CE compliance management software for machinery
CE-Copilot is CE compliance management software for machinery from SH Engineering: it keeps the CE documents up to date after the first marking, with a standards change tracker and email alerts on new editions, withdrawals and the end of the presumption of conformity, revisions per hazard, projects from templates and building blocks for variants, the substantial modification check and reporting cases under the Cyber Resilience Act. The core functions are included from the Starter plan from €119 per month with the three-month licence or from €99 per month on the annual plan, inspection records, training records and CRA reporting from Professional (€229 per month with the three-month licence), the audit trail in the Business plan (€399 per month with the three-month licence), all final prices; try it free for 14 days.
CE marking does not end with the first declaration of conformity: standards get new editions, machines continue to be built in series, are modified or are delivered to customers with a data connection, and the documents must remain presentable for ten years and longer. This guide shows which obligations remain after placing on the market and what CE-Copilot offers for them. The software reports and documents; the assessment and responsibility for conformity stay with the manufacturer.
What remains after the first CE marking
The obligations after placing on the market are spread across the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, from 20 January 2027 the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 and, for machinery with a data connection, the Cyber Resilience Act (EU) 2024/2847. Per obligation the legal reference and what CE-Copilot offers:
Keeping series production in conformity
Art. 10(4) MR; Annex VII Part A point 1(b) MD
Adequate account shall be taken of changes in the production process, in the design and in the harmonised standards by reference to which conformity is declared. For series manufacture, the internal measures to ensure conformity belong in the technical file.
In CE-Copilot: Standards change tracker: alerts for subscribed standards on a new edition and withdrawal and 90, 30 and 7 days before the presumption of conformity ends, by email if you wish, with the affected projects. An item for the series measures in the technical documentation checklist.
from Starter
Keeping the declaration of conformity up to date
Art. 21(2) MR
The EU declaration of conformity shall be continuously updated.
In CE-Copilot: Load and edit saved declarations; the check before export reports withdrawn standards or standards rated not applicable in the standards analysis.
from Starter
Sample testing, complaints and recalls
Art. 10(4) second subparagraph MR
When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks, sample testing of machinery made available on the market; if necessary, a register of complaints, of non-conforming machinery and of recalls, keeping distributors informed.
In CE-Copilot: A separate item in the technical documentation checklist under the Machinery Regulation where you file the evidence. CE-Copilot does not keep a complaints or recall register.
from Starter
Checking for a substantial modification
Art. 3(16) and Art. 18 MR
Whoever substantially modifies machinery after it has been placed on the market is considered a manufacturer and applies the conformity assessment procedure. The Machinery Directive has no legal definition; in Germany the interpretation paper of the BMAS serves as the benchmark.
In CE-Copilot: “Substantial modification” check as a decision tree in the risk assessment with the legal consequence per legal act; the declaration of conformity takes over the “substantially modified machinery” switch and the type of modification.
from Starter
Presenting the documents on request
Art. 10(10) MR; Annex VII Part A points 2 and 3 MD
On a reasoned request, the authority must be given all information and documentation necessary to demonstrate conformity, in paper or digital form.
In CE-Copilot: Complete export as PDF and Word, attachments ZIP with all uploaded documents and a manifest with SHA-256 checksums. Revisions per hazard show how the status came about; the account audit trail is part of the Business plan.
from Starter, audit trail in the Business plan
Keeping the documents
Art. 10(3) and (8) MR; Annex II point 2 and Annex VII Part A point 2 MD
Technical documentation and declaration for at least 10 years; a digitally provided EU declaration of conformity online for the expected lifetime and at least 10 years.
In CE-Copilot: Completed projects can be archived read-only; exports as PDF, Word and attachments ZIP. You organise retention over ten years and the online provision of the declaration yourself.
from Starter
Cybersecurity after placing on the market
Art. 13(3), Art. 14, Art. 69(3) and Art. 71(2) CRA
The reporting obligations for actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents have applied since 11 September 2026, including for machinery with a data connection placed on the market before 11 December 2027. For machinery placed on the market from that date, the cybersecurity risk assessment must also be documented and updated as appropriate during the support period.
In CE-Copilot: Reporting cases with deadlines for early warning, notification and final report, text templates and an evidence trail that cannot be deleted after reporting; support period and risk assessment on the cybersecurity project page.
from Professional
Corrective measures, withdrawal or recall of non-conforming machinery and informing the authorities (Article 10(9) of the Machinery Regulation) stay with the manufacturer; CE-Copilot has no separate function for them.
CE compliance management with folders and Excel or with software?
The law does not prescribe a tool. If you build few machines and no series, well-maintained folders and a standards list can be enough. The difference shows when standards change, variants are added or someone asks years later which status applied:
| Task | Folders and Excel list | CE-Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking changes to standards | You watch the Official Journal and the standards lists yourself; which machines are affected, you work out from your documents. | Subscribe to standards, with one click from the standards finder (Starter up to 10, Professional up to 50, Business unlimited subscriptions); alert in the tracker and by email if you wish, with the affected projects. |
| Changes to the risk assessment | File versions; what changed between two versions, you compare by hand. | Freeze a revision per hazard, with date and time; before/after comparison in the project's revision overview. |
| Who changed what | File properties and logs of the storage, where available. | Business plan: account audit trail, entries cannot be changed, actor and time set by the server, filterable per project, CSV export. |
| Variants and product lines | Copy the file and update the differences by hand. | Project from template: serial number, year of construction and signature are never copied, carried-over hazards are marked “to be reviewed”. Building blocks for recurring assemblies. |
| Modifying a machine in service | A checklist as a separate document next to the risk assessment. | “Substantial modification” decision tree in the risk assessment; current state and changes flow into the declaration of conformity. |
| Inspections and training | Lists and scanned forms. | From Professional: inspection records with measured value, inspector and date; training records with type of training (for example after a modification), signature and next date, as PDF and Word. |
| Reporting under the CRA | Email folders and deadlines in the calendar. | From Professional: reporting case with deadlines, templates and evidence trail; reported cases cannot be deleted. |
| Retention | In your folder structure and your archive. | Read-only archived projects; exports as PDF, Word and attachments ZIP with checksums for your archive. |
The functions in detail
How subscriptions, alerts and emails work in the standards tracker is explained in the guide Standards change tracker. How to assess assemblies once and take them over into every installation project is shown in Building blocks (in German). The checklist for modifications is explained in Substantial modification of machinery, the obligations under the Cyber Resilience Act obligation by obligation in CRA compliance software. For evidence in operation there are the guides Test reports and Training records.
Keep CE documents up to date after placing on the market
Subscribe to standards, freeze revisions and check modifications, in the same project as the risk assessment, technical documentation and declaration of conformity, free for 14 days. Licence for three months at a time, paid in advance; monthly subscription at a higher price, no mandatory annual subscription.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about CE compliance management software
What is CE compliance management?
Is software for CE compliance management mandatory?
What do I do when a harmonised standard I applied is replaced or withdrawn?
How long must CE documents be kept?
Do I need new CE marking after modifying a machine?
What does CE compliance management software cost?
Does CE-Copilot replace a quality management system?
Technical information as of 3 November 2026, not legal advice. Legal statements checked against the Official Journal texts of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, the consolidated Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 and Regulation (EU) 2024/2847; prices from the CE-Copilot price list as of the same date.