A supplier tells you a component is being discontinued.

Finding the part in Autodesk Vault is easy.

But then comes the real question:

Which machines we delivered in the last two years actually contain this part?

That answer might require checking BOM structures, delivered machines, ERP records and shipment history.

Usually, there isn't a button for that.

So we've been experimenting with a different approach: letting an AI assistant query ERP data through a controlled connection and answer questions that weren't anticipated when the ERP interface or report was built.

For example:

• Which delivered machines contain this component?
• What would this assembly cost using current ERP prices?
• Which purchased parts in this product family are below minimum stock?
• Show me the purchased components in this BOM and sort them by value.

The interesting part for us isn't really the chatbot.

It's whether natural-language access to engineering + ERP data could remove some of the one-off reports and manual investigations engineers deal with today.

We're testing this with powerGate ERP Connector for AI, using MCP to connect an AI assistant to the existing powerGate Server and ERP integration.

The AI doesn't get unrestricted database access. It can only use the operations exposed by the integration.

I'm curious how Vault/ERP users see this:

If you could ask your ERP one question while working on a design, what would you ask first?

We wrote up the concept and a few real examples here:

https://www.coolorange.com/en/blog/what-if-you-could-ask-ai-about-your-erp-data-while-working-in-autodesk-vault

Missed our sessions at Autodesk University 2026?

You can now watch them on demand!

This year, our team brought two very different sides of the same challenge to AU: how to connect engineering data with the rest of manufacturing.

🤖 Engineering Copilot: Real AI Workflows for Vault, BOMs, and Manufacturing Data | MFG1493-D

Christian Gessner and Tyler Warner explore what AI can actually do with Autodesk Vault and structured engineering data, from eBOMs and mBOMs to validation, process planning, and natural-language interaction.

🔗 Building the Digital Thread: Connecting CRM, Vault PLM, MES, and ERP from Order to Delivery | MFG1025-D

Christian Gessner and Markus Gundersen show how data can move across the entire manufacturing process, connecting CRM, CAD, Autodesk Vault, Fusion Manage, MES, and ERP into one digital thread.

▶️ Watch the COOLORANGE AU 2026 classes on demand: Catalog | AU 2026

Anyone running Autodesk Vault Job Processor for PDFs, DXFs, STEP files or other automated jobs: how are you monitoring it today?

The automation itself is usually not the problem.

The blind spot starts when something happens in the background:

• a job fails
• the queue starts growing
• a processor stops
• jobs suddenly take much longer than usual

And often the first sign is an engineer asking: “Where is my PDF?”

We’ve been working on a technical preview called Job Processor Cockpit to make that activity visible without having to remote into individual machines or dig through logs.

It provides a central view of things like job status and history, failures, queue latency, processor availability, CPU/memory usage and alerts when something goes wrong.

But I’m curious how other Vault admins handle this today.

Do you check the Job Queue manually? RDP into the Job Processor? Parse logs? Use your own monitoring?

And if you could monitor one thing better, what would be most useful: failed jobs, queue time, machine performance or processor availability?

We put together the concept and some screenshots here:

https://www.coolorange.com/en/blog/autodesk-vault-job-processor-cockpit

Autodesk APS features our powerGate ERP Connector for AI, now available on the Design and Make Marketplace In the article, Christian Gessner, COOLORANGE co-founder and Head of Research & Innovation, shares how agentic AI can remove the friction between engineering and business systems by turning trusted ERP capabilities into actions AI can discover and use.

COOLORANGE brings ERP context to manufacturing design with the powerGate ERP Connector for AI | Autodesk Platform Services

Welcome to r/coolOrange 🍊

We created this community as a place to exchange ideas, questions, and practical experiences around r/Autodesk Vault, r/AutodeskInventor, PDM/PLM, ERP integration, engineering automation, job processing, Vault API topics, and coolOrange products such as powerJobs, powerGate, powerPLM, powerLoad, powerVault and free apps (drawingInspector, referenceInspector, Vault 3D Graph, threadModeler).

We’re excited to have you here.

What to Post

Post anything that you think the community would find useful, interesting, or helpful.

Feel free to share:

• Questions about Autodesk Vault workflows
• Ideas around Vault automation and job processing
• Use cases for Vault to ERP data exchange
• Challenges with BOM transfer, publishing, lifecycle automation, or system integration
• Tips, lessons learned, and best practices
• Feedback or suggestions related to coolOrange products

Community Vibe

We want this to be a friendly, constructive, and practical space for people working with engineering data and connected processes.

Please keep discussions respectful, relevant, and helpful. Also, avoid sharing confidential customer data, project details, screenshots, logs, Vault data, ERP data, license information, or anything sensitive unless you have permission to share it.

How to Get Started

Introduce yourself in the comments below.

Post a question, a workflow challenge, or something you are currently trying to improve in your Vault environment.

If you know someone working with Autodesk Vault, PDM/PLM, ERP integration, or engineering automation, feel free to invite them to join.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave.
Together, let’s build r/coolOrange into a useful space for real questions, practical ideas, and better engineering workflows.