How To Improve Project Accuracy and Turnaround Times

How To Improve Project Accuracy and Turnaround Times

Most engineers create their designs using a combination of 2D and 3D modeling software to create a cohesive picture of their desired result. AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, SOLIDWORKS, and NX are among the many tools used to achieve this result. While these are all great tools for creating and designing drawings, engineers and owners need a single repository to store, render, review, edit, and approve technical drawings and documents. Often, owners must collaborate with engineers, vendors, and downstream contractors to achieve their objectives quickly and accurately. This is where an engineering workflow and document management system comes into play.

An engineering document management system eliminates complexity, errors, and sometimes plain chaos associated with complex engineering projects.  The system is a CAD software agnostic solution that works harmoniously with computer-aided design software to support and manage every digital file type. Not only does it serve as an active repository, but it also serves as a collaboration workspace that can streamline document and drawing reviews and improve overall project turnaround.

In this article, we discuss the following ways an engineering workflow and document management help to improve project accuracy and turnaround times.

 

  1. Version control and workflow management
  2. Third-party collaboration
  3. Concurrent design
  4. Engineering change control

Version control and workflow management

Our EDMS solutions help engineering and design departments manage document versions using a combination of version control and workflow management capabilities. It integrates with the leading CAD systems and includes CAD connectors allowing workers to make changes to a file while ensuring other workflow participants are informed of the most current version and that changes have been made. Making sure all project participants are using the latest – and same – version of drawings improves overall project accuracy.  The system also enables users to revisit back-versions of a document or drawing, to help reduce rework, and ensure mistakes are easily reversible.

Both ImageSite and Engine-Box provides complete visibility over project workflows and helps organizations tackle information silos that create unnecessary and unwanted project delays. The system is a single source of verity for all information throughout the project lifecycle and can be used to eliminate various labor-intensive tasks, from document retrieval to publishing or archiving.

 

engineering workflow

Engineering Workflow

Automatically manage and distribute files and documents for review, approval, and processing. Adjust user permissions at each step, ensuring your company’s files are managed securely.

Third-party collaboration

Communication is critical to the timeliness and success of a project, and with the vast amount of work outsourced to external contractors, it’s important to have a way to accurately communicate field changes. Whether your company works in manufacturing, construction, or any other engineering-related industry, changes must be communicated using an interpretable, standardized system for managing changes and requests.

The RFIs/Submittals module, helps organizations manage RFIs (Requests For Information) and Submittals digitally within ImageSite. Not only do project members have access to the information they need as they need it, but they can also create notes and comments that are visible to all authorized collaborators. The system provides tracking and reporting of this key decision-making process as well as audit trails for verification and analysis to improve on response handling.

 

 

Concurrent design

Our EDMs solutions promote concurrent design through numerous features. Project members are informed of document revisions immediately through notifications, as all files are managed within the system. The system provides the option to link several documents, including 3D models, system/building diagrams, and various parts lists using Workflow+ and Sets modules. The Sets module simply allows users to create a set of interrelated documents to keep relevant documents organized, while the Workflow+ module enables them to automate document-centric actions associated with a project’s workflow. All activity associated with sets and workflows can be viewed and managed from within the software’s dashboard, giving managers oversight of all working projects and allowing team members to provide valuable input, when needed.

Additionally, both EDMS solutions expedites markups by enabling reviewers to create markups and comments concurrently while providing the option of adding text, images, audio, and video to markups. Documents and drawing still reside within the EDMS throughout the markup process, ensuring all proprietary information remains secure while keeping the integrity of the native files.

Digital Drawing Markup

Advantages of Digital CAD Drawing Markup

2:11 min

Engine-Box not only provides robust mark-up capabilities, but is displayed in real-time, allowing multiple users to collaborate over drawing files and documents simultaneously, using shapes, videos, pictures, and audio.

 

Engineering change control

Organizations can use an EDMS to manage both simple and complex review processes. By utilizing automation to improve workflow accuracy and efficiency, companies reduce the number of time-consuming activities created by changes in design and drawings. Further, changes can be easily monitored as ImageSite/Engine-Box encapsulates a complete account of all changes, triggering appropriate notifications throughout a workflow.

Different engineers may need to review documents/drawings concurrently or separately depending on the size of the organization and the scope of their responsibilities. An EDMS makes it easy for multiple reviewers to approve changes, as Workflow + includes configurable review and approval options contingent on the organization’s needs while ensuring multiple reviews are consistent with the current files.

 

Our EDMS solutions

ImageSite and EngineBox are eQuorum’s robust workflow and document management solutions, created to help workers manage their essential workflows while maintaining complete control over their engineering files and documents.  Not only do they provide a secure collaboration site for workers, but they also help organizations manage document distribution with third parties like vendors, contractors, and customers. Both systems are offered at a competitive price, enabling organizations to get a quick return on their investment by providing the features and functionality needed to help organizations improve efficiency, productivity, and collaboration.  Companies can choose from concurrent user subscriptions or named user subscriptions, ensuring organizations have subscription options that make sense for their business.

Learn more why our solution is trusted by industry leaders.

ImageSite

ImageSite®

Our single source engineering workflow and document management system. Built in HTML5 so there is no software to deploy to client computers or mobile apps to download. Offered as an On-premise or Private Cloud system.

Explore ImageSite® 

 

Our EDMS solutions

 

ImageSite and EngineBox are eQuorum’s robust workflow and document management solutions, created to help workers manage their essential workflows while maintaining complete control over their engineering files and documents.  Not only do they provide a secure collaboration site for workers, but they also help organizations manage document distribution with third parties like vendors, contractors, and customers. Both systems are offered at a competitive price, enabling organizations to get a quick return on their investment by providing the features and functionality needed to help organizations improve efficiency, productivity, and collaboration.  Companies can choose from concurrent user subscriptions or named user subscriptions, ensuring organizations have subscription options that make sense for their business.

Learn more why our solution is trusted by industry leaders.

Engine-Box

EngineBox™

EngineBox is a cloud based workflow and document management version of ImageSite that resides outside the corporate network.

Explore EngineBox™

The eQuorum Customer Promise

 

In 2005, eQuorum developed the first all browser-based EDMS. The system, although for on-premise use, was still created to remove client software and JAVA from user computers and allow users to have a single viewer based on the simple navigation functionality of browsers. Today, eQuorum provides that same application in a private Cloud or a SaaS Cloud option.  We can do this because we are, and have always been, browser-based, understanding the enhanced speed, security, and usability of this technology.

With the abundance of document management systems on the market today, there’s no doubt that choosing the right Cloud document management software can be a difficult decision. eQuorum is here to provide a comprehensive, powerful, and most importantly – affordable Cloud document management solution. We believe in providing real value to our customers by eliminating unnecessary costs, providing industry-leading functionality, and equipping your team with the right tools using cutting edge technology to bring your products to market faster.

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eQuorum®

We specialize in engineering workflow and document management. Our comprehensive, yet easy-to-use software provides the solution to manage data from design to manufacturing and production, to sales, support and administration.

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