CoLab Software

We’ve entered a new era of engineering… but the collaboration tools for mechanical teams haven’t caught up yet. Until now, that is. Tired of fighting with unspecialized software? And trying to run sophisticated engineering programs that still rely on email and Excel? So were we. 😑 That’s why CoLab decided to do something about it. Watch this video to hear our CEO and co-founder, Adam Keating, explain what’s holding engineering teams back today—and how CoLab solves the problem. To learn even more about CoLab, visit colabsoftware.com *** (And a very grateful shoutout to the fine folks at m5 Marketing Communications who partnered with us to create this video!)

It's never been about replacing an entrenched technology, like PLM. It's been about adding systems of engagement, like a Design Engagement System, to systems of record. A system that leverages the data in PLM to complete tasks or projects outside of PLM. And that brings any necessary data back into that original system of record. The future of tech is not in "single source of truth" monolithic platforms. It's in a connected tech ecosystem. It's in using the right tool for the job AND having access to data from various tools when you need it inside the tool you're using. Then, when any data on any digital record is updated, it updates everywhere. Use PLM for PLM things, use systems of engagement for engagement things. Then, engineers should have access to the data from any platform inside the tool they're using. AI is only expediting this conversation. This is the future of engineering tech.

On average, 23% of engineering time is spent on non-value add work. “I didn’t go to school to be a PowerPoint engineer.” We hear this from engineers all the time. And when it comes to engineering leaders, it gets worse. “I might have 3, 5, 10+ design reviews and NPD projects to track and it takes me hours just to figure out the status of one.” Some non-value add work is inevitable. 23% should send off alarm bells. In manufacturing, non-value add work has clear definitions and measurements. Everything a company and its employees do either adds or does not add value to what your company sells. In manufacturing, waste is the opposite of value. Because most manufacturing companies abide by lean manufacturing principles, they define waste as follows: ⏩ Waiting (idle) times ⏩ Excess motion (transportation) ⏩ Handling (moving things) ⏩ Excess or useless inventory ⏩ Overprocessing ⏩ Overproduction ⏩ Defects These waste categories are measurable and therefore improvable. Engineering is more complex. Because people, as opposed to machines, do much of the work in engineering disciplines, “waste” is a more nuanced topic. Despite this nuance, one waste category for engineering teams is clear: time. Time spent in meetings, time spent searching for feedback, time spent providing feedback, time spent waiting – these are all significant sources of engineering time spent. And time wasted. The question that needs to be answered for your team is: how much time waste can our engineering team realistically tolerate before it starts detracting value from the company? We’d argue that 23% of time is not just detracting value, but draining value at an almost catastrophic speed. And when this happens, a few common problems emerge: ❌ Engineering turnover is high ❌ Late stage rework ❌ Project milestones get delayed ❌ Delayed product launches ❌ Increase in customer complaints or warranty claims These seem like manufacturing problems or leadership problems, but, in many cases, these can be traced back to major holes in engineering processes -- especially early-stage product development.

Getting design feedback from suppliers today looks something like this: 👉 Get file package ready (PDF, CAD screenshots, PowerPoint, maybe even a STP file) 👉 Send file package via Sharepoint, OneDrive or email 👉 Schedule a meeting 👉 Get feedback from supplier during the meeting 👉 Resolve feedback and start the whole process over again When we talk to engineering leaders about this, they come back with the same response: "We just need to make this process more efficient." This thought is a red herring. It distracts from the underlying problem. The process was never effective at what it was meant to do and therefore it cannot be made more efficient. How do we know it isn't effective? Because 250 engineering leaders told us so. In fact, they cite the following downstream problems as direct correlations to supplier miscommunication: ❌ Product development delays ❌ Long lead times ❌ Unbudgeted costs ❌ Recurring quality issues ❌ High cost of goods impacting gross margins The solution is simple -- it's just not easy. You need a way to get suppliers into designs: ✅ With less friction ✅ In real-time ✅ In a way where they can leave feedback on their own time ✅ Where all feedback gets tracked automatically and sent to the OEM/customer You know, something like this 👇

🚀 The CoLab team gained another team member this week! 🚀 Please help us give a warm welcome to: Tom Sitter, our newest Software Developer IV! We're so happy to have you, Tom! ----------------------- Interested in CoLab as your next career destination? We have openings in nearly every discipline: Sales, Customer Success, Operations, Engineering and more! Check out our Careers page to apply.

