The challenge
A PLM version migration crossed five CAD providers. Consultants had to search repositories, database extracts and documentation to establish which contracts and mappings would survive the upgrade.
The intervention
Embedded engineers built provider-specific connectors and normalized compatibility evidence. Copilot topics made it available to architects, while structured document generation turned the investigation into a reusable handoff.
How the layers connect
Simplified architecture based on the published implementation.
- 01CAD & PLM sources
- 02GitHub MCP + schema extraction
- 03Azure AI Search
- 04Copilot Studio
- 05Architect review
What changed
- Pilot measurements across 12 upgrade assessments reported a 56% reduction in consultant task time.
- Generated summaries averaged 4.8 minutes; the source reports 18% human rework, so review remains part of the workflow.
Compatibility knowledge has to retain its connection to source contracts and mappings. A generated summary is useful when the architect can investigate the evidence behind it.
Source & context
Pilot results reported by Fast Forward Deploy. Photography illustrates the industry; it does not depict the client.
Read the published source: Fast Forward Deploy: PLM Upgrade