Design team use of productivity software
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It is often the case that engineers need to work collaboratively on a given project. Engineering projects by their nature consist of a number of components that function together to create a cohesive, functional whole. It is only natural that each segment should be worked on by a designer or designers who specialize in a particular area.
Collaborative efforts take careful planning and a definitive structure. For such a business model to succeed, it is imperative that there be a system in place to alert all the members of a design team what each member has done and is planning to do. Otherwise, the project will suffer redundancy, loss and inefficiency.
Using Design Team Productivity Software
Developers of some computer aided design (CAD) software have recognized the need for design teams to work in conjunction with one another. These developers have begun implementing design team productivity features directly into the program code of the CAD software. Now, in addition to designing the components for a project, engineers can reliably keep track of other workers' progress on the same project.These features manifest themselves in several ways. One of the most convenient of these for engineers working in a design team is the "check in/check out" system. Through this feature, an engineer makes a notation of when he or she has worked on a project, and what work has been done. This way, the design team continues to work at maximum efficiency, with minimal redoing of work.