The Future of Manufacturing: iLogic & CPQ Software Unleashed
In the ever-changing world of manufacturing, the emergence of iLogic-based CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) technologies, such as SolidCAD’s Variant, represents a significant turning point. These innovations are leading us into a new era characterized by remarkable efficiency and unparalleled customization. This blog will look into how the combination of iLogic’s rule-based engineering and the versatile capabilities of CPQ systems is transforming industry standards.
We’ll explore the significant benefits that iLogic-based CPQ solutions bring to the table, including streamlined operations, improved product customization, and enhanced operational efficiency. By examining these cutting-edge technologies, we’ll show how manufacturers are now better equipped to tackle the challenges of today’s complex markets with increased agility and accuracy, thereby achieving higher levels of customer satisfaction.
Come with us to explore the endless possibilities that new ideas are bringing to the manufacturing industry. This is leading to a future with no limits, only what we can imagine.
iLogic: The Driving Force Behind Automated Design
iLogic, a key component of Autodesk Inventor, is revolutionizing the world of design automation. By allowing users to create rules that automate and control design processes, iLogic significantly enhances engineering efficiency. This tool is not just about simplifying tasks; it’s about redefining how we approach design in the manufacturing software landscape.
Decoding CPQ: More Than Just a Tool
CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software streamlines the way businesses sell complex, configurable products. When integrated with Inventor models, this software empowers sales teams, dealers, and even customers to quickly generate accurate quotes, ensuring manufacturing efficiency and optimizing sales processes. CPQ is more than a tool; it’s a game-changer in the business solutions arena.
Real-World Applications of CPQ Software
The practical applications of CPQ software are vast and varied. From small businesses to large corporations, the implementation of CPQ software has led to significant workflow improvements and sales acceleration. Check out mk North America’s success story to see how CPQ made a tangible difference.
The Evolution of Manufacturing Technologies
As we look to the future, it’s clear that technologies like Variant are not just shaping current manufacturing processes but is also paving the way for a more efficient, productive, and innovative future in the manufacturing sector. Subscribe to our blog channel to stay tuned as we continue to explore these exciting developments in the world of manufacturing technology. To learn more about Variant CPQ, try it for yourself on our website, or contact us today at variant@solidcad.ca
In the ever-evolving landscape of engineering and asset management, organizations seek robust solutions to streamline their documentation processes. Accruent Meridian has emerged as a game-changer, empowering companies across various industries to efficiently manage their critical information. Let’s explore some real-life success stories where Meridian played a pivotal role:
1. Energy sector: optimizing workflows
THE CHALLENGE:
A leading energy company faced challenges in maintaining accurate records for its vast network of power plants, substations, and transmission lines. Manual paper-based systems resulted in inefficiencies, data duplication, and compliance gaps.
THE SOLUTION:
The company implemented Meridian to centralize its engineering documents, including schematics, equipment manuals, and maintenance logs. With Meridian’s version control and access permissions, engineers could collaborate seamlessly. Integration with their Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) ensured real-time updates.
THE BENEFITS:
Reduced Downtime: Faster access to critical information minimized downtime during maintenance.
Compliance Assurance: Auditors praised the system’s transparency and adherence to industry standards.
Cost Savings: Elimination of paper-based processes led to significant cost savings.
2. Manufacturing: accelerating product development
THE CHALLENGE:
A global manufacturing firm struggled with document version chaos. Engineers often worked with outdated drawings, leading to errors, rework, and delays in product development.
THE SOLUTION:
Meridian’s automated version control and revision tracking transformed their engineering change process. Integration with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools allowed seamless updates. Engineers could collaborate on designs in real time.
Regulatory Compliance: Meridian ensured compliance with industry standards.
3. Construction: managing complex projects
THE CHALLENGE:
A construction company faced information overload during large-scale projects. Managing blueprints, specifications, and vendor documentation became overwhelming.