“Most product design teams still rely on manual processes for design reviews. This means technical feedback shared in meetings is poorly documented with admin-heavy tools. 👉 The result is slow and ineffective decision-making and an ever-present risk that when key subject matter experts leave the company or retire, their expertise will go with them.” Adam Keating shares this insight on the state of the hardware engineering world with engineering.com. This is not only why CoLab exists, but also why CoLab will evolve to support the needs of engineering teams worldwide. ReviewAI is part of this evolution. Adam goes on to explain: “Engineers, designers, and other stakeholders already create tens of thousands of technical comments in CoLab’s software platform each year and we know how to apply AI in mechanical product design." "We have a clear product roadmap to deliver the tools the industry needs with new launches in 2025. The reality is, manufacturing organizations that do not leverage the benefits of AI quickly risk being left behind." "Because, in today’s competitive market, there is no room for overspend, product delays or expensive recalls. These have a big impact on market reputation and customer loyalty, and could take a company back years." To read more, click the article link in the comments 👇

"The reality is, manufacturing organizations that do not leverage the benefits of AI quickly risk being left behind.” CoLab Founder and CEO, Adam Keating talks with Digital Engineering 24/7 on the impact of AI for mechanical engineering and manufacturing. In the article, Adam discusses: 👉 The problems mechanical engineering teams face that AI can solve  👉 The impact of those problems on product development cycles 👉 How machine learning and AI can be applied to product development And, most importantly, the steps CoLab is already taking to solve these problems for manufacturing companies. Read more in the article (link in comments) ⬇️

🚀 The CoLab team gained two more members last week! 🚀 Please help us give a warm welcome to: Stephen Pollett, our newest Software Developer IV and Rameez Ashraf, our newest Product Manager We are so excited to have you both! ----------------------- Interested in CoLab as your next career destination? We have openings in nearly every discipline: Sales, Customer Success, Operations, Engineering and more! Check out our Careers page to apply.

43% of design review feedback is never tracked or addressed. Why? Because it's scattered across Teams, Excel, PowerPoint and notes. But this fact alone is not the only design review issue facing engineering teams. Because of: ❌ Scattered documentation ❌ Communication gaps ❌ Lack of standardized review processes ❌ Technology integration rifts Companies suffer through: ➡ Product launch delays ➡ Late-stage design changes and rework ➡ Production errors causing warranties ➡ Declining gross margins and rising COPQ Scattered design review feedback caused by poor design review methodologies (processes + tools) is a root-cause issue. And major downstream consequences are merely symptoms of that root-cause issue. #engineeringdesignreview

"It's not just about saving time; it's about preserving the expertise built over decades." This is CoLab Co-Founder and CEO Adam Keating talking to the Editor of Connected Technology Solutions Mark Venables about the future of AI in engineering. In the interview, Adam explores how CoLab can initiate the tech-enabled culture shift engineering teams are desperate for. In the article, Adam and Mark explore how CoLab's AI functionality is uniquely positioned to: ➡ Make design reviews frictionless, so people want to do them ➡ Document knowledge as a byproduct of the process ➡ Grow an organization’s collective expertise with every review Which ultimately prevents uninformed decision-making -- the culprit of poor design review methodologies. Eventually, CoLab is creating a future where engineering teams: ⏩ Accelerate product design cycles ⏩ Support diverse technology systems ⏩ Prevent specialist knowledge from ever leaving the workplace ⏩ Drive innovation in product design Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eeKAKNZe