Autodesk Manufacturing & Digital Prototyping Solutions

Future of Product Development - Coming to a City near You!

As many of you will already know, we've been hosting a series of free to attend educational seminars across the UK and Nordics this year for small to medium sized manufacturers and product developers.

The goal we set for each event was to make it educational - share what we are seeing out there in industry, the trends, technology, best practices, challenges etc so attendees can go away armed with information that could potentially help them improve what they are doing within their own product development processes.

We also wanted to make sure that at each event we heard not just from our Autodesk experts but from real life manufacturers who can share how they have improved, the impact it's had and the challenges they met along the way.

This peer to peer discussion has been the highlight of each of the events so far, to be honest, its not a discussion lead by the Autodesk team, its the attendees and non-Autodesk presenters that huddle up to ask questions, get feedback and have a good old chin wag on how product development can be improved. At a couple of the events we've had to continue the discussion elsewhere after having to vacate the room!

So far we've hosted these events in Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Cambridge and Stockholm........and we've got 3 more events scheduled this year:

Tuesday 8th September

• Autodesk, Gothenburg
• Event Details & Registration

Thursday 24th September

• The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
• Event Details & Registration

Tuesday 29th September

• The Mere Golf & Spa Resort, Knutsford (nr Manchester Airport)
• Event Details & Registration

Each of the events starts at 9:00am with registration and breakfast, with the main session starting at 9:30am.

After the welcome and introductions Autodesks Gavin England presents the first session taking us through the Future Trends & Technologies manufacturers are employing to make sure they stay ahead of their competition such as 3D printing, generative design, virtual reality, upfront simulation, streamlined processes etc. What makes this particularly interesting is the way Gavin talks about how accessible these 'future' technologies actually are today for SMB manufacturers.

After Gavin its over to me where I share some of the experiences from 18 years of working with manufacturers across Europe and North America to help them improve their product development processes. The focus is on Getting Product Development Right First Time, particularly the decisions that have to be made from initial needs\requirements capture right the way though to end of life - how can decisions be made better and faster to reduce risk, change, errors & delays?

The final session is the main one, its when we hear from a manufacturer who has taken advantage of some of the technology Gavin talked about, or changed the way they are developing and engineering their products and are seeing positive change because of this.

At the Gothenberg event Daniel Hagström the CEO & Founder of Reformtech will be presenting the challenges they faced within their New Product Development (NPD\NPI) and what they did to remove those challenges to get quality, innovative products to market faster.

We'll have similar presentations at the 2 UK events to, we'll be announcing those presenters soon.

The presentations finish at 12:30pm, but there will be a networking lunch where delegates can talk to each other, share ideas and best practices as well as talk to the industry and Autodesk experts that are in the room.

We're all about making sure these events are useful, so at the conclusion of each event we ask the attendees to fill in a short feedback survey, this has helped us to improve the event but also showed us that 88% of the attendees found the event Extremely Useful (the other 12% found it Useful)!

With the summer break upon us, we've opened up registration for these next 3 events early so you make sure you have your place reserved before you head off for some rest & relaxation.

If you want more information about each of the events and want to reserve your spot, please use the links below which will take you to each of the dedicated event pages....

Tuesday 8th September

• Autodesk, Gothenburg

Thursday 24th September

• The Ageas Bowl, Southampton

Tuesday 29th September

• The Mere Golf & Spa Resort, Knutsford (nr Manchester Airport)

There's no limit to the number of attendees you can bring along with you, so if you have colleagues that might be interested please feel free to share this with them.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Business as Usual - Part 2

After last weeks hard drive failure in my laptop I thought I'd provide a short update on what has happened since.

As the previous post mentioned, I ordered a replacement hard drive which arrived on Saturday morning. It took me a couple of minutes to install it and run a quick diagnostics check to make sure the new hard could be seen and was working - success!

Next step was to plug in the bootable Windows 8.1 installation USB thumb drive and start installing the operating system. 9 minutes later, I had a fully working Windows 8.1 and was prompted with a Windows login screen. I put in my Windows account details, which then sync'd everything from the point before the hard drive failure onto the new install, all of the data (the 30Gb I talked about in the previous post), Windows apps, desktop wallpapers etc all syc'd from the cloud storage I used so I hardly had to do anything. It was quick too!

I did have to install a couple of tools, one of them being my browser of choice Google Chrome. But again, once I'd installed it and logged in using my Google account, all of my apps, bookmarks, history etc all sync'd. As I mentioned previously, a lot of the applications I use day to day are SaaS based technologies which run within my browser, so just by logging in to Google chrome, all of the short cuts, add-ins, history etc for those SaaS tools and apps were available. I didn't have to remember web addresses, logins, settings or install anything manually - the power of the cloud and SaaS did that for me.