THE SOLUTION:
Meridian’s centralized repository organized project documents. Role-based access control allowed stakeholders to access relevant information. Mobile access enabled field teams to retrieve data on-site.
THE BENEFITS:
Project Efficiency: Quick access to project plans improved decision-making.
Collaboration: Contractors, architects, and project managers collaborated seamlessly.
4. Healthcare: ensuring regulatory compliance
THE CHALLENGE:
The hospital system struggled with maintaining accurate records for its medical equipment. Compliance audits were time-consuming and error prone.
THE SOLUTION:
Meridian’s robust metadata management allowed tagging equipment with critical details. Integration with the hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system ensured seamless data flow.
THE BENEFITS:
JCAHO Compliance: Quick access to project plans improved decision-making.
Cost Control: Contractors, architects, and project managers collaborated seamlessly.
CONCLUSION:
Accruent Meridian isn’t just software; it’s an enabler of efficiency, collaboration, and growth. These success stories demonstrate how organizations, regardless of their industry, can leverage Meridian to unlock measurable benefits. Whether it’s reducing downtime, improving compliance, or enhancing collaboration, Meridian continues to shape the future of engineering documentation management.
Remember, success stories aren’t just about technology—they’re about the people who embrace it and drive positive change. So, consider Meridian as your partner in achieving excellence! To learn more contact us today SolidCAD Meridian Team.
Accruent Meridian is an engineering document management system (EDMS) that helps organizations streamline document management, ensure safety and compliance, maximize collaboration, and achieve a single source of asset information. But how does it align with the agile principles that guide many software development teams today?
The agile principles are statements that define the agile methodology and act as best practices for agile teams. The agile principles and core values are documented in the agile manifesto, a brief document that defines agile. Agile principles also apply to other project management methodologies derived from agile, such as kanban or scrum.
In this blog post, we will explore how Accruent Meridian supports some of the key agile principles and how it can benefit your engineering projects.
Agile Principle 1: Satisfy the Customer Through Early and Continuous Delivery of Value Software
The first principle of agile is to deliver value to the customer frequently and consistently. This means that instead of waiting for a long time to release a final product, agile teams deliver small increments of working software that can be tested and validated by the customer.
Accruent Meridian helps you achieve this principle by enabling you to manage and share engineering documents across the entire asset lifecycle. You can easily create, review, approve, distribute, and access documents from any device, anywhere, anytime. You can also track changes, revisions, and versions of documents to ensure accuracy and consistency. By using Accruent Meridian, you can deliver valuable information to your customers and stakeholders faster and more reliably.
Accruent Meridian helps you streamline document management, ensure safety and compliance, maximize company-wide collaboration, and achieve a single source of asset information.
Agile Principle 2: Welcome Changing Requirements, Even Late in Development
The second principle of agile is to embrace change as an opportunity to deliver better value. This means that instead of resisting or avoiding changes in requirements, agile teams welcome them and adapt their plans accordingly.
Accruent Meridian helps you achieve this principle by providing you with flexible and configurable workflows that can accommodate changing needs and expectations. You can easily modify or create new workflows to suit different types of documents, projects, or processes. You can also use Meridian Explorer to search and browse documents by metadata properties or text content. You can filter your search results by specific values or criteria to find the most relevant documents for your current situation.
Agile Principle 4: Business People and Developers Must Work Together Daily Throughout the Project
The fourth principle of agile is to foster collaboration between business people and developers. This means that instead of working in silos or communicating sporadically, agile teams work together daily throughout the project to ensure alignment and understanding.
Accruent Meridian helps you achieve this principle by enabling you to integrate with other systems and applications that are used by different stakeholders in your organization. You can connect Meridian with ERP, CMMS, GIS, CAD, BIM, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and more. This way, you can ensure that everyone has access to the same information and can collaborate effectively across different platforms.
Accruent Meridian enables you to integrate with other systems and applications that are used by different stakeholders in your organization.
