Automated Software Testing for Digital Engineering and Manufacturing

Digital Engineering and Manufacturing (DEM) test automation validates that the platforms managing your product data (Teamcenter, 3DEXPERIENCE, Windchill) work correctly across CAD/CAE  design, MES manufacturing, and ERP financials. It matters because errors in the digital thread cascade – a corrupted BOM, a failed integration, or a missed change order doesn’t just delay a release, it ripples through procurement, production, and customer commitments. Automated PLM testing catches these failures before they reach the manufacturing floor.

Eggplant uses model-based testing rather than scripts. Engineers model the application states and actions; the AI walks every possible path through the model, including the digital workflows scripted automation can’t reach, such as complex 3D model interactions, dynamic UIs, and cross-platform handoffs between CAD, PLM, MES, and ERP. Image and text recognition reads the screen the way a real engineer would, so tests work regardless of how the underlying code is structured. 

Eggplant tests PLM Applications (Siemens Teamcenter, Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE, PTC Windchill, SAP PLM) as well as CAD Applications (NX, CATIA and Creo, AutoCAD) and ERP integrations including SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics. Because Eggplant tests at the UI level using computer vision, it works on any PLM platform whether on-premises, cloud-hosted, or accessed through Citrix. 

Yes. This is where model-based testing earns its keep. When Siemens, Dassault, or PTC ship a UI update, the model updates and the AI re-explores the paths automatically. Scripted automation tools require manual rework on every affected script, often dozens or hundreds per release.  Eggplant approach scales through upgrade cycles without rebuilding the test suite. 

By catching the silent failures that manual testing misses. Most PLM problems don’t crash, they corrupt - a BOM rolls up incorrectly, a part revision doesn’t propagate, an ECN handoff fails between systems. These errors only surface days later in production. Automated end-to-end testing validates the full data flow on every release, so corruption gets caught in test instead of on the manufacturing floor.

Eggplant integrates with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, GitLab, and Bamboo. Tests run automatically on every commit or scheduled release window, with results pushed back to your pipeline tools. This makes continuous PLM testing practical even in regulated environments where releases require audit-ready evidence. 

Yes.  Eggplant's computer vision validates 2D drawings, 3D model rendering, parametric updates, assembly behavior, and visual properties (color, dimensions, annotations) the way an engineer would visually inspect them. This includes complex 3D interactions that script-based tools cannot validate because they have no DOM to hook into. 

Book a demo with a Keysight PLM testing specialist. Most engagements start with a proof of concept on a specific high-pain workflow; a Teamcenter upgrade, a 3DEXPERIENCE BOM integration, or a Windchill change-management process, to validate the approach before broader rollout.