KordKord vs ProjectWise: versioning vs. package review
Bentley ProjectWise is the engineering CDE for EPC and infrastructure, handling controlled document management, versioning, and file references. Kord is the visual review layer for mixed-format submittal packages, with diffs across every format, structured review sessions, and AI cross-document consistency checks before release.
ProjectWise is for the controlled CDE of record. It owns versioning, check-in/check-out, and the file references that hold a large infrastructure program together. As the system of record, it earns its place.
Kord is for the engineering team doing the actual review, which today happens in email, Bluebeam, and meetings, because ProjectWise tells you which revision is current but not what changed across the package. Kord shows the cross-format diff and flags drift across the set in one session.
If your engineers are moving fast and ProjectWise is falling behind, with review happening everywhere except the CDE, run the review in Kord instead. ProjectWise can stay as the archive; Kord is where the package actually gets looked at before it ships. See also our 150 psig case study.
| Capability | ProjectWise | Kord |
|---|---|---|
| Primary unit of work | Controlled documents and drawing references | The whole engineering document set |
| Version control | Strong revision control, check-in/check-out, and reference management | Document-set history with forked deployments and release snapshots |
| Revision compare | Single-document/drawing compare via integrated viewer | Mixed-format package diff across PDF, Excel, STEP, text in one session |
| Cross-document consistency | Manual across referenced files | AI flags mismatches across specs and calculations |
| Review experience | Heavyweight, IT-managed CDE | Lightweight package-level review built for submittal cadence |
| Deliverables & transmittals | Formal deliverables management with transmittals | Review sessions grouping all files touched by a change |
| Best for | Project-wide engineering CDE and controlled records | Iterative submittal packages without content drift |
Don't take the table's word for it — diff two revisions of your own files with the free diff tool. No login required.
Typical ProjectWise workflow
- Check revised files into the managed workspace
- Versions and references update automatically
- Compare a document against its prior version in the viewer
- No mixed-format package diff, so referenced files are reviewed separately
- Deliverable released with cross-document drift unchecked
Kord workflow
- Edit files. Kord syncs and versions them automatically
- See exactly what changed, with visual diffs across PDF, Excel, STEP, and more
- AI cross-document consistency checks catch what humans miss
- Group a single change across every document it touches - excel, word, pdf, etc.
- Ship with full traceability, including a release snapshot and audit trail