Simon Knibbs Simon has been working at EPLAN UK for 3 years as an EPLAN Applications Engineer. He started his career in building, services, and moved on to designing and programming early robotics. He then became involved in mechatronic design and PCB layout. Since joining the CAD industry he has always been at the forefront assisting customers. He is a great advocate of value for money and hates to see customers’ investments underutilised through lack of knowledge, configuration skills or investment. He is a firm believer that a consultant’s role is to aid the customer in doing things better, easier and faster. So automation, standardisation and integration into other workflows are his interests. Knibbs.S@eplan.co.uk Simon Knibbs auf LinkedIn

12/09/23

Streamline your engineering designs with EPLAN’s integrated software solution

Author: Simon Knibbs Time to read: minute minutes

Designing electrical systems is a complex and time-consuming process. Typically, it requires electrical and mechanical engineers from various departments to work together on the same project, collaborating as best they can with their diverse disciplinary specialisms. All too often, however, digital productivity and collaboration solutions can lack integrations, which may lead to extended design lead times, data translation difficulties, and a greater possibility of error.

EPLAN's integrated software solution offers a way through this minefield of electrical engineering design, helping you track all aspects of your engineering project, stay on schedule, and manage your budget.

Real-time Collaboration Between Disciplines

EPLAN's integrated software interface promotes real-time collaboration between different departments and specialists working on a project. Users coordinate their work and data through a single project platform which can be accessed remotely from any device, minimising the possibility of communication failures, metaphorical crossed wires, or lost information. Effective collaboration saves time and money for everyone involved, avoiding uncertainties over work plans or time wasted resolving mistakes. The interface can improve everything from initial design to installation and documentation. Procurement is a case in point - improved collaboration means that duplicate or incorrect component orders can be avoided, reducing wastage and overspending.

Standardisation

Standardisation with EPLAN Macro Technology saves time and avoids mistakes. Where designs follow a common pattern, there is less opportunity for misunderstood requirements or human error. Standards are developed over time, becoming more stable and reliable, and any improvements to a standard design can be applied universally.

With 50% of schematics comprised of fixed or common components, it makes sense to have boilerplate designs to work from. Often, design variations like subcircuits can follow a fixed pattern using macros.

Improved Communication

Integrated software has been shown to improve productivity and project outcomes for electrical engineering firms. Though automation can do a lot of the legwork, staff still need to work together to maximise efficiency and quality. That means communication is vital for any engineering project. Integrated software solutions offer a single point of contact for all staff working on a project, meaning less chance of misdirected, erroneous or lost communications.

Multi-Disciplinary Solutions

EPLAN's tools and features encompass a number of different engineering specialisms. For example, electrical engineering is handled by EPLAN Electric P8, fluid power engineering by EPLAN Fluid and preplanning capabilities by EPLAN PrePlanning. All components of this multi-disciplinary software suite can work together on a single integrated project, helping to aid collaboration and output quality.

Integration

EPLAN’s individual modules can also integrate with other third-party software through the EPLAN Platform's integration suite. The software facilitates bi-directional data exchange with various ERP, PLM and PDM systems, so that financial data, project plans and other data are all available for direct transfer in a standard XML format. This obviates the need for additional manual input, saving time and money.

Find Out More

To discover more about EPLAN's Integrated Software Solution and how it can help streamline your engineering business, please contact us today.

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