In a world where innovation is the key to competitiveness, engineers' time is a valuable resource. Yet, a significant portion of this time is wasted on non-value-added tasks: searching for information, managing scattered data, and recreating existing data. These activities hinder their efficiency and prevent them from focusing entirely on their core mission: developing innovative and high-performing products.
It’s time to rethink our practices to unlock the full potential of technical teams.
The Current Reality: Wasting Engineers' Working Time
Up to 20% of engineers' working time is spent on non-value-added tasks, limiting their ability to solve complex problems. These time losses primarily stem from activities such as searching for information (12%) and managing changes or recreating lost or inaccessible data (9%).
The Origins of These Inefficiencies
Insufficient or Poorly Structured Data Access
Engineers spend a significant amount of time searching for information scattered across multiple or poorly organized databases. Data management systems (such as PDM/PLM databases) may lack optimization, leading to slowdowns, duplicated efforts, and difficulties in finding critical data. For example, inefficient indexing techniques or poorly configured query processes make it harder to quickly access relevant data.
Outdated Information and Data Silos
Collaboration between teams is often hindered by outdated or siloed data, forcing engineers to work with outdated versions or recreate lost information. This issue is exacerbated in flexible and distributed work environments, where real-time updates are not always ensured.
Manual Processes and Inadequate Tools
Many companies still rely on manual processes to transfer or verify data, which is time-consuming and increases the risk of human error. Additionally, the lack of automation and modern tools, such as centralized platforms or advanced management systems (PLM or PDM), slows down workflows and complicates the management of interconnections between teams.
The Increasing Complexity of Projects
Modern products and development environments involve a multitude of components and dependencies. This amplifies the amount of data to be managed and makes interactions between teams more complex, leading to delays in updating or sharing information.
The Impact on Businesses
Time waste leads to direct consequences on productivity and competitiveness:
Rising Costs: More time lost means more resources spent to achieve the same results.
Delivery Delays: Inaccessible or outdated data slow down projects, increasing lead times.
Quality Impact: When it’s too difficult to find relevant information in poorly organized databases, employees avoid searching, leading to the same mistakes being repeated in new projects. These past errors, often documented, are scattered, making their retrieval difficult and increasing the risk of repetition.
To remain competitive, businesses must optimize the management and utilization of their technical data and provide their teams with the right tools.
Solutions: Optimizing Time and Data
Here are three key strategies to turn engineers' time losses into strategic gains:
Quick Access to Data: Fast access to all technical information is crucial. With PROBE, you can search from a single location, whether data comes from multiple databases, through intuitive natural language searches or from a 3D model.
Automate Processes: By replacing manual tasks with modern tools, such as advanced management systems, companies can reduce the risk of errors and speed up their workflows.
Improve Real-Time Collaboration: Solutions that automatically synchronize shared data enable every team to work with the most up-to-date versions, reducing duplicates and corrections.
PROBE: The AI Assistant Revolutionizing Data Utilization
PROBE is an innovative solution designed to address these challenges. This intelligent search engine centralizes the technical and business data of companies and makes them accessible in an intuitive way. With PROBE, you can:
Find information in one click through natural language queries.
Run 3D searches to identify similar or compatible parts.
Analyze your data visually with automatically generated graphs and charts.
Delegate complex calculations directly on the platform.
By eliminating time losses and streamlining data access, PROBE allows teams to focus on what matters most: innovating and delivering high-quality products.
The Benefits of Optimized Data Management
Adopting tools like PROBE brings several key advantages:
Reduce Costs: Fewer repetitive tasks and fewer errors lead to more profitable projects.
Improve Product Quality: Reliable data enables the design of robust products from the first iteration.
Accelerate Time to Market: Instant access to information reduces delays and boosts responsiveness to customer demands.
Giving Engineers Time Back is an Investment in the Future
In an increasingly competitive environment, every minute counts. By rethinking data management and equipping your teams with modern tools like PROBE, you turn challenges into strategic opportunities.
Ready to optimize your team's time and transform your data into a strategic asset? Contact us today to discover how PROBE can help!