Increase Business Profitability and Growth With an Engineering Document Control System
Increase Business Profitability and Growth With an Engineering Document Control System
For many organizations the engineering document control systems function was the down-in-the-basement department mainly seen as the overseers of the large format engineering drawings created over the years. They were the vault owners, the watch dogs for the repository. As more and more drawings and documents became digital their role expanded into managing the electronic files, mainly using shares on the network. But still the caretakers of the company’s intellectual property (IP).
Engineering Document Control Systems in Retrospect
As file exchange became electronic as well, mainly using FTP sites and attachments to email, the Document Control group became the lynch pin for coordinating the transmittal and submittal of drawings and documents to and from vendors, contractors, customers, and other third parties (including regulators). To many, the role morphed from one of warden to one of facilitator, though still with remnants of being the gatekeepers.
We now come to a watershed moment for this function as they are put in a complex and difficult position of owning the digital transformation for many companies, while also playing point on the growing requirements for information distribution and collaboration, all under the roof of ever-increasing security concerns. A rather large leap from the initial sleepy basement dwelling function.
Engineering Document Control
Engineering Document Control Systems and Digital Transformation Alignment
Engineering document control systems, including CAD document management and product data management, the current day digital IP, is now responsible for one of the most valuable assets in the organization and being asked to secure the assets while providing more and more access to users and third parties. The first step for most organizations during this digital transformation alignment is the need to recognize the Document Control group needs to be upgraded, from a lower-level administrative department to a high-level technology group leading the charge in the organization’s digitalization efforts. This means ensuring the department has not only highly competent, technology savvy individuals but also by giving them the technology resources needed to get the job done.
The department name may soon become a misnomer as the concept of digital assets grows and companies understand much of their intellectual property, and much of the day-to-day workflows, are embedded in digital files, messages, and images. Whereas the primary purview of the Document Control group was the management of paper, requirements now demand the group to manage non-paper, which in many ways means changing their workflows as well.
Product data management (PDM) and product lifecycle management (PLM) systems have become sophisticated enough that their use and management, across the enterprise has to be overseen, distributed, and trained on. This means Document Controllers need to learn new systems and new skills, including training. Similar to when Document Control Systems for engineering departments were formed to funnel and control the essential engineering documents and product data documents, so too should the group be the handler and supervisor for the digital assets.
Digitalization Increases Profitability and Business Growth
Like other transformative processes, moving to digital asset management requires full support and resourcing from senior management. In a recent McKinsey article, it was shown that as companies digitize their processes top-line growth actually slows, but overall profitability growth increases. Though a bit counterintuitive, this digital transformation means greater competition and reduced product development cycles, ultimately forcing down the growth in the revenue curves. But the internal improvement in productivity, error reduction, time to market, and labor input means profitability increases at a greater growth rate, a typical industrial investment scenario.
Those companies that invest more will make more profit, but only if senior management commits to the investment needed. Ground zero, can be, and should be the Document Control group, the leaders of the digitalization initiatives for their company. Getting the best people for this group and funding system resources such as PLM, engineering document management (EDMS Software), and digital workflow management systems creates a competitive advantage for those companies who force the digital transformation issue versus those who don’t.
Additional EDMS Features
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.
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.
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.
EngineBox™
EngineBox is a cloud based workflow and document management version of ImageSite that resides outside the corporate network.
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.
Resources
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.