IQMS is a manufacturing ERP (enterprise resource planning) software platform that was founded in 1993 and is now known as DELMIAworks. Dassault Systèmes, the French industrial software giant, acquired IQMS in 2019 for $425 million and rebranded it under its DELMIA product family. If you’ve come across the IQMS name on a job listing, a factory floor, or while researching manufacturing software, you’re looking at what is now DELMIAworks, though many in the industry still use the original name.
What IQMS Actually Does
At its core, IQMS (DELMIAworks) combines two types of software that manufacturers typically buy separately: an ERP system that handles business operations like purchasing, inventory, finance, and order management, and a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that tracks what’s happening on the shop floor in real time. Having both in a single platform is the product’s main selling point.
The MES side collects data directly from production machines, including item numbers, work center details, lot numbers, and timestamps. That information flows automatically into the ERP side, so managers can see production status, material consumption, and equipment performance without toggling between disconnected systems. This two-way data exchange works across single facilities or multiple global locations.
Beyond the core ERP and MES pairing, the platform includes modules for inventory tracking (monitoring material movements, stock levels, and consumption rates), quality management (statistical process control, document control, and product lifecycle management), production traceability and genealogy, business activity monitoring with alerts and KPIs, and lean manufacturing tools like Kanban and Heijunka scheduling systems.
Industries and Compliance Standards
IQMS was originally built with a strong focus on plastics and rubber manufacturing, which is why you’ll still see it referenced heavily in that niche. Over time, its reach expanded significantly. Today DELMIAworks serves manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, medical devices, food and beverage, stamping and metal fabrication, and assembly manufacturing, along with small and mid-size manufacturers more broadly.
For companies in regulated industries, the platform includes tools to facilitate compliance with ISO standards and FDA requirements. It tracks the documentation, electronic signatures, and approvals needed for quality process certification. Manufacturers pursuing certifications like ISO 13485 (the quality standard for medical device companies) can use the built-in quality management system to organize audit-ready records. The software handles secure document management and electronic approval workflows, which matters in sectors like medical and automotive where compliance paperwork is substantial.
Deployment Options
DELMIAworks offers three ways to run the software, each with a different cost structure:
- On-premise: You buy a perpetual software license upfront and run it on your own servers. This carries the highest initial cost because you’re purchasing both the software and the hardware, but the lowest long-term cost since you own the license indefinitely. You’re responsible for power, networking, backups, and IT maintenance.
- Cloud hosted (managed services): You still buy a perpetual license upfront, but the software runs in a data center rather than on your own hardware. Hardware costs are spread over time as rental fees, which lowers the initial investment. The data center handles power, networking, and backups, reducing your in-house IT burden and eliminating concerns about end-of-life hardware.
- SaaS (cloud ERP): You pay a monthly subscription instead of buying a license. This has the lowest upfront cost since both software and hardware expenses are spread over time. The trade-off is higher long-term cost because you’re leasing access rather than owning it. The standard commitment is 36 months. Maintenance, support, and backups are all included in the subscription fee.
All three options charge separately for implementation and training, which you pay as those services are delivered. DELMIAworks does not publish specific per-user or per-module pricing publicly, so you’ll need to request a quote based on your company size, the modules you need, and your deployment preference.
How It Fits in the Dassault Systèmes Ecosystem
After the acquisition, Dassault Systèmes positioned DELMIAworks as its manufacturing ERP offering for mainstream manufacturers. Dassault’s broader product portfolio includes CATIA (3D design), SOLIDWORKS (CAD), SIMULIA (simulation), and other engineering tools. The integration means DELMIAworks users can potentially connect their shop floor and business data with Dassault’s design and simulation platforms, creating a more continuous digital thread from product design through production.
For practical purposes, if you’re evaluating the software today, you’ll find it marketed under the DELMIAworks name on the SOLIDWORKS and Dassault Systèmes websites. Existing IQMS installations continue to run, and the core product functionality carried over through the rebrand. If you encounter references to “IQMS” in older documentation, case studies, or industry forums, it’s the same product line now operating under its new name.