Skip to content

ERP / PLM Integration Overview

Status: Deployed in the RapidDraft test environment
Scope: Demonstration data and integration services, not production master data
Last verified: 2026-07-29

The integration gives engineers and operations users one place to ask questions without erasing the boundaries between ERP, PLM, CAD, and analysis systems. LibreChat is the conversational entry point; authoritative records remain in Odoo and Aras.

Deployed topology

flowchart TB
    U["User"] --> LC["LibreChat<br/>RapidDraft ERP + PLM Agent"]
    LC --> MCP["Protected MCP gateway<br/>Railway"]
    MCP --> SP["Rebuildable search projection"]
    SP --> O["Odoo ERP<br/>live JSON-2 read"]
    SP --> A["Aras PLM<br/>versioned snapshot"]

    CAD["SOLIDWORKS / NX<br/>workstation"] --> BR["Local CAD bridge"]
    BR --> A
    A -->|"Released revisions only"| O
    BR --> RD["RapidDraft<br/>model loading and DFM"]

    LAB["Integration Lab"] --> MCP
    LAB --> BR
    LAB --> RD

The public testing gateway is rapiddraft-enterprise-search-testing.up.railway.app. Its browser Integration Lab exercises the same integration contracts used by API and MCP clients.

What is implemented

Component Responsibility Current state
LibreChat Human-facing questions and grounded answers Private RapidDraft ERP + PLM Agent deployed
Search gateway Authentication, query normalization, result merging, provenance, and MCP tools Deployed on Railway
Odoo Product, supplier, stock, purchase, BOM publication, and manufacturing planning Live read from the test database
Aras Engineering part, revision, lifecycle, document, CAD identity, and EBOM authority Versioned search snapshot deployed
CAD bridge Local SOLIDWORKS and NX metadata extraction Workstation-only; fixture mode is the safe default
RapidDraft Model loading and DFM analysis Authenticated live service path tested
Integration Lab Browser-based service and workflow checks Deployed with dry-run defaults

The demonstration dataset models a compact battery-module assembly rather than a generic collection of disconnected records. It includes ten governed part identities with matching Odoo and Aras representations, supplier and purchasing context, BOM structure, stock signals, documents, CAD records, and mixed lifecycle states.

Governing flow

Engineering changes move through a deliberate sequence:

flowchart LR
    C["CAD revision"] --> P["Aras PLM"]
    P --> R{"Lifecycle state<br/>Released?"}
    R -->|"No"| H["Remain engineering-only"]
    R -->|"Yes"| E["Eligible ERP publication"]
    E --> O["Odoo ERP"]
    P --> S["Search projection"]
    O --> S
    S --> L["LibreChat Agent"]

No CAD adapter, search service, or Agent may invent a release state. Odoo publication begins only after Aras marks the engineering revision as Released.

Two integrations with similar names

The deployed RapidDraft ERP + PLM Agent and the proposed native RapidDraft embedded Agent are different:

Integration Purpose State
RapidDraft ERP + PLM Agent Search governed Odoo and Aras records from LibreChat Deployed
Native RapidDraft embedded Agent Bring a LibreChat-backed assistant directly into the RapidDraft product Proposed; not enabled

This distinction should remain explicit in implementation plans, security reviews, and demonstrations.

Safe defaults

  • Search and status checks are read-only.
  • CAD fixture mode is the default; workstation extraction requires an explicit local action.
  • Release synchronization produces a dry-run plan before any write.
  • The Railway service never attempts to operate desktop CAD applications.
  • Credentials remain in local protected files or deployment variables and are never committed to source control.
  • Demo records must be described as fictional demonstration data.

Open Questions

  • When should the Aras projection move from versioned snapshots to a private-network live adapter?
  • Which released BOM fields should be published automatically to Odoo, and which require human approval?
  • Which user roles should receive access to the ERP/PLM Agent when the environment moves beyond testing?
  • Should the future native RapidDraft Agent reuse the same search gateway or consume a narrower product-facing contract?

Sources

  • D:\02_Code\15_ERP\docs\Agentic_Search_Integration_v1.md
  • D:\02_Code\15_ERP\docs\Phase_2_CAD_RapidDraft_Integration_Plan.md
  • D:\02_Code\15_ERP\docs\Implementation_Status_v1.md
  • D:\02_Code\15_ERP\README.md