SharePoint Portal Server Client: A&D Technology
A&D Technology, provided the latest and most complete powertrain testing solutions to a variety of industries, including automotive, off‐highway, small engines, diesel, fuels and lubricants, and motor sports. They developed highly‐engineered, complex testing tools for data acquisition and control, combustion analysis, and other applications, as well as engineering services and consultation.
Business Need
Due to the complexity of their product offerings, A&D was finding itself inundated with information. The business generated a lot of electronic documents in different file for‐ mats, including engineering designs and assembly drawings in AutoCAD, 3‐D mechani‐ cal models, budgeting and pricing spreadsheets, project plans, proposals, engineering change orders, data sheets, and technical documentation. An engineering company such as A&D Technology must find a way to manage all these documents and allow its em‐ ployees to quickly locate information when needed.
Challenges
A&D Technology had stored a huge volume of technical information in many different locations, ranging from deeply nested Windows folders on different file servers to Lotus Notes databases. Stored information was often referenced, copied, and/or modified by multiple stakeholders during the proposal‐writing, production, and project delivery processes. On some occasions, changes made by one stakeholder to a file on a server were overwritten and lost when another stakeholder uploaded a copy based on an older version of the file. Changes to assembly drawings were driven by an engineering change order (ECO) process. Sometimes, a single ECO might require changes to many different drawings that couldn’t be identified by filename or folder location. For example, when a paint specification changes, all instances of its use across many different parts and drawings must be located and changed, but this specification can only be identified by opening and viewing text in the file.
Solution
Latitude Consulting Group implemented a new documentation repository using the Mi‐ crosoft® Windows Server™ 2003 operating system, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Portal Server 2003, and Microsoft Windows® SharePoint Services. Latitude worked with MTS to identify which documents, drawings, and other files should be moved and then cre‐ ated ten Windows SharePoint Services sites for different cross‐functional teams in the organization. Each team site provided a web‐based interface to access drawings, de‐ signs, and other files in SharePoint document libraries. Users could search across all team sites and external data sources, including the Lotus Notes databases, to locate in‐ formation by keywords. A&D Technology now uses SharePoint Products and Technologies to develop proposals, manage projects, control changes to engineering designs and assembly drawings, and work with other files through customized web‐based presentations of information that met the needs of each team.
Results
A version history feature retains previous changes to files, so lost work can be restored. Check‐out flag makes it easier for multiple authors to work with a single file Pre‐indexed search utility allows plant‐floor staff to access assembly drawings quickly and become more productive Search utility allows project managers and designers to quickly access multiple draw‐ ings and related forms by specification information stored in file contents, making it possible to complete ECOs in less time Team sites organized to eliminate number of nested folders, making information easier to locate, access, and share Process of migrating information led to improved processes and revision control * * * * This project was led by Kurt Crisman. For more information contact Kurt at (888) 577‐ 2797 or via email at info@latitudecg.com.
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