The Top Integration Needs for a Cloud PLM Integration with Onshape
Highlights
Companies using Onshape are well on their way to agile hardware development cycles. The natural next step is to implement cloud software integration for PLM. Here are the top cloud software integration needs for companies looking to connect cloud-native PLM to Onshape.
- Part-number integration: A category-based part number scheme allows parametrically-based searches and validation checks.
- Release management integration: When release management is built directly into the Onshape interface, engineers have an easy time coordinating with the rest of the company.
- Automated exporting: PLM systems that automatically distribute updated information reduce mistakes and increase alignment.
- Ease of implementation: Getting the cloud-native PLM system up and running quickly reduces TCO and increases the team’s efficiency.
Duro PLM meets all of these needs, extending the capabilities of Onshape dramatically. As your company moves toward rapid development of new products, cloud-native Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) makes the communication of Onshape designs seamless across the organization and reduces the number of administrative tasks for engineers and product designers.
Hardware development companies can stay ahead of the competition by implementing a product lifecycle management, platform alongside Onshape. Duro has developed a seamless interface with Onshape that allows engineers to continue to work in the familiar Onshape interface while tapping into the capabilities of a PLM system, streamlining many of the processes that are out-of-scope for Onshape. The combination of the two tools empowers engineers and designers to spend more of their time designing and less of their time on administrative tasks such as managing part number spreadsheets, processing ECOs, and exporting files for use by manufacturing stakeholders.
Let’s go a bit deeper into the cloud software integration needs for companies looking to connect cloud-native PLM to Onshape.
- Part Number Generation
One of the challenges for hardware teams is developing, codifying and managing a part number system. Many teams start out with a part numbering system that is constructed and managed in a spreadsheet. Team members access the spreadsheet, record that they will be using the next available part number and then save the spreadsheet so that team members will know which part numbers are available and which ones are notWhile this process is common among early-stage companies, this type of system is fraught with risk and is time-consuming
The best situation for engineers is to have an automated PLM-based part numbering system that handles part number assignment, removes human-in-the-loop part number documenting and ensures no part number duplicates exist. With such a system everyone can avoid the stress of managing a shared spreadsheet and the risk of propagating part number duplicates downstream into manufacturing software systems.
Using the Duro PLM app for Onshape, users can quickly assign new part numbers to Onshape parts (and assemblies) in a matter of seconds. Through the process of assigning part numbers, not only are the part number values written to the corresponding Part Number fields for each part in Onshape, but each Onshape part will now have a component record within your Duro account library.
- Release Management Integration
Duro’s app for Onshape has been designed to seamlessly integrate with Onshape’s existing Release Management architecture. Users can now submit a release candidate in Onshape and, as a result, have a draft ECO be automatically created in Duro. With a ready-made draft ECO users can now extend participation in the ECO approval to team members that do not have access to Onshape.
With Duro’s ECO module connected to Onshape’s release management process, teams will be able to accelerate the review of new designs generated in Onshape, as well as expand the visibility that other departments have into the design process occurring in Onshape. This increase in visibility is facilitated by the inclusion of non-Onshape users in the approval process as well as the automated publishing of design files to Duro.
- Automated Exporting
Upon the release of any new part or assembly revision Duro runs an automated export of the drawing for the approved design as well as production format files (e.g. STEP, parasolid, .DXF, etc.) that can be used by manufacturing and production stakeholders.
Engineers are all too familiar with frequent requests to generate PDF drawings and production format files for QA, manufacturing and production stakeholders. This job is now done for them by Duro through automated exports of approved releases. Stakeholders in need of released PDF drawings and production files can now simply search and download them from Duro.
- Ease of Implementation
In today’s competitive environment, companies can’t afford to slow down for a few months to complete a PLM integration that will require major reconfigurations of their existing systems or training of staff. Cloud-native PLM provides rapid integration–often in a matter of days or hours.
Cloud-native PLM implementation time is incredibly short compared to the amount of time that it saves the team over time.
Duro’s built-in cloud software integration with Onshape dramatically reduces both the integration complexity and the learning curve for hardware engineers.
Duro’s PLM app for Onshape is easy to implement and allows the hardware designers to continue using their familiar workflows. At the same time, the company will begin to connect the engineering and design functions to the other critical functions of the company, allowing all internal and external team members to access a centralized single-source of truth that is easy to maintain.
Onshape and Duro: Cloud-Native Efficiency
As hardware companies move to more agile development and release cycles, the cloud software integration shortens time to market, eliminates departmental silos, and reduces the burden on IT departments. Duro PLM delivers a seamless integration with Onshape that benefits the entire organization.
Get in touch today to find out how easy it is to add Duro PLM for Onshape to your hardware development lifecycle.