Agile Principle 7: Working Software Is the Primary Measure of Progress
The seventh principle of agile is to measure progress by delivering working software. This means that instead of relying on documentation or reports, agile teams demonstrate their work by showing functional software that meets the customer’s needs.
Accruent Meridian helps you achieve this principle by allowing you to publish and distribute documents in various formats that are compatible with different devices and systems. You can export documents as PDFs, DWGs, DWFs, TIFFs, JPEGs, PNGs, etc. You can also use the Meridian mobile application to access documents on your smartphone or tablet. By using Accruent Meridian, you can show your work in a way that is convenient and accessible for your customers.
Case Studies & Testimonials
Staples, a leading office products company, uses Accruent Meridian to manage over 1.5 million engineering documents across 2,000 stores in North America. Accruent Meridian helps Staples reduce costs, improve compliance, and increase productivity.
GNC, a global health and wellness retailer, uses Accruent Meridian to manage over 300,000 engineering documents for more than 8,000 locations worldwide. Accruent Meridian helps GNC streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and ensure data accuracy.
Total Olefins Antwerp, a petrochemical company, uses Accruent Meridian to manage over 300,000 engineering documents and 150,000 objects for its plants in Belgium. Accruent Meridian helps Total Olefins Antwerp optimize engineering change processes, integrate with other systems, and link documents with assets.
AbbVie, a biopharmaceutical company, uses Accruent Meridian to manage over 100,000 engineering documents for its manufacturing facilities in the US and Europe. Accruent Meridian helps AbbVie maximize efficiency, improve communication, and ensure compliant control of engineering information.
Accruent Meridian is a powerful EDMS that can help you align your engineering projects with the agile principles. By using Accruent Meridian, you can deliver value to your customers faster and more reliably, embrace change as an opportunity to improve, foster collaboration across different stakeholders, and measure progress by delivering working software.
Accruent Meridian offers you powerful search, ease of use, extensive configurability, and scalability with its Meridian Explorer feature.
If you want to learn more about how Accruent Meridian can help you achieve agility in your engineering projects, request a demo today!
Does your company need an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) with the ability to manage your Corporate, Contractor, Project, Vendor, Operations, and Maintenance data and documents while continuing to practice consistent Information Management practices.
The following features are a must.
1. File Structure
Consistency matters. Like navigating around your house, it’s nice to know where everything is and that items are placed in a logical order (hopefully your kitchenware isn’t found in your bathroom). The same holds true for managing your data and documents. Knowing where your data and documents are, and how to locate it leads to streamlined processes, productivity, shareability and consistency across multiple projects and facilities.
How you organize your file structure and where the data and documents are stored is seen as an overall map to your Electronic Document Management System (EDMS).
2. Security
Your vital data and documents should not only be stored but also protected. An Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) with the capability to provide security roles allow your users to perform specific actions on specific data and documents. Security roles are named sets of security privileges. Each security privilege controls a specific command or function that can be either granted or revoked. Your users or groups are assigned to security roles for specific folders in a project or facility.
By default, your users can perform the same actions on data and documents. If additional control is required, the privileges of security roles can be updated by the folder and document type.
3. Ease of Use
Ease of Use is a subjective topic. Your users will find an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) easy-to-use by reducing the number of “clicks” used to manage the data and document information.
The Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) – Meridian creates a rendition (copy of a document in a format other than the original) Typically, the rendition is in a noneditable format and is distributed only for reference or hard copy printing while the original, editable source document is not distributed outside of the organization. Examples of rendition formats are Portable Document Format (PDF) and Autodesk Drawing Web Format (DWF). Renditions can often be created by the same application that is used to edit the original document or they can be created by a different application. In some cases, the renditions are stored in a separate project or Electronic Document Management System (EDMS)
4. Access
More than 70% of the population is continuing to work remotely, an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) solution should offer a great remote and mobile user experience. This will ensure tasks and transactions are continued when remote or on-the-go.
