OpenText Information Archive - Centric Integration and Automation

Common Integration Use Cases Between OpenText Information Archive and Centric

OpenText Information Archive and Centric complement each other well in enterprises that need to manage product development records, preserve compliance evidence, and reduce the cost and risk of retaining legacy information. Centric supports active product lifecycle collaboration, while OpenText Information Archive provides long-term, compliant retention of finalized records and supporting documentation.

1. Archive finalized product development records from Centric for long-term compliance retention

Data flow: Centric to OpenText Information Archive

When a product reaches launch or a design package is formally approved, Centric can send the final version of key records to OpenText Information Archive. This includes approved specifications, design sign-offs, change histories, test evidence, and release documentation. The archive becomes the system of record for retention, while Centric remains focused on active development.

Business value: Reduces storage and licensing pressure in Centric, supports audit readiness, and ensures that approved product records are retained according to policy.

2. Preserve engineering change history and approval evidence for regulated products

Data flow: Centric to OpenText Information Archive

For regulated industries such as medical devices, consumer goods, or industrial equipment, every engineering change may require traceability. Centric can pass change requests, approval workflows, revision histories, and supporting attachments to OpenText Information Archive once the change is closed. This creates a permanent compliance trail for audits, investigations, and product liability defense.

Business value: Improves traceability, simplifies audit preparation, and reduces the risk of missing evidence during regulatory reviews.

3. Archive obsolete product data when products are discontinued

Data flow: Centric to OpenText Information Archive

When a product line is discontinued, Centric can transfer the complete product record set to OpenText Information Archive, including BOM snapshots, artwork, packaging files, specifications, and launch approvals. This allows Centric users to retire inactive product data while keeping it accessible for legal, quality, or customer support needs.

Business value: Lowers operational overhead in Centric, supports legacy product inquiries, and maintains access without keeping inactive records in the live PLM environment.

4. Retrieve archived product records from OpenText Information Archive back into Centric for reference

Data flow: OpenText Information Archive to Centric

During a redesign, quality issue, or supplier dispute, Centric users may need to review historical product records that were previously archived. OpenText Information Archive can provide controlled retrieval of archived documents and metadata back into Centric for active comparison, analysis, or reuse in a new development cycle.

Business value: Gives product teams fast access to historical context without permanently reactivating old records in the PLM system.

5. Retain supplier and component qualification records linked to product development

Data flow: Centric to OpenText Information Archive

Centric often contains supplier approvals, material certifications, test reports, and component qualification documents used during product development. Once these records are approved and no longer actively edited, they can be archived in OpenText Information Archive with retention rules aligned to product, market, or regulatory requirements.

Business value: Ensures supplier evidence is retained for the required period, supports quality management, and reduces clutter in active PLM workflows.

6. Support legal hold and eDiscovery for product-related disputes

Data flow: Bi-directional, primarily Centric to OpenText Information Archive

If a product safety issue, patent dispute, or customer claim arises, Centric can identify relevant product records and transfer them to OpenText Information Archive under legal hold. The archive can then preserve the records immutably and make them available for legal review without risk of deletion or alteration.

Business value: Protects critical evidence, reduces legal exposure, and enables controlled access to records during litigation or investigations.

7. Decommission older Centric environments while preserving historical product data

Data flow: Centric to OpenText Information Archive

When consolidating PLM instances or retiring older Centric environments, historical product data can be extracted and stored in OpenText Information Archive before shutdown. This includes product master records, project files, approvals, and release documentation needed for future reference or compliance.

Business value: Enables system rationalization, lowers infrastructure and support costs, and preserves business continuity during PLM modernization programs.

These integration patterns help enterprises keep Centric focused on active product development while using OpenText Information Archive as the trusted repository for long-term retention, compliance, and controlled access to finalized product records.