While the emergence of 3D modeling tools occurred two decades ago, some vendors estimate that roughly 85% of the current CAD user base still primarily employs 2D drafting. Although one would expect the pace of migration from 2D drafting to 3D modeling to have accelerated, unyielding time-to-market constraints offer no opportunity for manufacturers to allow users to adapt to new paradigms and convert legacy drawings into new formats without being productive at the same time. Yet some manufacturers are not only accomplishing this feat, but excelling in top-line and bottom-line measures.

In one form or another, manufacturers today are considering a change in how they produce design deliverables and are reacting to customer and competitive pressures by creating innovative products or improving operational efficiencies.? Hence, some manufacturers are not only adopting 3D modeling technology, but excelling at hitting their product development targets at the same time.

The next question that typically comes up is that how is it possible? Interestingly enough, it’s actually quite simple.

* Best-in-class performers are 40% more likely to have engineers use CAD directly to ensure they stay close to the design

* Best-in-class performers are 24% more likely to take advantage of extended 3D modeling design capabilities. They are 55% more likely to use downstream capabilities.

* All (100%) best-in-class performers acquired new hardware when adding 3D modeling, compared to 53% of laggards.

Key Business Value Findings:

* Best-in-class manufacturers hit their revenue, cost, launch date, and quality targets for 84% or more of their products

* Best-in-class performers typically produce 1.4 fewer prototypes than average performers.

* Best-in-class performers average 6.1 fewer change orders than laggard performers.

In total, best-in-class manufacturers of the most complex products get to market 99 days earlier with considerable amount of lower product development costs.

The manufacturer is caught between opposing business pressures. On one hand, they face pressures like, developing more products and getting them to market faster, accelerating product commoditization and threatening competitive products. While on the other, they are busy attending and addressing customer demands for new products that are more complicated due to increasingly complex customer requirements. Hence, the overall message is clear. Business pressures are driving manufacturers to develop more complex products in less time. As a result of which, they are responding with product innovation and improvements in product development efficiency. This trend seems to be the continuation of an old theme: do more with less. It’s likely not to change anytime soon.

With various strategies in mind to address the business pressures of the day, many manufacturers are making 3D modeling a part of their plan. Fully 71% of companies currently using 2D are planning on using 3D modeling. While one might think that these companies would switch completely to 3D modeling and eliminate 2D drafting that is actually not the case. In fact, 77% of companies that use 3D modeling also use 2D drafting.

One of the promised benefits of using 3D modeling is reducing the number of physical prototypes required to develop a product. Instead, 3D modeling software allows manufacturers to develop virtual prototypes in order to catch issues before any capital investment is made in physical prototypes. Aberdeen Group’s research shows that for each product development cycle they average 1.5 prototypes compared to 2.9 prototypes for average performers. This in turn, not only cuts down on the initial capital investment but also saves a lot of time.

Another advantage of virtual prototyping is the mere fact that design issues can be addressed upfront, thereby catching issues before they become change orders. Best-in-class manufacturers of the most complex products get to market almost 60 days earlier than an average performer.

All in all, the benefits described so far are impressive – and they add up. The costs and time saved in developing prototypes are realized prior to design release. The costs and time saved in executing change orders happen after the design has been released. Both sets of benefits can be realized simultaneously. Overall, the savings that the best in class (ones that have opted for 3D modeling so far) are realizing both in time-to-market and product development costs are substantial - and reveal how the best in class are hitting 84% or more of the targets for launch dates and product development costs.

Hence, the need of the hour is - regardless of the fact that manufacturers must develop more products that are more complicated in the face of unrelenting time-to-market constraints; they must find ways to implement new 3D modeling technology while still hitting product development targets.