A robust file type support is a key Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) feature allowing a wide range of support from various applications like AutoCAD, AutoDesk and other design applications to common file types like Word, PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIF, and more. Additionally with the emerging file formats like 3D, panoramic, virtual reality, and augmented reality an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) must have the capabilities to support them.
6. Search
Have you ever tried shuffling through a disorganized stack of papers and folders, you know how much time is wasted doing the cumbersome task. The Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) – Meridian makes organizing, searching, and managing data and documents easier to ease the painful process.
Meridian’s optical character recognition technology and global search capabilities enhance the data and document searchability based on their attributes such as the name and title. The data and documents can also be stored using their name, title, number, and type attributes as well as others. This increases the search and retrieval speed by utilizing a full-text search and attribute categories criteria.
7. Version Control
Version control is a method of organizing the file structure, so your data and documents are filed in an easy-to-trace order. Version control allows your employees to track and monitor document changes by creating updated versions of the document each time it’s modified. It enables you to track how the document has been modified and evolved. The version control number is updated when a document is edited, indicating that you see the most recent version.
Version control is extremely useful when several of your employees are working on the same document simultaneously. In addition, it enables each document modifier to understand the review process and see how a document has changed and who has made modifications in the past.
8. Software Integration
A robust software integration service can boost your company’s overall efficiency. Integration with software such as AutoCAD, Revit, MicroStation, SAP and 3rd party Construction Maintenance Management Software.
Like when you prune a plant, pruning your outdated software can lead to better, more efficient growth. When your outdated or broken software pieces aren’t taking up your company’s storage capacity anymore, you’ll get to work at faster speeds. As a result, you’ll be able to accomplish more with your software. Furthermore, you can also get rid of other inefficiencies like data and document duplication. Synchronize your data and documents using Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) – Meridian this will mean fewer mistakes and better accuracy, which will also contribute to your business efficiency.
9. Workflows
More than 70% of the population is working remotely, and to accommodate, 75% of businesses are already using applications with workflows. While we were still working from the office, it was easier to define, track and remind your team members of their daily tasks. But it became difficult with the implementation of the work from home model. Now even post-pandemic, the world still prefers working from home or a hybrid model of working. So how do you track or remind your team members of outstanding tasks?
The answer is simple; you can track the daily activities by using a workflow. The Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) – Meridian contains ad hoc workflow requirements in an environment to support work processes, including concurrent document modification practices, batch plotting, created work packages and multiple files.
10. E-Signatures
Do you think you waste too much time signing papers or documents? Your employees format a document, print it, sign it, and scan into the computer. It takes both time and money. In this digital age, there are new software innovations, like e-signatures. E-signature lets your employees sign documents in seconds. The business world acknowledges the advantages of these techniques for digital signatures. It is a comfortable and effective way to sign electronic documents. E-signatures prevent unnecessary delays also; it is a secure way to sign documents because traditional signatures can be forged or copied.
The Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) – Meridian e-signature provides a fast service to you and your company. This feature allows you to sign documents in seconds and enables you to send the signed documents without the need of envelopes, stamps, or delivery costs. It’s time to quit your traditional ink pen signature method. With the e-signature, it cuts down turnaround time by more than 80%.
Final Thoughts
Inefficient processes can lead to severe inefficiencies with your Corporate, Contractor, Project, Vendor, Operations, and Maintenance data and documents. You need a robust electronic document management system (EDMS) to make your processes efficient. The Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) – Meridian features provide robust capabilities for your enterprise-wide data and documents needs while also meeting your compliance requirements.
The next step is to determine the right Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) which was determined by your current Data and Document Management review and identified pain points and needs.
To learn more about Meridian solutions (EDMS and CMMS) and how they can help your team, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the SolidCAD Meridian team.
In short, yes. By design, Meridian is an engineering document management system (EDMS). But once in use by Engineering, the tool can be extended to support more general content management needs and maximize your software investment.
How? By definition, enterprise content management is a system designed to collect, organize and manage an enterprise organization’s content. This includes unstructured documents – like those found in a Word file, an excel spreadsheet, or a PDF and everything in between. An enterprise content management system is rarely, if ever, one tool but rather a combination of tools, processes, and strategies used to organize information and improve business performance.
