Automatic Systems, Inc. (ASI) needed a more flexible data management system to facilitate collaboration among project team members that include employees at multiple sites, customers, and third-party vendors. The existing system did not support dynamic file references, lacked a rich set of indexing and search tools, and did not provide for remote access. ASI chose a solution from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. called SolidWorks® Enterprise PDM, a product data management solution. Bundled with Microsoft® software including Microsoft SQL Server® 2005 Standard Edition and Windows Server® 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition, the solution operates as an extension of Windows® Explorer. By deploying SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, ASI has decreased file-search times from 30 minutes to 2 minutes. ASI has also boosted data availability, reduced project costs, and accelerated time-to-market.
Situation
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Automatic Systems, Inc. (ASI) designs, builds, and installs conveyer and material-handling systems. Small companies and global organizations, including Fortune 100 companies, rely on ASI to help streamline operations in industries such as automotive, mining, agricultural equipment, power generation, airports, and consumer products. The 140 employees at ASI work from four international locations. Project teams include employees from several departments—such as sales, engineering, fabrication, and installation operations—and representatives from customers and third-party vendors.
 |
SolidWorks Enterprise PDM uses the indexing and search tools in SQL Server, so it’s easy to find files. It only takes a couple minutes. Before, it would have taken us about 30 minutes.  |
|
|
Wayne Tiffany
Senior Machine Designer
Automatic Systems, Inc. |
|
|
In 2001, ASI employees in Kansas City used a proprietary data management system (DMS) to store files created with a computer-aided design (CAD) program. The DMS, which ran on the FoxPro 2.6 database, could not support the three-dimensional (3-D) CAD format generated by a new application, so project files were stored in multiple locations. In addition, the DMS did not track metadata, which meant that employees could not search for files based on attributes such as author or date. As a result, if an employee did not know a file’s location, finding it was a tedious process that could take as long as 30 minutes. Also, without metadata, the system could not support dynamic file references, which created production issues. For example, a single project assembly usually includes hundreds of parts, and each part has at least one file associated with it. If an employee changed the name or location of one part file, the DMS would no longer recognize it, and the part might not be built when the project went into production.
Employees also lacked an easy way to share information with other team members―both inside and outside the company. Engineers at the same site could check out the latest version of project files from the DMS vault. However, to share drawings with individuals who worked off-site—a coworker, customer, or third-party vendor—employees were often asked to mail a printed copy. In other cases, employees used File Transfer Protocol or e-mail to exchange files. But as soon as multiple versions of a file were circulated, team members could not be sure if they had the latest version, and work could be duplicated or lost.
ASI needed a solution that would simplify data access and improve team productivity.
Solution
To address its challenges, ASI deployed a solution now known as SolidWorks® Enterprise PDM from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks). As an extension of Windows® Explorer, the product data management (PDM) solution was extremely easy to use. In addition, it supported remote access and provided access control through a robust security system. SolidWorks Enterprise PDM was also bundled with software from Microsoft—which at the time included Microsoft® SQL Server® 2000 Standard Edition data management software and the Microsoft Windows NT® Embedded operating system. “SolidWorks Enterprise PDM had the best price-performance of any solution we looked at,” notes Wayne Tiffany, Senior Machine Designer at ASI. “It could also store all of the different file types that we used, maintain file references as we moved them around, and make it possible for us to preview files without opening them.”
In early 2001, ASI personnel deployed the PDM solution at one site in less than a week. After a three-month test period, ASI rolled out SolidWorks Enterprise PDM to all of its sites.
Today, the company’s PDM configuration includes three types of servers—database, archive, and Web servers―running in virtual environments at a data center in Kansas City. The database server stores metadata and runs on the Windows Server® 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition operating system and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition (64-bit). The archive server supports the data vault—totaling 500 gigabytes—and runs on Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition. A Web server manages remote system access and file replication using Internet Information Services (IIS) version 5.0 or later, Windows Server 2003, and ActiveX® controls. In addition to the archive server in Kansas City, there are replicated archive servers at all four corporate locations and several project sites. These replication servers maintain the current versions of all files that are checked into the vault.
