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Easy Aerial, a globally renowned leader in autonomous drone systems, faced significant challenges in engineering data management. The use of outdated systems, especially SharePoint, highlighted issues with permissions, data interaction, and handling large CAD files. Storing files on local C drives in a decentralized manner led to data fragmentation, hindering collaboration across the company’s global offices. Vice President of Research and Development, Jason Felder, sought a transformative solution to address these challenges.
In the search for a comprehensive data management solution, Jason explored alternatives like SolidWorks PDM. However, cost implications and complex integration processes posed obstacles for Easy Aerial. The breakthrough in his search came with Bild—a streamlined design management solution offering simplicity and tailored functionality.
Selection Criteria:
Affordability: As a growth stage startup, Easy Aerial was searching for a cost-effective solution that addressed major pain points, while enabling them to scale development efforts. Implementation alone for options like SolidWorks PDM exceeds multiple months of Bild costs, with further annual license costs being 60% higher.
Simplicity: The solution’s user-friendly interface and streamlined functionalities met the company's need for a solution quickly adopted by the global R&D team. Jason noted, "What attracted me to Bild was the cost, but also the simplicity."
Tailored Functionality: Bild's ability to handle large CAD files, provide granular permission management, and streamline collaboration made it a perfect fit for Easy Aerial's engineering workflows.
The solution plays a pivotal role in Easy Aerial's data management journey by offering a centralized, secure, and efficient storage solution for CAD files. Team’s across their engineering, manufacturing, and operations organizations rely on Bild as their source-of-truth. Jason noted:
"Having a place where all our CAD files live that is production-ready, stable, permissioned, etc., it's a value-add."
Due to the simplicity of Bild, Easy Aerial chose to self-migrate files for onboarding and took advantage of using Bild as a fresh start. Rather than using existing SharePoint file/folder structures, the Easy Aerial team migrated files over several weeks to a new structure that better enabled file access and collaboration. The team was able to quickly derive value from Bild within days of implementation, an impressive feat in a landscape known for complex VAR relationships and lengthy setup times.
Structured Access: Bild provided structured and permissioned access for all files and drawings - with the ability to interact with the native assets themselves. Whether for viewing renderings of CAD, editing metadata, or understanding assembly structures.
Enhanced Collaboration: Easy Aerial's teams readily adopted Bild, enhancing collaboration and fostering smooth data flow between global engineering and production teams. Bild became Easy Aerial’s primary resource for managing the latest released and production data, removing the need for engineers to compile and zip packages together to send to downstream teams. With view-only access to files for these manufacturing and production teams, Easy Aerial can ensure cross-functional alignment with a single source of truth.
Bild's integration into Easy Aerial's workflow marked a transformative moment in the company's data management journey. The platform's impact extended beyond traditional metrics, serving as the single source of truth for their engineering data. Errors were eliminated, duplicate files reduced, and clarity regarding the latest versions enhanced, exemplifying Bild's efficacy.
The platform has become an indispensable asset, ensuring secure and efficient storage of CAD files, aligning with Easy Aerial's commitment to excellence and innovation in the autonomous drone systems industry.
To learn more about Easy Aerial, you can visit their website here.