The goal is to:
Eliminate dependence on paper documents
Maximize employee efficiency
Improve productivity and customer service
Streamline and automate business processes
Make business-critical information both accessible and valuable
Improve collaboration
Because it can easily handle both structured and unstructured documentation – like CAD drawings, engineering documents, and technical manuals – Meridian can streamline content management needs.
Plus, with our powerful workflows and version control, we can ensure everyone in the organization is working from a true single source of truth.
What Can Meridian Provide For General Enterprise Content Management System Do?
An enterprise content management system helps with document management throughout the lifecycle. In other words, it allows users to:
Capture information
Users can easily and securely enter data into an ECM. This can include invoices, emails, PDF documents, spreadsheets, etc. Effective content capture can take many forms, like using electronic forms, scanning documents, or managing documents that are already digital.
Manage and retrieve documents
Will well-managed and organized documents, all relevant users can easily access business-critical information. This can be done in many ways, including full-text search, keyword search, or preset search options that allow users to search by creation date, username, or other factors.
Store
With a robust ECM, users can easily store all their documentation. The key? To make the information accessible and searchable. That way, users can easily view documents, edit them, organize them, view the metadata, and more. This, in turn, can improve compliance and reduce the time and complexity associated with document management processes.
Preserve or Archive: Users can also preserve – or archive – information that doesn’t need to be readily available but may prove vital in the future.
Deliver
Finally, users can use the ECM to deliver the right content to the right people at the right time. Today, this will include a significant degree of automation, which can streamline manual tasks and help teams accomplish more with fewer resources.
Why Do Organizations Need Content Management?
Organizations need enterprise content management to help them organize, manage and utilize all the content they have coming in today. And this is more important than ever, as organizations have information coming from more sources than ever before. Emails, spreadsheets, documents, presentations – the volume of data is staggering, and it is only growing as organizations continue to mobilize, digitize and adopt new systems and tools.
In this context, effective content management is critical, as it’s the only way that team members can maximize efficiency, make decisions, manage risks. Improve record management and complete projects.
Is Enterprise Content Management the Same As Document Management?
It can be. Document management will always be a smaller but essential part of content management (which, as we mentioned, necessarily also includes best practices, strategy, and supporting tools). That said, with the bevy of content we have coming in today – from thumb drives, smartphones, apps, email, social media, video, paper sources, and more – not all content management will come from documents.
However, the content that does come from documentation will have to be well managed. That’s where a tool like Meridian can help significantly.
General document management systems like SharePoint, for example, can organize linear, largely static documentation. A blog document, for example, can be stored and accessed in SharePoint because that document is usually created, edited, posted, and archived. And a general system can handle that process.
However, a typical ECM cannot handle complex documentation like engineering information. This kind of documentation – which many organizations have today – must be regularly redlined, updated, and utilized to reflect the business’ actual environment. Meridian is unique and can provide a complete EDMS & ECM solution. Meridian is tailor-made to handle this kind of documentation and workflow, so this complicated documentation never falls through the cracks.
Does Enterprise Content Management Help With Both Structured And Unstructured Data?
Not well. There have been many new content management challenges and opportunities with machine learning, cloud technology, and mobile capabilities. Today’s content management systems must handle:
Unstructured information, or information without a fully defined structure that people frequently use. Examples include PDFs and Word documents
Structured information, or information that is highly defined and quickly processed by computers. This includes information that is housed in databases
Semi-structured information, or information (like invoices or receipts) that is defined by a human then stored and read by a computer
This, in turn, can help organizations battle issues that accompany poor data management, including lost time, lost productivity, compliance concerns, and more. Most general ECM tools cannot get this done.
What Are the Benefits of Effective Content Management?
