Peer Check

As hardware capabilities have evolved over the last 50 years, many industries have successfully integrated new technologies and adapted to changing customer expectations. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case in design manufacturing.From passing around PowerPoint slides to a lack of mobile device support, the design manufacturing industry needs to embrace technology that allows for more efficient, impactful, and cost-effective collaboration. Because as time goes on, innovation will continue to leave the industry further behind. István Csanády is one person leading the way for companies to start adopting new technology. István is the Founder & CEO of Shapr3D, a cloud tool that lets users take their CAD on the road by making it possible to design and iterate seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices. Listen in as Adam and István discuss: Specific ways design manufacturing technology needs to be updated How design and manufacturing vendors can differentiate themselves effectively Changing customer expectations around hardware and software capabilities Democratizing access to CAD    More information about István and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/icsanady/ Company Website: https://www.shapr3d.com/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check   To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

As software companies seem to build, iterate, and ship faster each year, hardware companies face increasing pressure to do the same. But designing and manufacturing hardware comes with a host of challenges that software teams don’t have to deal with. So how can hardware companies keep up? What methods can help them scale their operations, build trusted partnerships with suppliers and distributors, and continue to develop amazing products? Our very own Mark Morreale, Engineer-in-Residence at CoLab Software, has dedicated his life to building hardware and building it better. Mark joins the show to share his perspective on how hardware companies can prepare for the future by adopting new methods, building better partnerships, and embracing change. Join us as we discuss: Challenges and considerations when developing and shipping hardware Adapting existing processes versus starting from scratch Why hardware companies are facing increasing expectations around production speed and profit margin The transition from planning and design to manufacturing Whatsupply chain challenges really mean for hardware companies How to build a trusted partner network by focusing on value-add rather than cost  More information about Mark and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmorreale/ Company Website: https://www.colabsoftware.com/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check  To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

**Special Episode**MJ Peters joins The Manufacturing Executive two years after her first appearance on their show to talk about the evolution of workforce collaboration among engineers in manufacturing. Currently the VP of Marketing at CoLab Software, MJ brings a mix of industrial and SaaS experience to her role. Before CoLab, MJ worked with 50+ venture-backed b2b software companies on their demand generation strategies at Refine Labs. And prior to that, she spent six years working at FTSE 100 Halma PLC, a group of mid-sized manufacturing businesses focused on medical, environmental and safety technology. Join us as we discuss: How the way teams communicate and collaborate (especially engineers) has started to change How digital transformations are impacting modern manufacturing and engineering Steps that MJ has taken to uniquely position CoLab in its market

Adopting new technology comes with major concerns around data security, financial risk, business value, longevity, and more. Yet these concerns are causing many engineering leaders to overspend on outdated technology instead of reaping the rewards of the cloud. In this episode, Robert Percy, VP Security & IT at CoLab Software, joins Adam to discuss how engineering leaders can think differently about cloud technology, build strong partnerships with IT leaders, and create effective adoption strategies for new tech. Listen to Adam and Robert discuss: How to evaluate new cloud tools for security and reliability  Why emails are unsecured communications  How engineering leaders can build a partnership with IT leaders Risk vs. reward for cloud technology vs. on-prem infrastructure    More information about Robert and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-p-a2a61628/  Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check   To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

The future of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is not in single sources of data, but in open and interconnected datasets that are optimized for access and accountability, rather than control. At least, that’s what the “Virtual Dutchman,” Jos Voskuil believes. Jos Voskuil is a PLM expert and the founder of VirtualDutchman.com, an online blog that helps PLM implementers and customers in their stepped approach towards PLM. Jos joins Adam to talk about the future of connected PLM and the part that systems of engagement will play in shaping it. Listen to Adam and Jos discuss: The benefits of a connected federated data environment The myth of single sources of data How a connected PLM positively can lead to better systems of engagement How organizations can start shifting to a federated model Multidisciplinary vs. single disciplinary collaboration in engagement systems More information about Jos and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tacit/ Jos’ PLM blog: https://virtualdutchman.com/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

Jeremy Andrews, Co-founder and Head of Product at CoLab, ex-Tesla mechanical designer. Adam Keating, Co-founder of CoLab, former Hyperloop and medical device engineer. They trace CoLab’s origin and pivot from on-campus projects to Silicon Valley. They discuss collaboration pain in CAD/PLM workflows, supplier review bottlenecks, and product plans like browser-based, secure multiplayer review tools.

There’s a lot of talk about Model-Based Definition (MBD), which means there’s also a lot of different opinions out there. It’s one thing to paint a picture of some future vision for a Model-Based Enterprise—but how can you start taking steps today to make MBD practical for your team? That’s exactly what the Action Engineering team does. Jennifer Herron, Founder and CEO, and Rhiannon Gallagher, Chief Business Psychologist, join Adam Keating to talk all about MBD and what they’ve seen working with organizations to achieve MBD and MBE goals. In this episode, we discuss: Why bother with MBD at all The challenges of shifting toward MBD How psychological safety impacts manufacturing organizations MBD and supply chain relationships More information about Jennifer Herron and Rhiannon Gallagher and today’s topics: Jennifer Herron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-herron-cad/ Rhiannon Gallagher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannongallagher/ Action Engineering: https://www.action-engineering.com/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

Keeping track of progress and KPIs feels like a never-ending challenge in any industry. But for engineering and manufacturing businesses, it gets even more difficult. When unexpected delays and obstacles can pop up at any moment, how can leaders set the right goals to guide their team to success? Niru Somayajula, CEO of Sensor Technology, joins Adam Keating to dive into her approach to setting KPIs within an engineering company, how to be an effective leader, and what it takes to foster growth. Join us as Niru and Adam talk about: How a technical background impacts growth and success as a business leader How financial transparency improves a team’s understanding of KPIs and company goals Setting company goals using revenue targets and budget constraints How Sensor Technology balances OKRs with individual KPIs Lead and lag indicators in an engineering context More information about Niru and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niru-somayajula-96650119/ Company Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sensortechnologyltd/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

The idea of the “solo innovator” working alone on an invention is pretty familiar to most of us. But when it comes to complex mechanical design, engineering is inherently collaborative work. Great breakthroughs don’t come from individuals; they come from teams. Dr. Alison Olechowski, Assistant Professor at University of Toronto, joins host Adam Keating to share perspectives gained from leading multiple studies on the impact of collaborative practices in engineering. Listen to the full episode as Alison and Adam discuss: The results of successful collaboration The benefits of designing collaboratively The need for stakeholder input in co-design How to create opportunities for co-design The future of design engineering  More information about Alison and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonolechowski Ready Lab (University of Toronto): https://readylab.mie.utoronto.ca/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check  To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

From legacy infrastructure to prohibitive costs, innovating within the manufacturing world comes with many obstacles. On today’s episode, we discuss what it takes to shake things up, introduce new methods, and decide which digital transformation trends are worth paying attention to (and which aren’t). In this conversation with Robin Dechant, Co-founder of Aveo, you’ll hear: Aveo’s origin story The most exciting digital transformation trends in manufacturing The biggest obstacles holding innovation back How disruption happens in manufacturing More information about Robin Dechant and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robindechant/ Company Website: https://aveo.one/ Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.