From Text-Based Searches to Seamless Drawing Retrieval with CADDi Drawer

Challenges Encountered During Centralized Management of Parts and Drawings

For over 50 years, EDM Corporation has been developing, designing, manufacturing, and selling printers (printing machines) that print product information, inspection machines to verify printed content, and labelers to apply labels. The company holds a top market share in the food industry for industrial thermal printers that print dates, serial numbers, barcodes, and more on packaging films and labels. By focusing on the development of proprietary equipment by its technical team, EDM Corporation has established itself as a leader in the display equipment industry, responding to various customer needs with innovation.

In addition to developing its own products, EDM Corporation handles a wide range of design projects, including custom specifications for individual customers and customized designs for imported products. The number of drawings generated by these designs reaches thousands each year. A single product can involve numerous related drawings, including those for manufactured and purchased parts. To manage this, EDM Corporation implemented a BOM (Bill of Materials) system to centralize the management of these parts, aiming to increase the speed and efficiency of design and purchasing operations.

However, challenges arose with the BOM system. Although it centralized information such as part names, numbers, materials, and required quantities, it primarily relied on text data. To view drawings, users had to open CAD files or search through PDF data (paper drawings). While the design department could sometimes infer the shape from part names, this was difficult for the purchasing department. Even within the design department, utilizing similar past designs was cumbersome, as finding similar drawings required significant effort. Even if a list of similarly named parts was generated, users could not confirm whether they were the expected shapes until they opened the drawings. This led to situations where, instead of going through the hassle of checking numerous candidate drawings, new ones were created from scratch.

Proactive Support and the Joy of Rapid Transformation

Seeking to improve this situation, EDM Corporation explored new products and experienced a demo of the CADDi Drawer drawing data management cloud. CADDi Drawer allows users to search through all text within registered drawings and even find similar drawings based on scanned images or hand-drawn sketches. The ease of searching for the desired drawing, akin to using a search engine, was a revelation. Additionally, linking purchasing information with drawing data became straightforward, enhancing purchasing efficiency. Impressed by the demo, EDM Corporation quickly began considering the system and decided to implement CADDi Drawer.

The implementation brought significant changes to workflow. From the outset, the system maintained high usage rates, with a weekly active rate exceeding 80%. Yosuke Takagi from the Mechanical Design Group of the Technology Department shared the positive impact:

Yosuke Takagi
“The idea of searching for similar shapes or using keywords found in drawings to search was novel. CADDi Drawer enabled us to retrieve drawings that were previously hard to find, completely changing our perspective on drawing searches. The workload associated with drawings has been drastically reduced. The time saved has been allocated to skill development training, experimenting with new design tools, and creative thinking.”

In addition to implementing CADDi Drawer, EDM Corporation also benefited from CADDi’s customer success support system and their fast-paced approach to business, which brought about changes in the company’s operations.

Yosuke Takagi
“Traditional support models often involve a companion-type approach where we might progress independently, but CADDi pulls us forward with their speed and leadership. Our perception of work has changed. We used to be hesitant to make quick decisions when choosing and implementing new products, but with CADDi’s support, we’ve come to enjoy the fast pace. Our work efficiency has improved as well.”

Expanding the Scope of CADDi Drawer to Enhance Workflow Across All Departments

EDM Corporation is also utilizing CADDi Drawer to aid in the training of young designers in the design department. While the basics of drawing creation are taught during initial training, creating drawings that effectively convey design intent requires experience. With CADDi Drawer, even without feedback from experienced designers, young employees can leverage accumulated knowledge by searching and reviewing similar design drawings. This has accelerated the pace of training new employees.

The company plans to extend the use of CADDi Drawer to the sales department as well.

Yosuke Takagi
“Our next step is to expand its use to the sales department. Previously, we would listen to customer requests, let the design team review them, and then respond, which took time. Whether or not the order was likely, the same work was required. With CADDi Drawer, we can input customer requirements on the spot, find matching drawings, and immediately confirm and communicate prices. This reduces the burden on the design team and streamlines sales activities. Before CADDi Drawer, we had separate databases for sales and design, which sometimes led to discrepancies in quoted prices. By unifying these databases and keeping them updated, we could address this issue. However, with CADDi Drawer, we no longer need to build such a database; it provides the necessary information, including drawings and prices, on demand.”

By leveraging CADDi Drawer, EDM Corporation is transforming its workflows and continuing to evolve and grow at an unprecedented pace.