Adept

Overview

Adept combines product data management with engineering document control. It manages parts, assemblies, drawings, external references and configurations alongside revisions, workflow status and audit history. That makes it a better fit for teams that need traceable changes and approvals than for organizations seeking only general-purpose file storage.

Customers can run Adept on their own servers or use Adept Cloud, a managed SaaS platform maintained by Synergis. On-premise deployments can use Catalyst, Integrator and PublishWave add-ons; those are not yet available in the cloud. The included Silver Success Plan provides 24/7 coverage for critical issues, software upgrades, a Customer Success Manager and SSO configuration.

Key features

CAD and document control

Adept integrates with SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor, with CAD access through an expandable task pane. It manages relationships among parts, assemblies, drawings, XREFs and configurations through check-in, check-out, moves and renames. This helps teams preserve links as designs change, though CAD integrations and transmittal automation require the top Desktop license on-premise.

Review, approval and viewing

Workflows route designs for review and approval, manage document states, send notifications and retain activity in an audit trail. View and markup support for CAD, PDF and Office files does not require a CAD license, which is useful for stakeholders who need to inspect documents without authoring software. Workflow participation, metadata editing and upload or download permissions begin at Reviewer.

Security and integrations

Granular user and group permissions, single sign-on, multifactor authentication and encrypted storage support controlled access. Synergis says Adept uses Windows BitLocker AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS for data in transit. Adept Integrator connects with enterprise systems including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, IBM Maximo, Esri, Salesforce and Oracle Primavera P6; it is an on-premise add-on rather than a cloud option.

Pricing

On-premise named-user licenses are billed annually per named user. Explorer is 12.00 USD per month, billed $144 per named user/year, for read-only search and browsing, markup, metadata, relationships, workflow status, version history and audit trail. It is the entry point for viewers, but excludes workflow participation and document editing.

Reviewer is 25.00 USD per month, billed $300 per named user/year, adding workflow participation, metadata editing and permission-based upload and download. Creator is 68.00 USD per month, billed $816 per named user/year, adding check-in and check-out plus personal and shared work areas. Desktop is 82.00 USD per month, billed $984 per named user/year, adding CAD integrations and transmittal automation. The step-up pricing is most defensible when users genuinely need those permissions or authoring tools; occasional reviewers need not pay for Creator or Desktop capabilities.

Concurrent on-premise licenses cost more per seat: Explorer is 104.00 USD per month, billed $1,248 per concurrent user/year; Reviewer is 131.00 USD per month, billed $1,572 per concurrent user/year; Creator is 164.00 USD per month, billed $1,968 per concurrent user/year; and Desktop is 208.00 USD per month, billed $2,496 per concurrent user/year. They carry the same tier features as their named-license counterparts, with concurrent rather than named-user licensing, a model suited to shared access where not everyone needs a dedicated seat.

Adept Cloud Essentials is 1400.00 USD per month, billed annually, with unlimited users and 20,000 assets included, excluding prior versions. Additional capacity is sold in increments of 5,000 assets, and new customers must pay a $10,000 onboarding fee. Adept Cloud Professional has custom pricing, unlimited users and 30,000 included assets, also excluding prior versions; extra capacity comes in 7,500-asset increments, and new customers face a mandatory $20,000 onboarding fee. The larger allowance may suit bigger repositories, but neither cloud plan removes the need to budget for capacity and setup.

Platforms

Adept is available on Android, iOS, web and Windows, as well as through self-hosted deployment. On-premise puts server and infrastructure operation with the customer; cloud shifts platform management to Synergis while retaining asset allowances and the cloud add-on restrictions.

Who it's for

Adept targets asset-intensive sectors including manufacturing, utilities, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, mining, and engineering and construction. It is strongest for organizations managing interdependent engineering files, controlled revisions and formal approvals. Teams that need cloud hosting but rely on Catalyst, Integrator or PublishWave should favor on-premise deployment; teams with simpler document needs may find the layered licensing and implementation costs difficult to justify.

Pros and cons

• Pros: File relationships, revision history, workflows and audit trails bring engineering changes under control in one system.
• Pros: CAD, PDF and Office viewing and markup without a CAD license lets non-authoring stakeholders participate without Desktop seats.
• Pros: Named-user tiers separate read-only, workflow, document editing and CAD integration needs, so teams can match licenses to roles.
• Cons: The most capable named-user on-premise tier is 82.00 USD per month, billed $984 per named user/year, before infrastructure costs.
• Cons: Cloud Essentials starts at 1400.00 USD per month, billed annually, with a mandatory $10,000 onboarding fee for new customers and a 20,000-asset allowance.
• Cons: Key add-ons including Integrator are not yet available in Adept Cloud, limiting the cloud route for organizations that depend on them.

Alternatives

OpenText Documentum Content Management is worth considering when smart search and indexing, secure viewing and redaction, automated retention, process automation or Microsoft 365 integration are priorities.

ENOVIA PDM may suit buyers seeking a quarterly, per-user cloud evaluation offer at 345.00 USD per contact, billed per quarter and user, with no commitment and 24/7 support.

OpenBOM is the alternative to consider when a freemium option matters: its free plan covers up to 2,000 records, counting unique part numbers, BOM part records and managed CAD records.

MechWorks PDM is another paid PDM option with pricing on request and implementation support from an authorized reseller.

ProjectWise is an alternative for buyers comparing infrastructure-focused document platforms and its stated license options.

HELiOS is an alternative with Viewer, Office and Engineer base modules and additional add-on modules.

Vistapoint PDM is an alternative with a web-based professional read-only seat priced at 24.00 USD per month, billed monthly.

Browse more options in Product Data Management Software.

Verdict

Adept is a strong fit for engineering and operations teams that need CAD-aware file relationships, controlled revisions and auditable approvals, especially when user roles can be split across its license tiers. Choose it when those controls matter more than a low-cost general document repository; look elsewhere if cloud add-ons, predictable onboarding costs or a simpler licensing structure are central requirements.