EPDM Software: An Evolution of the Remote Workplace

Key Takeaways

• EPDM software ensures greater data protection than a standard remote setup.

• Online storage of approval documentation can curb miscommunication and losses.

• Data accessibility allows for customized collaboration.

EPDM software offers unique solutions to pressing industry needs

Work-from-home setups introduce some challenges with security and accessibility that are not present in a standard office setting. This can leave design teams in an unfamiliar bind: clearly, the majority of remote work in the industry is unlikely to return to the office, but newfound assailability of projects must be addressed, lest companies face severe financial consequences from a data breach. With the recent growth and continuation of remote work within the PCB design sector, EPDM software adoption is expected to accelerate. EPDM software is well-suited to fully embrace the challenges inherent to sensitive data being accessed across several locations, with additional levels of customizability to meet the individual needs of a project.

How EPDM Software Enhances Remote Data Protection

EPDM software serves a market niche by offering a premium solution to data storage and remote workplace options. Foremost, data storage is at the forefront of EPDM. Think about the difference between where data is located in a remote workplace configuration - depending on the current model, it’s possible data may be decentralized and stored locally. This presents a myriad of issues to any company concerned with its security measures. First, the amount of access points to the data has increased, potentially by a magnitude. For data security, there is strength in aggregation - an EPDM software eliminates extraneous access points and fortifies servers with security initiatives that are likely to exceed that of individual commercial services. Data backup is also another strength of an EPDM software solution. While it is common now for most CAD services to contain automatic data backup programs (with additional user customization available), the data may still be entirely localized. In the event of catastrophic failure of the storage device, loss, or theft, the data may be permanently lost. Servers, while not completely exempt from these forms of data loss, will have far greater physical and digital security and the benefit of large-scale backup and redundancies to neutralize the effects of any damage or loss to a part of the system. 

Electronic Approval Systems Limit Expensive Manufacturing Losses

Though highly refined and typically featuring the greatest of care among teams of designers and engineers, board approval can at times devolve into an extremely expensive game of schoolyard telephone. Such is the nature of human communication - although the utmost effort is usually committed to ensuring design intentions and decisions are maintained passing from person to person and department to department, it is inevitable at some point, much like the electronics themselves, that wires will cross and the wrong message will be construed or conveyed. With luck, miscommunications and any issues arising therein will be minor or correctible before execution, but there is always the possibility that they result in expensive rework or a complete scrapped lot. 

EPDM software can address this by adding a layer of validation to design checks and approvals. Instead of physical signatures and emails shared between separate parties, approvals can be stored in a central area where ambiguity is eliminated from the design intent. While there is no perfect solution to eliminate misaligned production approvals and a program can only facilitate maintenance of design intent instead of providing it, EPDM software makes significant strides to reduce the incidence of miscommunication in the design and manufacturing process. 

Electronic approvals can remove some ambiguity between parties

Data Accessibility Prevents Mistakes and Revolutionizes Remote Collaboration

As laid out, digital centralized access to design files and any other relevant approvals is primarily a boon to the manufacturing and design, eliminating miscommunication events by ensuring that approvals and documentation are visible to all users without ambiguity. However sensitive information may need to be limited to a select amount of users, especially when design teams are of considerable size. It is something that has occurred in almost every designer’s career: without malice, a file is accidentally overwritten or lost for future revisions when it is saved to the incorrect location. Often, modern CAD programs provide multiple design redundancies to prevent the loss of data or progress, but human fallibility can still rear its ugly head. EPDM software allows data to be selectively broadcast to users - by curtailing access, the integrity of the data is maintained.

Limiting access is only one side of the data accessibility coin. Consider the common situation of working with an out-of-house design or manufacturing team: files may be shared between email or online storage if they reach sufficient size. There is no explicit problem with this model - but it is more transactional than an active collaboration. In contrast, files in an EPDM software can be quickly accessed between design teams, turn-key shops, and other similar arrangements without an upload or download to online storage.

EPDM software protects against productivity losses with accidental overwrites

Whether your project requires EPDM software or more traditional CAD solutions, Cadence can meet your needs with our suite of PCB design and analysis software. Leading electronics providers rely on Cadence products to optimize power, space, and energy needs for a wide variety of market applications. If you’re looking to learn more about our innovative solutions, talk to our team of experts or subscribe to our YouTube channel.