While PM does not go online to communicate with your cutter, it uses the same channel as an online connection (TCP/IP) to send data to your cutter. You also select your drivers, and choose which machine you are sending to through PM.
Production Manager (PM for short) must be open in order to send a job to your cutter. Production Manager is the translator between the designing part of your software and your cutter. For a designer, sign maker, hobbyist, new or old pro, or dabbler, there are few roadblocks that equal frustrating Production Manager issues.