February 24, 2006	Managing AEC Print Workflow -- A Look at Océ Repro Desk® Professional Cyon Research has just published a white paper about Oce's Repro Desk 2.0, software for reprographics firms and their customers to ease the production and workflow of printed documents. In it, we look at the issues the software is designed to resolve, and share our opinion about how good a job it does, and whether there are other solutions that might be considered. Download it for free. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
January 30, 2006	The Business Case for a Common Data Distribution Platform: A Look at UGS' JT The dynamics of interoperability in the world of engineering data are complex. There is no “silver bullet” for this challenge; its parts must be addressed piecemeal. In this white paper, Cyon Research explores the use of the JT data format as a standard for design, analysis, and manufacturing interoperability, and as a basis for increasing the use of design data in applications beyond traditional design and engineering departments. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
January 16, 2006	“The Innovator’s Dilemma” in the context of CAx and PLM vendors – The case for an engineering software components market Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation, detailed in his book, “The Innovator’s Solution,” contains food for thought for CAx and PLM vendors. Components are not necessarily the obvious strategy for engineering software vendors—but Christensen’s findings indicate that such a direction might be well-advised. Cyon Research examined the findings, interviewed industry leaders, spoke to the Christensen team, and reached its own conclusions—documented in this free white paper. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
May 9, 2005	The Adobe Solution for Design Collaboration and Discrete Manufacturing Automation of activities in manufacturing has led to an unmanageable amount of digital document formats, each requiring its own software to be read and marked-up for editing. Its complexities threaten to outweigh the productivity gains attained by the automation but digital documents offer unprecedented opportunities for better communication, reducing time and cost. The Adobe solution for design collaboration and discrete manufacturing may be the first workable, comprehensive solution to the problem. It is based on the familiar and widely accepted Adobe PDF format, recently enhanced to address many manufacturing-specific needs, such as drawing layers, multiple formats within a single package, security, markup, document integrity, display of 3D models, and more. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
April 4, 2005	An Examination of UGS’ Repeatable Digital Validation (RDV) Framework The ramifications of Rapid Analysis and Validation of Design Alternatives (RAVDA) in an engineering and manufacturing environment. UGS' Repeatable Digital Validation is a process that unites a number of tools to address the RAVDA challenge. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
February 8, 2005	Strategic Partnerships: The Impact of Vendor Partnerships on Customer Value Strategic alliances between CAD software vendors and hardware suppliers are good for users. When commodity PCs displaced the hardware of “turnkey” vendors, some CAD companies got together with hardware vendors, to continue to help users with the challenges that result from combining state-of-the-art computing and graphics systems with “pushing-the-envelope” software. This white paper tells why this matters to users, and ought to matter to more vendors. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
November 9, 2004	The Adobe Solution for AEC Despite the widespread adoption of task-specific software and the resulting creation of digital data, most of the documentation workflow in AEC remains paper-based. Adobe has put forth a solution to the digital data workflow problem in AEC based on the use of PDF. In this white paper jointly issued with Adobe, Cyon Research studies the implications of moving from a paper-based workflow to a more streamlined workflow based on intelligent documentation. Recommended reading for all participants in the AEC workflow. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
April 16, 2004	Scanning for a Disaster Scanning is one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools available for use in preparing for disasters. Yet it is poorly understood. What's involved? How long will it take? How can scanning be incorporated into a disaster plan? This white paper lays out all you must know to take the right steps. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
December 18, 2003	AutoCAD, Architecture, and OS X: An Analysis of the AEC CAD Market as It Applies to Macintosh Users Architects love the Mac, but need AutoCAD to work in the virtual project teams of the real world of construction. Is the demand sufficient to justify an OS X version of AutoCAD? Architosh, a website devoted to architectural uses of the Macintosh, has been asking its thousands of readers to share their views on this point, using a detailed survey. Cyon Research and Architosh have developed a white paper based on the results of the survey. It addresses not only the need for and prospect of an OS X AutoCAD, but also the question of what CAD is available for Mac-using architectural professionals. Recommended for AEC practitioners who are committed to, or considering, the Macintosh for use in their practice. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
October 24, 2003	Inventor 8 Benchmark Study Comparison of Performance Between Autodesk Inventor 7 and Inventor 8 on Specific Areas Related to Drawings Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
September 15, 2003	The Road to the Future: How Product Development Can Make the Journey More Profitable As manufacturers face growing pressures from globalization and competitors using more and more automation, they are discovering the disproportionate leverage afforded by the early phases of the idea-to-product workflow. This paper examines that process, and describes the application of state-of-the-art automation software to it. Recommended reading for senior managers, engineering managers, and IT professionals at manufacturing firms. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
March 5, 2003	IBM and Interoperability: the Migration Competency Center CAD file conversion is a complex affair. There are different approaches, using standards such as IGES and STEP; commercial conversion products, such as those of ITI, TTF, or Proficiency; and a variety of custom processes. Few CAD professionals are aware that IBM has set up a large center in Boca Raton, Florida, whose services are offered on a consulting basis to companies needing conversion assistance. This paper describes that center. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
March 4, 2003	Intellectual Capital and Interoperability CAD models produced on one system cannot be used unmodified on others. This fact is a major challenge for CAD users who need or want to employ more than one vendor’s CAD system, whether serially or in parallel—that is, whether effecting a one-time transition from one system to another, or using different systems at the same time. This paper is a thorough primer on the issues, promises, and pitfalls of interoperability. Recommended for anyone seeking answers to questions about using more than one CAD system. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
February 19, 2003	Architectural Automation: Facing the Challenges of Work-Culture Automation per se has never been enthusiastically embraced by architectural professionals. To be sure, early attempts to automate the work of the architectural office were fraught with performance, reliability, and ease-of-use problems. But while most of these have been overcome by current systems, there remains a reluctance to use computers that is founded in architectural office culture. This paper examines the issues surrounding that reluctance, surveys the benefits of automation, and makes suggestions for improvement. Recommended for all architectural office principals and IT specialists. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
January 2, 2003	The Value-Proposition of High-End Mechanical CAD To the uninitiated manager, a mid-range mechanical CAD system in the $5000-$15000 price range may seem to offer most of the capabilities of high-end systems costing a great deal more. This paper compares the two classes of systems, and shows the additional value offered by the more expensive systems. Recommended for senior managers and engineering IT personnel who are considering the pro’s and con’s of migrating from one class of system to the other. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
August 15, 2002	Keys to Success in Web-based Project Management: Lessons Learned From the Chicago Transit Authority Capital Improvement Project Web-based project-management systems have lived up to their promise, at least from a technological point of view. They are easy to install, inexpensive, and get all project participants “on the same page” with a minimum of cost and effort. But how scalable are they? This white paper reports on the experience of a large owner organization, the Chicago Transit Authority, in selecting and implementing such a system to support a $5-billion capital budget. Recommended for anyone contemplating a construction extranet—especially for large project portfolios. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE
April 3, 2002	EDS and PTC: Is there any substance to their interoperability agreement? For years, EDS and PTC did not seem interested in helping their users with issues of interoperability between their respective CAD systems. When the companies announced their intention to cooperate in this matter, the market responded with some skepticism. How serious were these competitors about interoperability? This white paper considers the companies’ statements and subsequent actions, and comments on the believability of the agreement. Recommended to all who have an interest in sharing CAD models between Pro/Engineer and EDS CAD products. Source: Cyon Research Price: FREE