There are many benefits to excellent content management, including:
Improved efficiency and business continuity
Streamlined compliance and improved record retention policies
Fewer paper documents, which can lead to increased efficiency and enhanced collaboration
Less downtime and document search time
Reduced time and overhead costs associated with document storage and document management
Automated manual tasks
Improved document security (which is achieved through restricted access and controlled access)
Reduced duplicate or outdated information
Improved customer satisfaction achieved through increased employee productivity
How Can I Start Implementing the Right Content Management System For My Business?
If you’re considering implementing an enterprise content management system, you should first consider:
Your organization’s short and long-term business goals and how you would like your content management tool to help you achieve those goals
The various types of content that are included in your business and how your organization handles those types of content. Do you have unstructured engineering documentation? Is that documentation static?
Your existing processes and how you would like your EDMS to streamline those functions
How information is shared and utilized by your employees and departments
Your business culture and whether your team is ready to adopt a new system and enact change
Getting this information straight can help you determine exactly what features and functionalities you need from your system. From there, you can get into the nitty-gritty of the implementation. Here, it’s important to remember to:
Prioritize the most mission-critical documentation and areas that need improvement.
Get your team on board and bought into the tool you choose by explaining the vision and showing them concrete benefits and expected results.
Invite feedback, so you fully understand what your team expects and needs.
Create a dedicated team to oversee the implementation process.
Ensure that there are clear ECM policies and rules in place. This will prevent the mismanagement of data.
Embrace the growing pains. No technology implementation is ever super smooth. Expect the unexpected and be ready to adjust course when it’s necessary.
To learn more about Meridian solutions (EDMS and CMMS) and how they can help your team, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the SolidCAD Meridian team.
Today in our Meridian Tips video blog, we want to show you how easy it is to collaborate with other user’s in the Meridian EDM solution. If you have ever wanted to add comments or markups on technical documents within an EDMS tool, Meridian is your solution.
If your business is interested in unlocking the power of a dedicated EDMS, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the SolidCAD Meridian team.
Many “free“ content management solutions are available in the market today, such as SharePoint, Box, Network Shares, and even USB external drives. Organizations recognize the need to capture their electronic documents online and use these tools to fill the need. While providing basic functionality, “free“ applications can cost your business more money and time than a dedicated engineering document management system (EDMS).
While seeming to be a cost-effective solution, the reality is these “free” tools are missing a considerable amount of standard EDMS functionality. Here are just a few examples:
Document control
Workflow automation
Full change management
This lack of features can cost money to your organization and cause lost knowledge with staffing turnover and retirement.
Where “Free” Document Management Tools can work and their Limitations
Some businesses can have success using document management solutions such as SharePoint, Box, and other file share applications if they fall into the following categories:
Only require basic document management functionality
Small or mid-sized organization
No need to collaborate across different departments or external sources
These tools tend to work as sizeable digital filing cabinets, allowing groups to share and save documents in an accessible space and provide the following benefits for non-technical documents:
Provide users the ability to save, share, and search for files across the business
Cloud-based sync storage of files
Mobile device access to documents
Easy management of landing pages, libraries, and lists
Where “Free” Document Management Tools Fail Engineering Requirements
While these “free” tools fill a niche role, they do not provide a complete solution required by an Enterprise-class organization that requires structured, controllable document management.
A “free” tool can assist organizations that utilize a basic linear workflow for generic documents, but technical documents and drawings require a malleable workflow. Technical documents usually are highly regulated with a control process in place.
Technical documentation also comes with the following challenges:
Normally unstructured data set
Used across multiple systems and teams
Difficult to access due to change management locks and file type diversity
These factors make engineering documentation tough to manage, access, and control. When you add in other systems, such as a CMMS tool, it is challenging to monitor this information within the limitations of a free tool.
