Many small and mid-sized companies struggle with the question of when and how to invest in CAD file management. They muddle along with manual (or no) processes and put off the decision as long as they can. It’s not obvious when to make the investment to solve this problem. We’re here to help.
We’ve prepared a short quiz to help you gauge whether it’s time to investigate CAD file management solutions like Product Data Management (PDM), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Collaborate Product Development (CPD). Without further ado, I give you the CAD File Management Quiz.
The Quiz
Answer the questions below to determine if you need to take action.
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Have you prototyped or manufactured the wrong version of a part in the last six months?
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Do engineers overwrite each other’s work because two people have the same CAD file open?
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Do you experience a moment of panic whenever you have to retrieve an old version of a file?
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Do you have hundreds of versions of the same CAD file on a server?
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Does a noticeable fraction of your email traffic consist of engineers checking with each other about CAD file versions?
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Do engineers spend time each day searching for files?
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Do suppliers complain they never know if they have the right file version?
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Do non-engineers like purchasing line up in front of engineering to get access to the latest CAD file?
Scoring
Each “yes” = 1 point
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0-1 points - You can probably get by for some time with your current process.
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2-4 points - You’re wasting some time and money, it’s worth looking around.
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5-7 points - Your company is adrift in a sea of version confusion - take immediate action!
It’s not that difficult to get started
If you scored 2 or more points, it’s worth investigating file management options. If you’ve been putting on file management because you dreaded the IT headaches of a new software system, you’ll be happy to hear that there are new “cloud-based” PDM solutions like GrabCAD Workbench that can get you up and running in minutes (really - watch this).
Click here to learn more about Workbench.
Struggling with CAD file management?
Unmanaged CAD data can lead to wasted time and expensive mistakes, but traditional PDM and PLM solutions are too costly for many companies. This guide, written by industry analyst Jim Brown, will help you find the solution that fits your needs.
