Product category:
3D CAD software
News Release from: Business Advantage Group
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 09 January 2002
Three out of ten UK CAD/CAM sites
outsource design
Three out of ten UK CAD/CAM sites are currently outsourcing some part of the product design and development process, according to recent research conducted by The Business Advantage Group.
Three out of ten UK CAD/CAM sites are currently outsourcing some part of the product design and development process, according to recent research conducted by The Business Advantage Group These findings concerning current and planned usage of outsourcing services came from telephone interviews conducted in November/December 2001 with managers responsible for CAD/CAM functions at 259 UK-based mechanical engineering sites
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 16 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The sample was taken from Business Advantage's database of 20,000 UK CAD/CAM user sites.
The research also found that the current usage of outsourcing services is broken down as follows: Proportion of sites currently outsourcing activity: Design/drafting jobs done off-site: 12%.
Hiring CAD operators to work on-site: 7%.
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Production of rapid prototypes: 5%.
Engineering analysis: 5%.
Conversion of 2D CAD files to 3D: 3%.
Translation of data between different CAD systems: 2%.
Management of CAD operations for a specific project: 2%.
The proportions of CAD/CAM users that would consider outsourcing particular outsourcing services in the future is as follows: Which Activities Would You Consider Outsourcing In Future? Hiring cad on-site operators: 16%.
Repairing of translated CAD data: 13%.
Management of a specific cad project: 11%.
Translation of 3d CAD data: 11%.
Conversion of 2d to 3d: 10%.
Engineering analysis: 9%.
Design/drafting work off-site: 8%.
Publishing 3d models on the web: 7%.
Developing customised software: 7%.
Production of prototypes: 7%.
Overall management of CAD functions 4%.
However it is almost entirely those who are currently outsourcing who would consider outsourcing in future.
Of the 72% of sites who are not currently outsourcing any elements of the design/product development process, there is no sign that any change in habits is imminent.
No activity is being actively considered for outsourcing by more than 1% of these sites, with the exception of the hiring of CAD operators to work on-site - 3% of this group are looking into this option.
Only 4% of our sample said they would consider outsourcing their entire departmental CAD function in future.
Chris Turner, Managing Director of The Business Advantage Group, observes: "Three out of ten sites are outsourcing elements of the design process; we can't tell however from these findings whether this group has fully embraced outsourcing as a means to boost productivity and competitiveness, or has simply hit on a way to cope with a crisis.
Understanding these attitudes will be important for suppliers seeking to persuade companies to do more than just farm out tasks when the pressure is on." The full report entitled 'Outsourcing By Design', including colour charts, can be read free of charge at: http://www.business-advantage.co.uk/Spaghetti/outsourcing_design.
htm.
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