Getting this wrong can have a significant impact and reverberating effects throughout multiple teams. In document-heavy facilities (i.e., power plants, factories, etc.), technical information must be accurate and available to avoid downtime and maintenance issues, leading to lost revenue. Businesses trying to shoehorn these free tools into their typically experience the following problems:
Increased costly downtime
No integration available between other systems such as CMMS
Increased complexity of change process management
Concurrent engineering challenges with technical documents
Lack of communication tools across multiple sites and departments
Lowered efficiency due to missing EDMS functionality
The True Value of Meridian EDMS
A robust engineering document management solution (EDMS) like Meridian is required to help organizations manage their technical data and avoid the pitfalls of “free” tools. While having an initial higher cost, EDMS solutions provide a considerable value when looking at the overall picture. Here are a few benefits gained by using a dedicated EDMS:
1) Document Exchange
Larger projects bring the challenge of sharing documents with multiple departments and teams. These documents can be lost or delayed when being pushed through the review cycle. An example of this is an AutoCAD file with external references. Drawings referenced by the target document can be ignored or lost during a typical workflow unless tightly tracked throughout the process.
Meridian solves this issue by tracking these secondary technical documents with built-in functionality. Free tools such as network shares or Dropbox do not cover these scenarios, leading to lost or duplicated work.
2) Extra IT Maintenance Costs
While a “free” tool can seem cost-effective, it often strains IT resources assigned to manage them. Typically, the IT resource tasked with maintaining this tool is responsible for many other systems and lacks the proper training.
The Meridian SaaS offering provides all maintenance, support, and upgrades which removes the added workload from your IT resources.
3) Work Order Efficiency
While “free” tools can help a smaller business execute on work orders, they become a hindrance to a larger organization with multiple teams and facilities. Work orders can be challenging to locate across multiple disparate systems with inadequate search tools, which can lead to the following:
Safety concerns
Multiple document copies spread over different systems
Technicians using obsolete document versions
Inaccurate data due to lack of document control tools
With a dedicated EDMS like Meridian, your organization can refer to a single source of truth that features purpose-built document control. Technicians will gain access to the latest document version that is found easily using robust search capabilities. All technical documents related to an asset can be located quickly via a tag scanner or the surrounding metadata via the advanced search. Streamlining this process will have an immediate impact on work order costs and resource availability.
4) Lower Operating Costs
Using “free” tools alongside legacy pen and paper document solutions incur costs associated with printing and logistics. When you need to get a hard copy into the hands of a critical resource on time, this can impact your budget. Not only can this cost your business money, but it also wastes effort if the package does not contain all the required documents.
The Meridian solution will allow your teams to move critical data into a single system with high online availability. Moving to an EDMS will allow your resources to access the latest complete document packages on many IoT platforms (i.e., mobile devices, tablets, PCs). Manual labor is heavily reduced via the automation capability of the tool, saving many hours in labor costs.
Sometimes “Free” is Expensive
The actual cost of a “free” or legacy tool can surprise an organization. By not using a purpose-built application to manage your technical documents, you can end up costing your business time, efficiency, and money in the big picture.
If your business is interested in unlocking the power of a dedicated EDMS, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the SolidCAD Meridian team.
Digital transformation is essential for any business looking to navigate the post-COVID world that exists today. Before the pandemic, the focus on digital transformation was high but has increased due to a large portion of the labor force relying on easily accessible data at home.
At the heart of any successful digital transformation project is accurate data structure.
What Is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation refers to the process of shifting operations, data, and tools commonly available in offline or non-interactive environments to a completely digital solution. Digital transformation can yield the following benefits:
Increased visibility to data trends will lead to an improved understanding of the customer experience and an uplift in sales
Provide reports that highlight improvement opportunities within common workflows that reduce costs and increase efficiency
While the benefits of digital transformation have been on display for many years, some businesses view this practice as a lower priority. Specifically, asset-heavy organizations are reluctant to change and move their information online or revamp their technical infrastructure. Instead, these businesses prefer to continue maintaining older and outdated systems to minimize the impact on existing day-to-day operations.
How COVID-19 has Pushed Digital Transformation to the Forefront
With the onset of the pandemic, organizations have needed to scramble to enable remote operations, social distancing, and continue to maintain assets across multiple sites and locations. Suddenly digital transformation is now a requirement for many businesses.
