The Cost of Poor Version Control in CAD Design and How NX Solves for It

Computer-aided design (CAD) software plays a crucial role in product design and manufacturing by enabling engineering, research and development, and product teams to work collaboratively. However, this collaboration can break down due to inadequate version control in CAD platforms. Teams can overwrite one another’s designs or work on outdated designs, leading to significant project delays and reduced product quality.

The good news is that some CAD platforms, like Siemens NX, offer built-in version control and collaboration features to prevent these issues. In this guide, we’ll highlight the cost of poor version control in CAD design and explain how NX solves for it.

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Short on Time? Here’s a Brief Overview

• Poor version control can cause significant problems, including additional work, delayed projects, damaged client relationships, and increased employee turnover.
• Robust version control systems should offer tools for tracking and managing design files automatically. They should also promote collaboration and enable teams to work efficiently in parallel.
• Siemens NX is a CAD software that includes a built-in version control system. It also promotes version control through collaboration tools and integrations with product lifecycle management software.
• Best practices for version control in CAD design include centralizing design files, training employees, implementing access controls, and conducting regular audits.

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The Consequences of Inefficient Version Control

Inefficient version control is more than just a nuisance. It can cause serious problems for product and engineering teams including:

• Rework due to errors: Team members can use outdated or incorrect CAD files, requiring the need to redo time-consuming work like building prototypes. Product designers and engineers can also overwrite one another’s files, resulting in the loss of critical design data.
• Poor teamwork and communication: It’s very challenging for team members to discuss product plans or models for 3D printing without knowing if they’re working from the same design version. Over the long run, issues with version control can result in trust breakdown between engineering, product, and manufacturing teams.

• Project delays and cost overruns: Rework and poor communications extend the time it takes to design, prototype, test, and move to production, leading to missed deadlines and ballooning project costs.
• Quality compromises: Poor version control can also lead to inconsistencies in the engineering process and missed product details. Product quality can suffer as a result.
• Damaged client relationships: Customers care greatly about receiving high-quality products on time. If your company struggles to deliver consistency because of issues stemming from poor CAD version control, you risk losing your clients’ trust.
• Employee burnout: Employees want to feel like they’re making progress and contributing positively to collaborative efforts. Frequent miscommunications, rework, and frustrations can lead to burnout and turnover on your engineering and product teams.

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The Importance of Robust Version Control Systems

So, what does a robust version control system for CAD design software look like?

At its core, version control is about tracking and managing changes to product design files. Version control systems automatically save and label each new design iteration whenever a modification is made. Earlier versions remain accessible, allowing team members to revisit previous ideas or restore past designs. These systems also log key details for every change, namely what was altered, who made the change, and when.

This is essential for project management since versioning ensures team members always have access to the latest design files and know what changes have been made since they last worked on a design. A standardized file naming scheme improves communication throughout the design process, while the fact that files are never overwritten helps to prevent lost data and rework. 

Some version control systems offer even more features. For example, comparison tools allow engineers and designers to compare multiple versions of mechanical designs side-by-side, which is useful for identifying errors or understanding design intent. 

Other version control systems also enable branching, in which multiple different versions can be created and modified in parallel. This allows greater design efficiency, particularly in early product stages when several potential approaches are being iterated.

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How Siemens NX Addresses Version Control Challenges

One of the top CAD solutions for version control is Siemens NX. This is a powerful platform that brings together tools for CAD and building 3D models while also streamlining versioning and data management.

NX offers three key features to address version control challenges:

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Built-in version control system

NX includes a built-in version control system to make data management easier. Team members don’t have to switch between your design software and a separate version control platform—it’s all in one place. NX automatically tracks changes and keeps a repository of past design iterations for each project, plus supports branching so engineering firms can work more efficiently.

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Collaboration tools

NX also features collaboration tools to help your engineering, product, and manufacturing teams work together. You can comment directly on 3D designs, tightly control access to sensitive data, and even add external users like suppliers and customers to a project. In addition, multiple users can work simultaneously in a single virtual environment, making NX ideal for globally distributed teams.

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PLM integrations

NX is designed to integrate seamlessly with Siemens Teamcenter and other product lifecycle management (PLM) systems. This integration enables you to establish standardized workflows for design changes and approvals. It also centralizes data across your systems, allowing your engineering team to access Teamcenter data inside NX. This ensures data consistency and speeds up development cycles.

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Best Practices for Version Control in CAD Design

So, how can your company implement version control in CAD design? Here are a few best practices you can begin adopting today:

• Centralize CAD files: Create a centralized repository for design files. This repository should be organized by project, and you should implement a clear and consistent naming scheme for file versions, so there’s no confusion about which design files are the most up-to-date.
  
  
• Train employees: It’s essential to train your employees on version control so they know what’s expected of them. Be sure to emphasize the benefits of good version control practices to incentivize change.
  
  
• Implement access controls: Establishing a role-based permission system for your CAD software is key to preventing unauthorized changes to design files. This is also crucial for securing sensitive product data.
  
  
• Conduct regular audits: Periodic audits are necessary to ensure employees are complying with your company’s version control procedures. If you find widespread or recurring non-compliance, additional training may be necessary.

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Embracing Effective Version Control

Poor version control in CAD design can have severe consequences, including duplicated effort, project delays, damaged client relationships, and employee burnout. Therefore, it’s critical for companies to adopt an effective version control system that enables them to centralize data and facilitate collaboration.

Siemens NX is the best choice for this because it combines powerful CAD tools and flexible version control features in a single platform. It also integrates seamlessly with Siemens Teamcenter PLM software, enabling your company to manage every aspect of a product’s lifecycle in a centralized system.

Check out our full guide on the benefits of PLM integration to learn more.

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How We Researched This Guide

This guide is based on CAD and version control best practices, as well as insights from product and engineering leads who have deep experience with version control for CAD design. It also draws on product information from Siemens about the NX and Teamcenter platforms.

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