Because of the huge advantages the cloud offers users and businesses, Autodesk has been developing SaaS solutions for design professionals for quite some time now, its not something new to Autodesk. We have a number of SaaS technologies such as PLM 360, Fusion 360, SIM 360 and BIM 360 that offer businesses and users the power of SaaS and cloud, not just because of the benefits I mentioned above but also to take advantage of things like ease of use, speed to production, cost of ownership, streamlined processes and improved collaboration.

If you want to read more about how Autodesk cloud and SaaS solutions could benefit you, please click here....

Business as Usual - The Power of the Cloud

Yesterday I had a meeting with a UK SMB manufacturer at their facility in Yorkshire, it was a really good meeting hearing about what they do, how they do it, the goals for the business and the challenges they see. They also wanted to learn more about Autodesk PLM 360 as they see that as a solution that will help them reach some of their goals and help the business grow. But that's not the reason for this post!

When I arrived back at my home office, I opened up my laptop, turned on and was promptly presented with this....

....the 250Gb solid state drive I have\had in my laptop had failed.

The last time this happened to me was about 2 years ago with a different laptop and my response then and now was very different. 2 years ago when this happened I felt my stomach sink and that thought of:

"when did I last back up my hard drive, how much data have I lost, how long is it going to take me to re-install and configure everything"

Yesterday, there was no sinking feeling in my stomach, hardly even a raised eyebrow to be honest. The reason? The only thing on this laptop really is the Operating System - all of my data is automatically sync'd to cloud storage and the majority of applications I use are now SaaS, there's hardly any software installed locally.

I use all the usual tools and software - 3D CAD, PLM, Analytics, CRM, HR, diagramming, documents, email, presentations, image editing etc, but all via Software as a Service using my web browser. I can work on any hardware, anywhere, any time. There's no down time, there's no lengthy software install and configuration. When my hard drive failed it was literally a case of moving 30cm from one keyboard to another, and I have access to all of the same capability and data on an 8 year old desktop PC through my web browser.

I've ordered a replacement hard drive which should hopefully be delivered this morning, and my laptop is currently in pieces on my desk awaiting the arrival of said hard drive.

At the moment I'm using my old desktop PC to access all the same data (about 30Gb worth) and software applications that I use on my laptop. I've not had to download, install or configure anything to do this.

This is the real power of the cloud - any time, anywhere access quickly and easily, its business as usual.

Product Development Information Wherever & Whenever

Product development never stops, there's always information, data, documents to review for approval or sign off. There's always data being created and shared to help make the right decisions about the products and projects being developed. It doesn't stop, no matter where you are.

Autodesk PLM 360 is a Software as a Service (SaaS) Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution that helps manufacturers and product developers make sure that all of the information, data and documents relating to the projects and products being developed are available to the right people at the right time. Using process driven data to remove the reliance on document's - Change, Bill of Materials, Quality, Supplier and Product Development data can be created, managed and shared quickly and easily based on industry standard and best practice processes.

With PLM 360 being a SaaS solution, all you need is internet access and your favorite web browser to have secure access to product development data wherever you are. And you can also use the free PLM 360 Mobile app - a dedicated app for iOS or Android that gives you access to product development information, data, processes and metrics on your mobile device.

PLM 360 Mobile has been available for a little while now and we have been listening to feedback and suggestions from users and recently released an update that includes some key new capabilities, including:

• Add new items
• Edit items
• Clone items
• Change ownership of items

This means that no matter where you are, you can always havce access to the latest, up to date information regarding Bills of Materials, Change Management, Quality, New Product Introcution etc. You can view, review and approve or reject items that require it. Items can be edited to include new and updated information whilst on the go and Mobile workers such as service and maintenance engineers can access the information they need. How valuable is it for mobile workers to be able to feedback data, information and photographs from their site visits, potentially instigating Non-conformance Reports or Change Requests before they have even left site.

If you already have your own Autodesk PLM 360 tenant, you can download the app and connect to your secure PLM 360 tenant. If you don;t yet have your own PLM 360 tenant, get in touch and we can help you get access and begin the process of improving your product development.

If you want more information about the PLM 360 Mobile app and what it can do for you, have a browse through this SlideShare presentation. 

Autodesk PLM 360 Mobile can be installed from:

 

The Future of Product Development

If you're a small to medium sized manufacturer or product developer, no doubt you're going to be interested in what the future of product development holds for you, your products and your customers. To help you prepare and potentially take advantage today, Autodesk are hosting a number of free to attend seminars.

We've already hosted 2, one in Birmingham and 1 in Copenhagen - both were really well attended and from the feedback we received from the attendees everyone who attended said the half day event was either useful or extremely useful. Why did they say that?

The seminar provides attendees with an opportunity to hear the Autodesk Future of Making Things story which includes Future Industry and Technology trends, but also how manufacturers can start to prepare and take advantage today. Attendees also get to hear from UK based manufacturers about how they are using technology to help them get products to market faster and be more competitive.

