Document Mangement Systems

[hendie]

How many users out there are using any form of Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) for controlling drawings, or any other files ?
If you are... what system are you using ?
If you aren't .... what are you reasons for not using one ?

[Strix]

the first time I worked in an office with CAD (1991?) they had an in-house document management system, so I kinda assumed everybody had one...

... wrong! And I've not come across one since (except when I visited a client, but then Mars is the size of company where it's absolutely necessary)

sorry I can't take part in the poll as I'm not attached to an office at the moment :wink:

[hendie]

that's part of the reason I am asking.
I've found that a large proportion of users aren't even aware that such a thing exists, far less know about what it actually does and even less what it can achieve and how much time, therefore money, it can save.
I find it difficult to believe that companies can spend so much money on CAD systems and then completely ignore how the output is controlled.... and when drawings can equate to absolute megabucks.... why aren't they controlled, especially when the cost is only a fraction of the amount they have already spent on CAD systems ?

[SLW210]

I could care less. That is up to powers in the company well above me. We pretty much have our own system set up by the IT guy.

[Strix]

...
I find it difficult to believe that companies can spend so much money on CAD systems and then completely ignore how the output is controlled.... and when drawings can equate to absolute megabucks.... why aren't they controlled, especially when the cost is only a fraction of the amount they have already spent on CAD systems ?Drawing control is another thing I keep getting into wrangles over - especially when you see electricians marching into the office with steam coming out of their ears coz somebody gave them what amounts to an uncontrolled copy of the conceptual design, not the approved construction drawings, and start blaming the drawing office for the cock up

easily contested of course, when you pin down the fact that they didn't have the drawings from me or my boss, and I suggest they always come to me if they want the bang-up-to-date edition.

I eventually convinced my boss that everything that came off the plotter should have an 'uncontrolled' stamp as we had no mechanism at all for guaranteeing updates to previously issued copies. The exception to this, I think, was stamping the installation drawings 'approved'

In this job, SLW, it did have an impact on me if the installation drawings were wrong, as I had the unenviable task of producing the 'as built' drawings from the electicians' alterations - so good installation drawings kept the workload down (and gave me half a chance of being able to read the alterations)

[hendie]

I used to work for a Bus manufacturer ~ they shipped buses in kit form to Hong Kong for assembly

it wasn't unusual for them to ship a contract worth of obsolete buses out to Hong Kong. In the two years I worked there, it happened on several occasions.
Not to mention the amount of times that the purchasing department purchased a complete contract worth of wrong seats and hardware etc

[Strix]

do you get the impression they'd be more careful if they had to pay for the mistakes?

[hendie]

I think so.
I think the response to the poll so far tells a lot.
hopefully that will change.

[SLW210]

We are a small company, I have been here for 18 yrs. If it becomes a problem this company will definitely go that route. The way we currently do things works quite well. We do stamp all of our plotted drawings. FOR APPROVAL, FOR CONSTRUCTION, REVISED, etc. Our Document control passed ISO, so I guess it is up to snuff. I was under the impression the original question was about a PURCHASED EDMS system. In effect we do have an EMDS, just it is "in house".

[hendie]

... I was under the impression the original question was about a PURCHASED EDMS system. In effect we do have an EMDS, just it is "in house".

I guess I should have clarified the "I rolled my own" option

[SLW210]

I started to check "I rolled My Own", but thought some might have got the wrong impression. :?

[ReMark]

Small company here therefore it's a lot easier to "control" documents. If they are not stamped "Approved for Construction", initialed and dated then they should be considered "Preliminary" and therefore, not for construction purposes. Fini.

[Lazer]

This is something I have been pushing for with my company, I remember speaking to you about this ages ago, in a post I put up regarding Drawing Control, still no luck yet. I will keep pushing.

[mhoward_GTC]

Being in education, as EDMS system is not necessary, but I do have a file management system that students must follow. When discussing file management, I also make my students aware that some companies do have these systems in place and there is no getting around them.

One of my former adjunct instructors works for a large manufacturing company and they use an EDMS. Several of my former students work for comapnies that also use these systems....don't know if they are purchased or "rolled their own."

[hendie]

Personally I couldn't live without one now.
I manage around 30,000 drawings and I can locate just about any drawing in under 2 seconds. Occasionally I may have to refine my search criteria a little but in general I can hit the drawing very very quickly.
Since most of my design work is evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary, I can create a new design and have it complete in under 5 minutes...and I nevver need to worry about revision control or losing a document