Editor's Pick: Engineering Document Management and Workflow Solution Enhanced

By Anthony J. Lockwood

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Synergis Software started out, if memory serves me, as an independent software provider. What happened was that they were responsive to their client's needs and began, organically and almost by accident, building an engineering document management and workflow system that answered their clients' everyday problems. That is an attribute that makes Adept a bit different from the rest of the pack. Adept was designed by working with its users as opposed to representing software built on the best guesses of a bunch of software developers no longer in the trenches. That foundation, that “what the user needs now” mindset, and a continuing collaboration with clients to solve real-world problems is what has made Adept such a well-respected solution in industries as diverse as discrete and industrial manufacturing, government, and life sciences—anywhere you find engineering documents.

The short description of Adept is that it helps you control, manage, find, and share engineering, CAD, and business documents throughout their lifecycle. It integrates with such widely deployed CAD systems as AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, and MicroStation. It has automated functionality to handle workflows and bills of materials. Its centralized document vaulting capabilities provide text and structured search, version control, attribute and property linking, and file relationship management. You can compare 2D and 3D documents, set access rights, and all that neat stuff. Adept has collaboration capabilities like view and markup, and its integration with business programs such as Microsoft Office means that your enterprise can be as involved as you want in your ongoing work.

Synergis Software just rolled out version 8.2 of Adept and, as you'd expect, it has a number of enhancements that clients have asked for. One in particular is that Adept now offers SSL-encrypted data transfers, which is what financial institutions use. It now supports Microsoft's Active Directory, which makes everything much more efficient from an administrative point of view. And there's Window 7 support as well.

Today's Pick of the Week write-up has the skinny on Adept 8.2, and you can download the full brochure from a link we've provided. You'll find two other informational links. From the Demo Center link, you'll find videos of Adept being used in a variety of industries as well as videos on specific system features. You have to sign up for these. The second link goes to the Adept Resource Center. Here, you'll find some freely accessible white papers and brochures.

Synergis Software has been developing what today is called Adept for 20 or so years now. From the get-go the whole approach to Adept's development has been to create an engineering document management and workflow system that works like you do so that you'll be more productive. A Win-Win, that is. Adept just might the winning system for you as well.

Thanks, Pal. -- Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood
Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Read today's Pick of the Week write-up.