There's also an opportunity to network with peers from other manufacturers as well as Autodesk industry and technology specialists who can answer your questions.

The next event will be held at the IWM Duxford (Air Museum) in Cambridge on Thursday 4th June, its free to attend and promises to be another great event. If you want to register your place or want to read more information about the half day seminar, please use the link below....

Click here for event details & registration...

Interested in what the Future of Making Things is all about, have a watch of this short video:

Look forward to seeing you at the event.

 

Autodesk PLM 360 Classes @ AU2014

Autodesk University 2014 is approaching and I have great news for PLM 360 fans: there are 20 classes on Autodesk PLM 360 this year, spanning lectures, panels, roundtables and even hands-on labs. Below are classes – many of which are customer focused & driven – that showcase Autodesk PLM 360 in real-life implementations with advanced use cases. The PLM PowerTrack classes are ideal for the PLM 360 Administrator/Implementer, and have a –P suffix. I’ve attached a brief description for each of the classes and links as well, so you can add them to your schedule or favorite them. See you at AU2014!

PL5039 - Behind the Music: The Real Story Behind Deploying Autodesk PLM 360

Get an in-depth exclusive look behind the scenes of one of Autodesk PLM 360's largest customer deployments. Learn directly from the customer what they are using it for, the struggles they had during the process, and how they overcame them.

Read the full blog post at.... underthehood-autodesk.typepad.com

Transforming Manufacturing in the Cloud

Seminars, events, conferences etc. – you probably have invites coming out of your (digital) ears for all of the different events taking place. You may even have one sat in your inbox (or deleted items) for the upcoming ‘Transforming Manufacturing in the Cloud’ events that Autodesk are hosting in Bristol and Gateshead in November.

Hopefully, the email was of interest and you’ve already registered to attend or forwarded it on to someone who might find it interesting, either way one of the things we hear frequently from recipients of event invitations is....

• Why should I give up part of my day to attend your event? 
• What’s in it for me and my company?

I’ll get straight to the point rather than pontificate about the plentiful supply of tea, coffee, juice, lunch etc. – it’s about showing you what you could be doing to ultimately make you (and your company) better than your competitors.

Competition is high on pretty much every manufacturers agenda, irrespective of where the competition is coming from, it’s a battle being fought on several fronts – cost, quality, innovation, profitability and time, to name just a handful.

• How do you (your business) compete? 
• How do you make sure you are winning against your competition?

Competition isn’t something that just the sales guys need to make sure they combat – as design engineers, product designers and manufacturers, having a more competitive offering is well and truly in our hands – it’s something we should all be thinking about....

• How can we design it better? 
• How can we reduce product costs? 
• How can we improve quality? 
• How can we use more cost effective components\materials? 
• How can we get it delivered faster?
• How can we reduce the amount of rework?
• How do we get the right information to the right people at the right time?

....we should always be looking to improve in every little way possible to give us that competitive advantage.

Those who follow me on Twitter will no doubt have noticed I recently became a MAMiL – a 'Middle Aged Man in Lycra' - I took up road cycling! I’ve always been interested in cycling but only recently decided to actually get out on the roads in a 'semi-serious' way. One of the people within the cycling world that really interests me is the guy who masterminded the recent success of people like Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

Dave Brailsford was the Performance Director of British Cycling and is currently General Manager of Team Sky, and it is he who defined the concept of....

“The aggregation of marginal gains”

...which is basically about looking for the “1% margin for improvement in everything you do” with the pure and simple goal of making his team more competitive than the others. I’m sure you already know the results he achieved from this approach.

Anyway, how does all of this answer the original question – “why should I give up part of my day to attend your event?”

The free events we are hosting in Bristol and Gateshead have been designed to show how UK manufacturers (of all sizes) can find those marginal gains and be more competitive using technology as the pillars for change.

We’ll discuss how Cloud technology is being adopted at a rapid rate and why – and answer question like what are the benefits of cloud technology for manufacturers?

We’ll also look at key technology pillars within manufacturing including PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) - where the fit, how they differ, where they overlap and the benefits of each.

The sole purpose of these events is that you come away at the end thinking to yourself about where those "1% gains" are within what you do and to help you see how technology can help you to deliver products and solutions better, faster and more profitibly than your competition.

If any of that has got you thinking and interested in knowing more about the events, you can get everything you need from the Autodesk PLM 360 website....

Click here for details of the Transforming Manufacturing in the Cloud events....

Hope to see you there.

It's that time of year again.....

.....its not long 'til Autodesk University 2014 kicks off! You've still got time to register to attend though.

If you've been reading this blog for a while (thanks if you have) then you may have read some of my previous posts about AU, if not, you might want to have a quick read of this one in particular....

