With the rapid pace of technological innovations, it’s no surprise that a faster time-to-market usually wins. The design process must be fluid, and all the tools used should allow teams to move fast.
Creating the initial design is the easy part. The product design software should then allow designers to quickly create multiple design iterations and find the right balance to achieve the desired form, fit, and function. Engineers should be able to pivot fast when design issues arise.
Therefore, ensure that product design software doesn’t constrain the design flow but instead offers flexibility for design changes.
How to Choose the Best Product Design Software
Here are some specific things to consider when choosing product design software. Ask how easy it is to:
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Make design changes and have the change reflected in all other documents that reference the component being changed?
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Collaborate and get feedback from cross-functional teams (other designers, manufacturing, quality control, purchasing, etc.) starting from the conceptual stage without emailing files back and forth?
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Version control designs so all team members work off the same version to avoid costly errors?
Also, consider the reputation and innovation history of the vendors whose tools you choose to use. For example:
- Who else uses the tools you want to use?
- How often does the vendor release new enhancements or fixes to their products?
- How long has the vendor been in business, and how much financial backing do they have? (You want to choose a vendor who will be around for the long run).
Of course, the above questions represent only a small fraction of what should be asked before even logging into a product design software.
Making the Case for Onshape
Four businesses from diverse sectors have cracked the code to accelerate their time-to-market. By leveraging PTC’s Onshape, an advanced CAD software with built-in PDM, their teams were able to drive innovation and efficiency.
Their stories offer valuable lessons for businesses across all industries.
BOA: Streamlining Outdoor Gear Development
The Fischer RC4 PRO MV BOA alpine ski boot. (Photo by Katie Ewing, courtesy of BOA.)
BOA, a footwear technology company founded in 2001, has revolutionized the outdoor and safety gear industry with its innovative Fit System. The company's transition to Onshape has dramatically improved its product development process.
Clay Corbett, Director of Engineering at BOA, explained the impact: "Onshape helps us speed up our iteration cycles. The more iterations we can explore, the lower our risk because we can test more things and better understand the product we're developing – and the faster our speed to market."
CASE STUDY: Reinventing Outdoor Adventure Gear for Safety and Performance
The company reports a significant boost in engineering productivity. Josef Duller, Design Engineering Manager, explained that Onshape's built-in PDM boosted productivity by 25% to 50% due to automatic version control and accelerated collaboration.
Moreover, BOA has reclaimed 15 engineering hours per week previously lost to file-based CAD crashes.
Forever Oceans: Accelerating Aquaculture Innovation
Forever Oceans' advanced system for raising fish.
Forever Oceans, an aquaculture technology startup, is pushing the boundaries of sustainable fish farming with its advanced offshore systems. The company's adoption of Onshape has been crucial in quickly bringing its innovative concept to life.
Janne Piispanen, Hardware Engineering Manager at Forever Oceans, said: "Onshape saves us probably about 25 percent, if not more, in the amount of time we're using to develop designs in CAD. I'll be honest, there was a lot of frustration, rework, waiting, and troubleshooting before we switched."
CASE STUDY: Automating Deep Sea Fish Farms
The ability to collaborate in real-time across global teams has been a game-changer for Forever Oceans. Piispanen explained, "Onshape allows multiple members of our teams all across the globe – in Hawaii, San Diego, Panama – to all use the same documents simultaneously. We can collaborate on projects that we develop in Hawaii while our field service engineers in Panama monitor, verify, and send information back to us through Onshape."
Dalkia: Rapid Deployment of Sustainable Energy Solutions
CHP systems enable large facilities to operate independently from the grid, reduce carbon emissions, and cost significantly less than traditional utilities.
Dalkia, a subsidiary of the global Dalkia EDF Group specializing in combined heat and power (CHP) systems, has significantly reduced its time to market by using Onshape.
Xavier Pereira, a product development engineer at Dalkia, reported a dramatic improvement in their development timeline: "We did it all – from the concept all the way to a manufactured, built, and tested product – in just a year and a half. Think of all the drawings and all of the quotes that have to get sent out. And all of the design iterations that are required to flesh out a product and have it work. Then think of all the things that go into actually having a CHP system be physically built. And specifically in the way that you want it. A project like that would normally take two to three years."
CASE STUDY: Dalkia Helps Cities Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
This accelerated development process means that Dalkia can bring its sustainable energy solutions to market 25% to 50% faster.
Pereira added, "My entire workflow runs much faster with Onshape. Our department has been able to run very lean and accomplish everything much faster than I think we could have done with any other system."
Aura Aero: Fast-Tracking Electric Aviation
Aura Aero’s design team at work on the production floor.
Aura Aero, a French aerospace company developing zero-emissions electric aircraft, is using Onshape to accelerate its ambitious plans for sustainable aviation.
Alban Semond, Physical Design Manager at Aura Aero, explained how their technological approach has improved efficiency: "As our team grows, Onshape will be essential in our production because everyone's work is visible to other departments in real-time. There's no waiting for design updates. Everyone can keep working without delays."
CASE STUDY: Aura Aero Delivers Cleaner Air Travel
The company has leveraged Onshape’s Custom Features to speed up development processes further. Mechanical engineer Misael Hernandez Perez said, "This feature saves us 80 percent of our time on repetitive tasks versus doing it the old way. It just speeds up everything."
This efficiency has allowed Aura Aero to progress rapidly with its ambitious projects. Its two-seat INTEGRAL aircraft is set for release in 2024, while its 19-seat Electric Regional Aircraft (ERA) is expected to go into production in 2026 – an impressive timeline for developing new aircraft, especially in the nascent field of electric aviation.
How to Reduce Time-to-Market with Onshape
Despite operating in vastly different industries, these four companies share common strategies for accelerating their time-to-market, including using Onshape as their product design software of choice. Here’s how they did it:
1. Embrace Cloud-Native Collaboration
All four companies highlight the importance of real-time collaboration enabled by Onshape, a product design software. This allows teams to work simultaneously, eliminating bottlenecks in the design process.
2. Automate Repetitive Tasks
Custom CAD features and automation tools have allowed these companies to significantly reduce time spent on routine tasks, freeing up engineers to focus on innovation.
3. Eliminate Version Control Issues
A built-in PDM system ensures that all team members always work with the latest design version, eliminating confusion and rework.
4. Enable Rapid Iteration
The ability to quickly explore and test multiple design iterations with Branching and Merging allows these companies to refine their products faster and more confidently.
5. Streamline Communication with External Partners
Easy sharing of 3D models has improved communication with suppliers and partners, reducing delays in the supply chain.
Get started with Onshape today to speed up your time-to-market.
