Printed circuit board (PCB) design tools continue to evolve to support the growing challenges faced by technology companies. Most companies add tools to the basic PCB design flow, from the standard schematic capture and layout tools to the more advanced simulation and analysis tools. As more tools are added to the overall design flow, however, the data management challenges become greater. In this paper, we delve into the ‘motherhood and apple pie’ truths of design data management, and the quintessential challenges of work-in-progress data management.