Technical Drawings - Version Control & Security
Discussion
We have quite a range of SKU's, all of which have individual technical drawings and packaging specifications.
A big risk to the business is that a customer gets the wrong version (i.e. an older drawing) and then spec's secondary packaging or machinery to that drawing. We could be liable for those costs if the actual products are different when they arrive!
We currently save everything on an Exchange server, so we would lock down folders etc, but the system only works well internally, as people on the road hate having to log-in to check or to update.
My options so far:
1. DropBox - cheap, enables always up to date local storage for all employees, but no way to check easily if a file is the right version.
2. Internal Website - similar to e-commerce, but easy to update, one click to download new file, easy to see what version is correct one, but not automated.
3. Could Sharepoint work, as we are probably moving to 365?
Best case scenario would be that when a drawing is updated, we can send out it out as we have recorded every single customer who has received an older version. But it is not practical, unless it was fairly automated.
A big risk to the business is that a customer gets the wrong version (i.e. an older drawing) and then spec's secondary packaging or machinery to that drawing. We could be liable for those costs if the actual products are different when they arrive!
We currently save everything on an Exchange server, so we would lock down folders etc, but the system only works well internally, as people on the road hate having to log-in to check or to update.
My options so far:
1. DropBox - cheap, enables always up to date local storage for all employees, but no way to check easily if a file is the right version.
2. Internal Website - similar to e-commerce, but easy to update, one click to download new file, easy to see what version is correct one, but not automated.
3. Could Sharepoint work, as we are probably moving to 365?
Best case scenario would be that when a drawing is updated, we can send out it out as we have recorded every single customer who has received an older version. But it is not practical, unless it was fairly automated.
Sharepoint can do it, and you can have one filename with built-in version control.
You can also set it up so that the user receives an email update when any files they have interest in change.
Alternatively you can ensure that they can't have a local copy and that a link will always open the latest version.
You can also set it up so that the user receives an email update when any files they have interest in change.
Alternatively you can ensure that they can't have a local copy and that a link will always open the latest version.
There are file control systems that let you restrict opening/printing/viewing of a file and allow remote termination (think mission impossible this file with erase in 10sec 
)
If you don't have a huge number of files to control it might be a quick and easy solution where you terminate all the versions in existence at that revision (file goes corrupt and can't be opened, either at a command or at a set date and time) and they then have to ask for the new rev or you send it out.
Otherwise if it is larger scale you need a PDM system with revision control to manage it, could have vendor portals so that they can only see the most recent version while the engineers work away on new revisions etc.
)If you don't have a huge number of files to control it might be a quick and easy solution where you terminate all the versions in existence at that revision (file goes corrupt and can't be opened, either at a command or at a set date and time) and they then have to ask for the new rev or you send it out.
Otherwise if it is larger scale you need a PDM system with revision control to manage it, could have vendor portals so that they can only see the most recent version while the engineers work away on new revisions etc.
Your problem sounds very much like product lifecycle management come product data management? Lots and lots of specialist packages that can sort out version control and even integration control.
Sharepoint can be configured to act in a PDM role with version control, notifications, approval routes etc not completely obvious but possible if you or your consultants spend some time at it.
However if product A changes between say rev 1 and rev 2 such that packaging or handling equipment designed for rev 1 would no longer be compatible in terms of version control shouldn't rev 2 be a new product and new SKU with a product change notification (PCN) advising customers on the withdrawal and supersedence of product A. Customers surely need a period of time to drawndown any stocks of associated products or reconfigure machinery before change over even if you do issue them a new drawing advising of changes.
Sharepoint can be configured to act in a PDM role with version control, notifications, approval routes etc not completely obvious but possible if you or your consultants spend some time at it.
However if product A changes between say rev 1 and rev 2 such that packaging or handling equipment designed for rev 1 would no longer be compatible in terms of version control shouldn't rev 2 be a new product and new SKU with a product change notification (PCN) advising customers on the withdrawal and supersedence of product A. Customers surely need a period of time to drawndown any stocks of associated products or reconfigure machinery before change over even if you do issue them a new drawing advising of changes.
What you're describing is as a another poster mentioned, product life cycle management. This is what I spend my life working on within Aerospace. Your requirements may not be as tight as ours or they may be. Can you give a bit more of an idea of how much data we are talking about - 10s of products, 100s or more and also your typical rate of change.
Of the options you mention Sharepoint would be most suited in my opinion but it's not really ideal because getting back to older versions is a bit painful and it relies on people behaving themselves manually. If version control is the only aim then software version control applications could work e.g. Subversion. If it's the full secure package you need and require then it's PLM - at the enterprise level this means Teamcenter, Windchill or CATIA's PLM application whose name escapes me. There are smaller PLM solutions available though and these might well suit what you are looking for. PLM offers the advantages of control but also a huge amount of opportunities to do other things such as relate data between products etc. PLM does come with a big bill though...
Of the options you mention Sharepoint would be most suited in my opinion but it's not really ideal because getting back to older versions is a bit painful and it relies on people behaving themselves manually. If version control is the only aim then software version control applications could work e.g. Subversion. If it's the full secure package you need and require then it's PLM - at the enterprise level this means Teamcenter, Windchill or CATIA's PLM application whose name escapes me. There are smaller PLM solutions available though and these might well suit what you are looking for. PLM offers the advantages of control but also a huge amount of opportunities to do other things such as relate data between products etc. PLM does come with a big bill though...
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