Benefits
With the new solution from DS SolidWorks, project teams at ASI can rapidly access the information they need, speed time-to-market, reduce costs, and take advantage of enhanced data availability.
|
PDM decreases our time-to-market and reduces project costs. I was talking to a project manager in Mexico this morning. He can immediately access files that have just been modified here in Kansas City. |
|
|
Todd Puckett
IT Project Manager
Automatic Systems, Inc. |
|
|
Accelerates Data Access
The PDM vault contains copies of all files related to a project, including 2-D and 3-D CAD files. Storing all project-related files in a central location makes it easier for people to find information. The preview feature also lets system users quickly scan all types of files—including e-mail messages—without opening them.
Because the PDM solution stores metadata, it can track dynamic file references. This means if an employee specifies that a file belongs to a larger assembly, the PDM solution will track all of the related files even if a file’s name or location changes. Users can also see who checked out and checked in files—and when. By storing this information, employees can use different search criteria to pinpoint data. “SolidWorks Enterprise PDM uses the indexing and search tools in SQL Server, so it’s easy to find files,” says Tiffany. “It only takes a couple minutes. Before, it would have taken us about 30 minutes.”
Speeds Time-to-Market and Minimizes Costs
Only one person can check out and modify a specific file from the vault at any time, which prevents duplicate efforts and data loss. However, if a file is already checked out, other people can access a read-only version. Team members from outside the organization can also access specified files, and vault replication accelerates system response time for remote employees. “SolidWorks Enterprise PDM decreases our time-to-market and reduces project costs,” says Todd Puckett, IT Project Manager at ASI. “I was talking to a project manager in Mexico this morning. He can immediately access files that have just been modified here in Kansas City rather than having someone ship a paper copy or zip up the file and e-mail it. That’s a great benefit.”
Employees can also avoid redoing work because SolidWorks Enterprise PDM saves every file ever checked into the vault. This means employees can quickly access older file versions if a customer wants to revert to a previous design, or if someone wants to understand how a project has evolved.
Simplifies Usability and IT Processes
To use the system, new users require little direction. “The PDM system is pretty easy to learn,” says Tiffany. “We show the person where Windows Explorer is, where to click to check in a file, and where to click to check it out. That’s it.”
IT employees can set up a replicated archive server in about one day. Any system user can set up the Web client in minutes. “To install the Web client, all that users have to do is go to a Web site and install an ActiveX control,” explains Puckett. “After they install it, they can connect to the system.”
Boosts Data Availability
Because the archive server is replicated in multiple locations, data is always available to project contributors, even if the local server becomes unavailable. “We had an archive server that went down for a week because of a hardware problem,” says Puckett. “While the employees waited for a new server, they used the Web client to access all of their files. They didn’t miss a beat.”
For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/
For more information about Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. products and services, call (800) 693-9000 or visit the Web site at:
http://www.solidworks.com/
For more information about Automatic Systems, Inc. (ASI) products and services, call (800) 366-3488 or visit the Web site at:
http://www.asi.com/
Microsoft Server Product Portfolio
For more information about the Microsoft server product portfolio, go to:
www.microsoft.com/servers/default.mspx
Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is comprehensive, integrated data management and analysis software that enables organizations to reliably manage mission-critical information and confidently run today’s increasingly complex business applications. By providing high availability, security enhancements, and embedded reporting and data analysis tools, SQL Server 2005 helps companies gain greater insight from their business information and achieve faster results for a competitive advantage. And, because it’s part of the Microsoft server product portfolio, SQL Server 2005 is designed to integrate seamlessly with your other server infrastructure investments.
For more information about SQL Server, go to:
www.microsoft.com/sqlserver
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published June 2009
