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4 Signs You Need to Automate Your PDX Process

In today’s supplier market, fast, accurate and secure design data sharing can give manufacturers a significant advantage over the competition. Automated product design data exchange (PDX) tools, like Rocket TRUfusion Enterprise, provide a secure end-to-end design data exchange process that saves time, reduces workloads, and mitigates errors. That is why 96% of manufacturing CEOs have accelerated digitizing each element of their companies’ operations, according to a KPMG Global Manufacturing Outlook Report.

Whether you work in automotive, aerospace, defense, hi-tech or any other manufacturing industry, traditional design data exchange processes leave you vulnerable to errors and can cost designers thousands of hours per year. Which, in turn, negatively affects your bottom line. It is critical for manufacturing CEOs and management to identify operational data exchange weaknesses and determine if automation could be a solution. But how do you know where to look?

1. Your PDX Method Takes Hours

Manual PDX methods force you to use multiple applications and third-party software. Your designers spend their day importing and exporting files, re-naming and formatting the files by hand and compressing them into your client’s native Creo or Catia CAD file for delivery—all the while having to double-, triple-, and quadruple check their work. By the time the file is finally sent to the client, a whole day has elapsed.

With Rocket’s TRUfusion Enterprise, your entire PDX process can be completed on a single platform. The software conveniently integrates into your PLM (i.e., Windchill or Teamcenter), negating the repetitive importing and exporting of files. The software automatically checks the quality of the results, and the designer can send your client the CAD data using a link on a secure web portal. Rather than wasting a full day on two tasks, a fully automated PDX process takes just minutes to complete, freeing your designer to work on more value-driven tasks.

2. Errors have You Wasting Time & Money

Imagine wasting an entire day packaging and sending a CAD file only for it to get rejected by the client. Unfortunately, this happens all too often with manual data exchange processes. The slightest mistake during the PDX process — a wrong file is shared or formatted incorrectly — can halt your entire operation or lead to significant product issues downstream.

On the other hand, automation increases first-time accuracy during design data exchange by removing human liability. With TRUfusion, you can preconfigure your software to perform most error-laden data exchange tasks (file naming, formatting, sharing authorizations, sharing methods) at the click of a mouse. The software automatically checks to ensure only correct data files are being shared and are appropriately formatted, so clients are satisfied with your data the first time.

3. Your Client’s Design Data is Untraceable and Unsecure

If you are not leveraging an automated PDX tool, chances are your clients’ invaluable product designs have been imported and saved in various locations and file systems, something clients wouldn’t be too happy to hear. Besides that, this practice limits the traceability of your clients’ data. This can lead to employees duplicating work, overlooked files and costly errors. Not to mention, files stored in multiple solutions are at a higher risk of cyber theft.

By implementing TRUfusion Enterprise alongside your PLM, all your data is stored in a single environment. And, TRUfusion automatically inspects the integrity and quality of the files, eliminating the need for third-party check-in tools. Designers can share design data with the clients quickly and securely from the software, and any data coming or going can easily be traced.

4. Your Bottom-Line is Sinking

Suppliers still recovering from the pandemic may think having to train employees on new automated software would be too costly. This short-term thinking could be causing your operation significant losses. Automated PDX tool’s ability to ensure your clients receive the right design files, properly formatted and on time while reducing mistakes and automatically performing tedious and time-consuming tasks is why tools like TRUfusion are worth the short-term investment.

In the long run, implementing a 100% automated PDX method with automated software, like TRUfusion Enterprise, will reduce your staffing needs, streamline workflows and positively change your bottom line.

Learn more about the benefits of having an automated, traceable and secure data exchange directly on your PLM by visiting the Rocket TRUfusion Enterprise page.