Where can you imagine, design & create

If you don't know much about Autodesk University its the largest gathering of Autodesk dekstop and cloud software users from across the globe, users of software from all industries, in all disciplines are represented to attend classes, workshops, exhibitions, lectures, customer presentations etc to find out how they can get more from the software they are using. Theres a diverse spread of abilities, from brand new users right the way through to expert users of pretty much every Autodesk technology you can think of - AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Vault, PLM 360, 3DS Max, BIM 360, Infraworks 360, Plant 3D etc. You can find a full list of classes on the AU website....

AU classes, courses, workshops and presentations...

Many of the classes are hosted and presented by end users, theres also some presented by Autodesk Application Engineers, Product Managers, Developers etc but the peer to peer learning is something I really enjoy seeing and hearing. Its amazing how much you can get from a short conversation with a user of the same software and finding a new way, quicker, easier way of doing a particular task. Or it may even be a conversation with a user of a completely different Autodesk technology that you didn't realise you had access to which you could use.

Having access to these types of conversations is for me a completely invaluable experience.

Many busineses are under pressure to deliver more with what they have got, so finding new, better and quicker ways to do deliver products and projects not only helps get more from what you have but can also help to increase innovation, reduce costs and deliver to your customers quicker - ultimatley making you more competitive!

This year there are 20 classes dedicated to Autodesk PLM 360 where you can learn about, here just a selection of them....

• The Real Story Behind Deploying PLM 360
• Bill of Materials Management
• Understanding PLM 360 Classification
• PLM 360 Customer Success Story - Inphi
• Autodesk PLM 360, NetSuite (ERP) and Beyond

....you can register to attend these sessions in conjunction with the main stage key note sessions, workshops etc.

If you still need to be convinced on the benefits of attending or maybe you need something to help convince your manager that attending is good a good thing for the business, have a read of the AU Conference Benefits and the 'Convince your Manager' toolkit.

Hope to see you there.

Autodesk® Feature Update Pack for Factory Design Suite 2015 Available

As per this time of year, on Monday Autodesk released an feature update pack OR what used to be know as a subscription advantage pack for Factory Design Suite 2015.

The pack includes a number of additional functions making the possibilities when relying on AutoCAD layouts much more flexible. Users have the ability to publish assets from AutoCAD including the option to incorportate 3D models from various formats such as Inventor, Soldiworks, etc.

This feature update also adds the ability to Sync directly to Navisworks from AutoCAD. In other words if a 3D asset is included within the AutoCAD asset, Navisworks will append the 3D representation enabling downstream benefits such as clash detection (Navisworks Manage) and timelining and all the other wonderful aspects that Navisworks offers direct from the AutoCAD '2D' layout.

Below is a breakdown of the main updates included within this pack:

• Connector Snapping Capability for AutoCAD Factory Assets – Improve 2D layout design efficiency by quickly connecting assets. Connector detection and snapping works identically to that in Inventor Factory.
• Expanded Asset Builder Environment in AutoCAD Factory – Multiple new features such as a new block browser, asset properties, replacing the block with the published asset, and associating a 3D model to the block.
• Sync to Navisworks – Populate a Navisworks 3D layout from AutoCAD Factory to leverage Navisworks Factory viewing, navigation, and animation capabilities, etc.

This Feature Update Pack is cumulative and contains all the changes made in Update 1. You do not need to install it before installing this Feature Update Pack. It can be applied to every edition of Autodesk Factory Design Suite 2015: Standard, Premium, and Ultimate.

Autodesk Vault Workgroup and Professional 2015 R2 Available

As mentioned in the previous post, things don’t stay still for long.

Late last week Autodesk released Vault Workgroup and Vault Professional 2015 R2.

As you can see from the article title, this new release only applies to the paid versions of Vault 2015.

So what does this new release offer…. well quite a bit.

For starters within this update, users can expect to see a different and more productive Copy Design tool. One common request we’ve had is the ability to copy a design and assign new numbering schemes in one hit. This is now possible and much more.

 

The R2 update also gives greater functionality to users of Vault Office. In the past the Vault Office functionality gave access to a few functions such as, the ribbon bar in Microsoft Office for non-CAD users, a web interface for Vault Workgroup and the ability to check out / in single files from the web interface.

The Vault Office functionality now offers a ‘thick’ client. This client is effectively a reduced functionally version of the full fat Vault Explorer. Organisations now have a much more cost effective way for non-CAD users to interact with vaulted data. Users with the correct security privileges can now interact with file lifecycles, read CAD data, read/write non-CAD data and a whole host more.

 

In addition to the above, companies working in an Item environment now the ability to create and utilise flexible lifecycles similar to those within the file management interface plus many more improvements to make the Item workflow easier to manage and manipulate.

 

With the addition of the new Item workflows some existing functionality has had to be disabled until the next full release so if this R2 update is of interest and you're an existing user, speak to your supplier for more information.