This has been a difficult transition period for organizations that didn’t have an existing plan in place. Effective data structure has emerged as an essential piece of this transformation.
Digital Transformation is Built on Strong Data Structure
Well governed and structured data is the basis of a well-executed digital transformation. The amount of data can be overwhelming for asset-heavy organizations and found in different sources such as:
Work orders
Asset data and maintenance records
Data coming in from various other mission-critical tools – i.e., EDMS or CMMS solutions
MRO inventory data
Pen and paper documentation
Unstructured Data Can Lead to Long Drawn-out Digital Transformation
Most organizations have their data spread over different locations and tools. This data can also be inaccessible by various teams and generally unstructured. Here are a few reasons why:
Knowledge is often spread by word-of-mouth with no documentation available
Data consists of a combination of paper, on-premise, and cloud-based tools. This inconsistency leads to incomplete information, poor document version control, and more
Existing digital solutions work independently of each other with little integration
Day-to-day digital workflows are not standardized or governed for good data structure
Incomplete Data Leads To Poor Asset Structure
If your asset-intensive organization has poor data quality, this will affect your asset structure. All the information surrounding an asset (i.e., documentation, compliance, maintenance plans, etc.) will be affected by default, which can lead to:
Incomplete data sets
Out-of-date information
Trouble maintaining industry compliance
Higher costs to maintain data infrastructure
Data security issues
Increased risk of a digital transformation project failing
Once a weak data structure exists, the related issues will carry over into other complementary solutions. The lack of robust and available data will affect other data-driven automation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) projects. These solutions require a complete and comprehensive data structure to build and implement successfully.
How to Ensure your Data and Asset Structure is Correct
To set up your business for a successful Digital Transformation, you can improve your data structure by focusing on accurate data, robust data structure, and data governance.
1. Review Your Current Data
Reviewing your current data should be the first step for improving the existing data structure. This requires that you answer vital questions about your data itself, including:
What data do you have?
What information are you collecting regularly?
How and where is the data used?
What does that data tell you about your customers, about your KPIs, about your business?
Identify missing data opportunities. Where are there currently gaps in your data needs?
Leading off with a review of current data will help your team understand your data and what you do with it.
2. Organize your Data with the Appropriate Tools
The next step is to use a well-structured tool to import your data. Using a tool that can assist with proper data structure, governance, and analytical insights will ease your path to digital transformation by:
Providing automation of workflows to increase data entry efficiency and ensure data accuracy by avoiding human error
Confirming your data initiatives are standardized and repeatable
Guarantee that your organization can easily manage your information’s flow, quality, and governance, which is key to any compelling insights or transformation efforts
Selecting the right solution will vary by your organization’s industry, data sources, and required integrations. The right tool will provide a broader view and understanding of your data as a whole to your entire team.
What Types of Tools fit best For Asset-Intensive Organizations?
Most successfulasset-heavy organizations already use a CMMS or EAM solution for their maintenance tracking needs. It allows you to digitize and automate maintenance operations to deploy preventive maintenance strategies better, develop better maintenance practices, stay organized, and ultimately save time and money. While this is a significant first step into modernizing your digital data footprint, a CMMS system alone is missing essential functionality for maintaining your data structure in other areas (i.e., technical drawings and documentation). This functionality is where an EDMS solution excels.
Pairing an EDMS with a CMMS solution is the winning combination that empowers your team with the following benefits:
A fully connected digital single source of truth with high availability
Automation across multiple tools to improve efficiency and data accuracy
Easy to manage data governance over the entire technological stack
In a post-COVID world, organizations that complete digital transformations and modernize their operations will pull past competitors relying on legacy systems. But making the transition begins with reliable data and solid asset structure as a first step.
To learn more about Meridian solutions (EDMS and CMMS) and how they can help your team, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the SolidCAD Meridian team.
