP systems with mature file-based import routines, this approach is often simpler to implement and more stable in operation than a direct database connection.
4. Work Orders Connect Production Planning to Document Management
CIMCO MDM includes a Work Orders feature that can be enabled per level and provides a dedicated tab in the Database Preview for managing work orders associated with any record.
When Work Orders are enabled on the NC file level, a work order can be attached to each program record, linking the document management layer directly to the production planning record in the ERP.
Combined with the External Data Sources configuration, work order data can be pulled from the ERP automatically when a record is accessed, pre-populating the work order fields in MDM without any manual input.
The MDM record becomes a view into both the document management system and the production planning system simultaneously, accessible from the same interface the programmer already uses to open and manage programs.
5. Barcode Scanning Triggers Workflows Without a PC Interface
For shops that want floor-level integration without requiring operators to interact with the MDM client interface, MDM’s barcode scanner support provides a direct path from a physical barcode scan to a workflow execution.
A barcode scanner connected to a configured COM port can scan a job traveler, a part label, or a work order document and trigger a configured MDM workflow automatically.
That workflow can look up the scanned job number in MDM, retrieve the associated NC program, update the work order status, send a notification to the programming department, or execute an SQL query that updates the ERP record, all from a single scan at the machine.
The operator does not need to open MDM, log in, or navigate to a record. The scan is the trigger, and the workflow handles everything downstream.
This is a particularly useful integration pattern for shops where operators work from paper travelers or labels that already carry barcodes from the ERP.
The barcode the ERP printed on the traveler becomes the event trigger that closes the loop back to the ERP through MDM.
When It Makes the Most Sense
ERP integration with MDM pays off most clearly in three situations.
The first is shops where MDM database fields are currently being populated by manually transcribing data that already exists in the ERP, because the External Data Sources configuration eliminates that entirely.
The second is shops where program approval events need to be reflected in the ERP for scheduling or compliance purposes, because the Workflow SQL execution step handles that automatically without any manual notification step.
The third is shops under quality certifications where the audit trail needs to span both the document management system and the production planning system, because a connected MDM and ERP creates a single chain of evidence rather than two separate records that need to be reconciled after the fact.
The right integration path depends on what the ERP supports and what the shop’s IT environment allows.
Direct SQL connections work well when MDM and the ERP share a network and database credentials can be managed securely. File-based workflows work well when the ERP already has established import routines and a direct connection is not feasible.
Both paths are available within CIMCO MDM’s standard configuration without additional middleware or custom development.
Have Questions? We’ve Got Answers!
Visit our CIMCO MDM product page to learn more.
Or contact us to discuss what an ERP integration looks like for your specific MDM setup and ERP environment.
We’re here to help you figure out the best solutions for your shop.
