PLMV-VP-010 · Rev. A · Released 2026-10-16
CONTACT Elements
CONTACT Elements is an open, low-code PLM and IoT platform from Bremen-based CONTACT Software, combining product data, project management, service lifecycle and sustainability reporting for discrete manufacturers.
Overview
CONTACT Elements is the platform of CONTACT Software, an independent German vendor founded in 1990 by Karl Heinz Zachries, who still leads the company. The platform succeeds the company's long-running CIM Database product line and is described by CONTACT as an open low-code platform. It covers PLM (CAD data, parts, BOMs, change and variants), project and portfolio management, MES and manufacturing operations, IoT-based service lifecycle management, collaboration and sustainability reporting on one data model.
The 2026.2 release, published in June 2026, redesigned engineering change management to separate approval from implementation, added production traceability, IoT service contract management and a Microsoft 365 link. Fourier AI is embedded across the platform, combining AI models with CONTACT's domain models, for example to find similar 3D geometries. CONTACT states that customer data stays stored with the customer while AI operations run anonymously in a GDPR-compliant cloud. Elements is available on premises and in cloud models, including SaaS.
CONTACT positions itself on independence from CAD and ERP vendors and on closed-loop scenarios that feed operating data from connected products back into engineering, a theme it showed at Hannover Messe 2026. Typical customers are automotive suppliers, machinery and plant engineering firms, high-tech and electronics manufacturers and infrastructure operators, with a strong base in German-speaking Europe.
Best fit
European discrete manufacturers, particularly in machinery and automotive supply, that want PLM, project management and IoT service data on one vendor-independent platform.
Presence in Europe
CONTACT is headquartered in Bremen, Germany, serves European manufacturers directly and through partners, and runs its Fourier AI services in a GDPR-compliant cloud.
Strengths
- PLM, project management, MES and IoT service functions share one data model, which supports closed-loop engineering.
- Vendor independence from CAD and ERP suppliers suits organisations with mixed authoring and enterprise system estates.
- Built-in sustainability reporting and AI services designed around GDPR and local data storage address European requirements.
- A low-code platform allows configuration of data models and processes to company-specific needs.
Considerations
- The company's presence is concentrated in Europe, so global rollouts should confirm partner and support coverage in other regions.
- The breadth of modules beyond PLM requires clear scoping to keep the first phase manageable.
- The partner ecosystem is smaller than those of the largest PLM vendors, which can limit the choice of implementers.
Capability assessment
| Bill of materials | Strong |
|---|---|
| Change management | Strong |
| CAD data management | Available |
| Formulation and specifications | Limited |
| Regulatory compliance | Available |
| Sustainability and LCA data | Available |
| Supplier collaboration | Available |
| Requirements management | Available |
| AI assistance | Available |
Editorial assessment of documented out-of-the-box functionality, reviewed 16 October 2026. Strong, Available, Limited, or Partner (delivered through partners or add-ons). How levels are assigned.
Integrations and ecosystem
Multi-CAD (CATIA, NX, Creo, SOLIDWORKS, Inventor)SAP S/4HANAMicrosoft 365ECAD toolsIoT devices and platformsCONTACT MES
Sources
Related reading
From the knowledge base
Same focus: Discrete manufacturing
Similar vendors
- 3DEXPERIENCE platform (ENOVIA)Dassault Systèmes
- Aras InnovatorAras Corporation
- Arena PLMArena, a PTC business
- Autodesk Fusion ManageAutodesk, Inc.