Why large CAD releases stalled
For a lighting engineer, a drawing is useful only if the supplier also has the references that go with it.
OP Mobility develops exterior lighting for vehicle manufacturers. Matrix lamps, adaptive driving beams, LEDs, OLEDs and control modules all generate design data that engineers must share across company boundaries.
With FTP, the sender sometimes had to split a CAD structure and the recipient had to put it back together before review.
01Engineering data for exterior lighting
The lighting business designs systems for vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers in several markets.
Each release needs to reach the right engineering team with its structure intact. The sender also needs to know whether the recipient has collected it.
02The work involved in splitting FTP packages
FTP imposed a file-size ceiling and needed IT administration. Preparing a large release could mean dividing it into several smaller transfers.
Offsite transfers introduced another delay. The receiving engineer had to wait for every part before rebuilding the dataset.
03Delivering one complete package
With MX, engineers send the package in one exchange. External reviewers can use their browser without installing a desktop application.
For teams issuing assemblies with linked files, see how controlled large-file sharing handles the complete delivery.
We had full confidence that this was the tool for our needs, and our business team have implemented MX as our standard process for exchanging data with external partners.
What changed for suppliers
Engineers spend less time dividing packages and can check what happened after delivery.
OP Mobility changed both sides of the handover. The sender prepares one package and the recipient can work from it without first reassembling the files.
Keep the release structure intact
Keep the CAD structure together from the engineer’s release to the supplier’s review.
Trace an earlier delivery
Look up a transaction and its audit information when a partner asks about an earlier delivery.
Invite another engineering partner
Invite another partner through the browser without scheduling a desktop installation.
Adopting MX for external releases
OP Mobility adopted MX as its standard route for exchanging data with external partners.
The team first encountered MX through Jaguar Land Rover’s software distribution process and assessed it for its own partner exchanges.
The service brings file delivery, AES-256 encryption, recipient access and transaction records into the same exchange.
Teams can use controlled B2B exchange layer for the external handover while continuing to develop the design in their existing engineering tools.
The quality of support from Majenta Solutions, who were always available to support our adoption, made the process a real success. The MX team had resources ready to guide our colleagues during implementation. Support was excellent, and was provided whenever it was needed.
Reaching 429 partner companies
Browser access helped the lighting business extend the process across its international supplier network.
Partners can receive a release without installing or maintaining additional desktop software.
OP Mobility reported 603 external users across 429 companies in 37 countries.
Review the My MX Data feature set to see how recipient access and activity records work.
We would be happy to work with Majenta again in future, and on the strength of recent experience I would recommend Majenta to anyone considering MX for Data Exchange.