Allied Systems Company Modernizes PDM to Reduce Risk and Improve Efficiency

Allied Systems had their long-time CAD Administrator leave the organization, causing the CAD management responsibilities to be transitioned to the IT team. With CAD administration requiring specialized expertise for proper data management in product design, they enlisted the help of KETIV to aid them in getting some of their tools and methods modernized.

Deanna McCord, the Senior Engineering Tech with 20 years at Allied Systems, described the Engineering team as diverse with some “old school” people who began designing with paper and pencil spanning to fresh college graduates and all the experience levels in-between. With the loss of the CAD Administrator Allied knew that some of the antiquated workflows that had been carried over year to year needed modernized, but faced some obstacles:

• Slow Adoption of Upgrades: Allied Systems was slow to adopt new Autodesk Vault software versions, hampered by compliance requirements and lacking the specialized skills to understand PDM best practices.
• Migration Challenges: Their attempt to migrate to Autodesk Vault 2017 was focused on the software alone, and the content migration wasn’t considered, leaving the team in a state of disarray. They needed help to navigate these complex upgrades.
• Extensive Historical Data: With around 2 TB of historical data, managing and migrating this information introduced significant risk and complexity.

Allied Systems enlisted the help of KETIV to overcome their technological stagnation. The approach taken was strategic and hands-on, focusing on optimizing Allied Systems’ use of Autodesk Vault and helping them leverage modern tools for better workflows.

The partnership with KETIV resulted in significant improvements for Allied Systems:

• Successful Data Migration: The transition from 2017 to 2019, and subsequently to 2021 and 2023, was smooth and efficient, with Deanna and her team better prepared and disruptions minimized.
• Enhanced Efficiency: The KETIV team suggested a more efficient Resource Files naming convention that eliminated broken link and better-prepped the system for upgrade. Allied adopted this suggestion leading to streamlined workflows and improved data management.
• Improved Confidence and Speed: With KETIV’s guidance, Allied Systems gained confidence in upgrading their systems more frequently, leading to faster and more efficient operations.
• Ongoing Modernization: Allied Systems is now looking forward to further upgrades, including upgrading their interfacing tools to 2023 versions to match their Vault. They are now ready to adopt new Autodesk software versions as they are released, instead of waiting for years to benefit.

Allied Systems continues to explore more advanced PDM features for stronger lifecycle management, categories, and item handling. They recently reached out for more training, aiming to enhance consistency among engineers in drafting and modeling skills.

KETIV’s support has been pivotal in transforming Allied Systems’ approach to technology and data management, positioning them for continued success and innovation in their field.