researched from the defence industry and
designed around people’s collaborative
behaviour, rather than the constraints of
the desktop. This and other room-based
systems allow engineers in far-flung
places to be on precisely the ‘same page’
as designers – for example, in Dubai
and Singapore – and to connect them
all simultaneously without handing over
control.” To create this network, the end
users just require the software application
and a ‘delivery mechanism’ at all ends.
This could be a whole room at the top end
or a touch table of different size, emulating
the ‘drawing board type system.“Generally,
users simply hit a ‘buddy list’ to connect
with, say, up to eight ends around the
world, all parties seeing precisely the
same thing, and, when one end moves,
a document or CAD at all other ends
moves simultaneously.”
TRANSFORMATIONAL
According to Jon Trembley, technology
manager Cryrogenic Applications, of Air
Products and Chemicals: “nuVa has
revolutionised our global design meetings.
Previously, we had considerable issues
involving the collaborative design of
industrial freezing machines between the
UK and Thailand. We had to rely on
a hotchpotch of communication methods,
including email with enclosures, telephone
calls and desktop sharing.
“We can now collaborate in absolute
real time, just as though we are in an
actual face-to-face design meeting. The
collaborative environment has transformed
our design meetings and delivered
significant business benefits in quality,
understanding, saved time and ultimately
cost,” he adds.
These new systems now enable new
ways of design engineering, says Lomer.
“Managers can now look at options for
constructing national or international
design teams. No longer do employees
have to travel around the country and the
world. Managers, perhaps collaborating
with HR, can identify the optimum areas
for the project design, centred around 2D
and 3D CAD models shared globally, yet in
the familiar, electronic environment of the
drawing board or room at all ends.
“If adequate bandwidth and the correct
collaboration software is enabled at the
beginning of a particular project, ‘the
cognitive collaboration freeway’ may be
laid for delivering benefits in
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN
far faster decision-making, without loss
of quality, utilising different or lower cost
knowledge bases anywhere in the world.
These benefits are likely to have major
impacts on the business’ competitive
position. In addition to ‘immediate design’,
employees are subjected to far less
stress; savings in CO2 emissions and
tangible cost benefits are also accrued.”
He encourages managers and design
strategists to investigate these new
methods, and the creation of project
and organisational intelligence capable
of transforming their businesses. For
example, managers might investigate the
following process:
● Identify where the collaborative design
knowledge lies on a global or nationwide
basis
● Evaluate the relative country costs for
the skill/knowledge required
● Check the internet access at all ends
and the security parameters
● Obtain software and ‘delivery’ hardware
at all ends.
“Then the global or national design
team may operate in precisely the same
way as they did previously at one site,
while reaching knowledge far further away
and more cost effectively.”
Having set these parameters, the
organisation has created the ‘cognitive (or
comprehension) freeway’ where ideas may
flow on a national or international basis
without limit. “In this way, the organisation
will have reached out further than
previously possible to access the best
design expertise available,” he concludes.
“Alternatively, managers may use the
technologies to ‘beam in’ their customers
to the existing design centres in a closer
way than ever before.”
Air Products’ Freshline MP
(Multi-Purpose) Tunnel Freezer.
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/www.ied.org.uk