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Raising Money and Awareness for a Good Cause

Some of the DriveWorks team have been taking part in Movember this year.

Movember involves growing a moustache during the month of November to raise awareness of mens health issues. Find out more about the causes Movember supports on their website.

Unfortunately, many of us on the team struggle to grow a moustache, but we’ve still given it a good go!

It has been good fun raising money and joking in the office about each others moustaches, watching the slow progress each day. We are all looking forward to shaving them off tomorrow!

Ultimately, it is for a good cause and we are pleased to raise awareness. If you would like to see our moustache journeys, check out our Mo Team Page.

Rob, Tom, Mark, Wesley and Tom have all been taking part from our UK office, whilst John has also supported the cause in the US.

Keeping Track with Trello

Planning and managing your DriveWorks implementation well is key to its success.

Free tools like Trello make managing tasks and tracking the progress of your DriveWorks implementation quick and easy. Trello offers loads of great features, like check lists and due dates that help you define project details and hit deadlines.

Trello is quick and easy to setup. You create lists and add task cards that you can move depending on their status.

We often create four lists; Backlog, Hold, Active and Complete. New task cards are created in the Backlog list and when were actively working on a task we move it to the Active list. If work on an active task is paused, we move it to Hold and when a task is finished, well move it to Complete.

The cards make it easy to visually track the progress of your DriveWorks implementation.

You can add descriptions, attachments, labels, checklists and due dates to each card to make planning and managing the finer details of your project simple. Checklist progress and due dates are always shown on the card making it easy monitor tasks and ensure theyre completed on time.

Taking time to think about the details of your implementation before you start will help you plan exactly whats required. Its also a great opportunity to use the DriveWorks online help file, webinar library and sample projects to build your DriveWorks knowledge before you start.

Trello is a great tool for managing DriveWorks implementations and best of all, its free! You can sign up for Trello here: https://trello.com/home.

Metalura is Dutch manufacturer of high quality and innovative outdoor products. As a recognized leader in the Netherlands, they deliver customized garden rooms, folding balcony and terrace glazing and quality windshields directly to their customers.

DriveWorks & Metalura

Where Engineering and Technology Meet

Metalura’s CEO, Albert van de Breevaart, explained how they were looking for a solution that would increase their quality while lowering their costs and saving time.

When searching for a solution to optimize their engineering department, they looked at different products in the market place and also partners who could implement a solution. They chose to work with Design Solutions, a SOLIDWORKS and DriveWorks reseller based in the Netherlands, as they are very knowledgeable about the products they sell.

Design Solutions have helped Metalura to successfully implement DriveWorks and SOLIDWORKS PDM and the company are very satisfied.

Find out more about Metalura’s journey in this short video created by Design Solutions:

Meet Our Interns and Graudates from the University of Huddersfield

For a number of years, we’ve worked closely with the University of Huddersfield to find the best students to join our team.

We’ve hired students from many disciplines who have all worked hard and had a real impact on our team. They’ve joined us as interns, stayed working with DriveWorks throughout their studies and returned full time after graduating.

We recognise the importance of investing in students and want to help build a strong future for students and the industry.

Read on to find out more about our interns and graduates from the University of Huddersfield. If you’re interested in a career at DriveWorks, head to our careers page to see our current vacancies.

DannySoftware Developer

Danny completed his placement year at DriveWorks as a Junior Web Developer and returned on an 18-month graduate scheme as a Software Developer, which he has now completed and accepted a permanent role.

“My placement year at DriveWorks equipped me with an invaluable set of technical and personal skills that I applied to my final year of studies, resulting in a 1st Class Honours degree classification and an overall positive experience for my last year of education.”

“During my graduate scheme, I have built upon my existing skills to become a fully fledged software developer with a permanent role within the team. I am confident in collaborating and communicating as part of a team, get to apply my existing knowledge to create great software, get to research and learn new technologies, have responsibility, can apply my creativity and initiative to help improve the software, and take pride in the fact that I enjoy what I do and that customers lives are made easier as a direct result.”

“If you want to learn something new every day, write great code to create great things, have responsibility and input, and collaborate with a team of like-minded, bright individuals, then a career as a developer at DriveWorks is for you.”

Graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BSc in Web Technologies in 2016.

Graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BSc(Hons) in Information and Communication Technologies in 2017.

BenSoftware Developer

Ben completed a 12 month university placement at DriveWorks as a Junior Web Developer and has since returned to DriveWorks as a Software Developer on the Graduate Training Scheme.

“My placement at DriveWorks was the most memorable and beneficial part of my degree; not only did I learn a lot technically, but I also picked up valuable best practices and a wide range of transferable skills that I could take back to university and use in my final year. During the year, I progressed from knowing only the very basics in .NET and having little experience in the industry, to experimenting with the latest cutting-edge technologies and adding new features to the DriveWorks software with confidence.”

“Since returning on the company’s Graduate Training Scheme, Ive completed project management training and begun further study towards becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional in Programming in C#.”

“Ive thoroughly enjoyed my time here at DriveWorks so far and feel right at home here. I would strongly recommend current students to undertake a university placement and DriveWorks is the best place to do it!”

JakeSystems Analyst

Jake joined DriveWorks in summer 2014 as a placement student, worked part-time throughout his final year and has now returned on our Graduate Training Scheme.

“I had a fantastic placement experience. Through the entire journey DriveWorks have supported my growth from a young University student to a confident professional. They provide me with the freedom and resources that allow me to pursue my professional goals, and all the while I get to have lots of fun and play with some really cool tech.”

If you like learning about the cutting edge tech in industry, taking on a challenge and working in a supportive environment this is the place for you.

Graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BSc(Hons) inComputer Science in 2016.

Graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BEng(Hons) in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering in 2016.

Tom – Technical Specialist

Tom is on the 18 month Graduate Training Scheme at DriveWorks working as part of the Sales Team. Originally he did a placement year at DriveWorks working in the Technical Team.

“DriveWorks has enabled me to progress not only my technical skills, but also my interpersonal and business skills. Studying engineering at university I always presumed Id end up working in manufacturing, but during my placement year I realised that this didnt have to be the case. After returning to DriveWorks I have joined the Sales Team, and now work in a technical sales role, training resellers and helping customers out with their implementations of DriveWorks. Im constantly learning new skills and developing existing ones.”

“If youre willing to listen and learn, then coming to DriveWorks is a great step towards a career in the world of CAD.”

MatthewApplications Engineer

Matthew is in his third year at the University of Huddersfield and is completing a sandwich year Engineering placement at DriveWorks as part of his degree.

“Working at DriveWorks is amazing. This company is a wonderful collective of smart, funny, hardworking people who strive to be the best and as a placement student, it is so exciting to be a part of that journey. Since my first day, I have been made to feel very welcome and a part of the team. I have gained training and certifications in numerous different software, such as SOLIDWORKS (CSWA) and DriveWorks (CDWXA and CDWP), as well as learning useful skills such as writing in HTML and using SQL.”

“As a part of the technical team I spend my time helping customers, either through writing technical documentation or working on support tickets. We also test the product and create demo material.”

“As a company we also do lots of social events outside work which helps you to feel settled in. From the badminton and park runs to the pub quizzes and parties, we have a good time outside of work as well as in.”

Working at DriveWorks is one of the best decisions I ever made. I have gained skills and friends for life and personally, I honestly couldnt recommend it more highly.

Completing a MEng(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Huddersfield and will graduate in 2019.

Completing a BEng(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Huddersfield and will graduate in 2020.

ConnorApplications Engineer

Connor is in his 3rd year at Huddersfield and is currently completing a Mechanical Engineering Placement at DriveWorks.

“After being here for only 3 months I have learnt so much and I have already been given the opportunity to work with real customers and solve real-world problems that people in the industry are actually experiencing.”

“My time at DriveWorks so far has been an amazing experience for me and I have learnt more than I ever thought I would! The skills that I have learnt and the knowledge that has been bestowed upon me whilst being here will make my last years at University a lot easier. I have had the opportunity to take part in Project Management Training that I will be able to use in my final years to make sure that I plan my time carefully and dedicate myself to the right tasks at the right time, to get the most that I can out of University. DriveWorks have also sponsored me to get DriveWorks and SOLIDWORKS certifications that will put me ahead of the competition when applying for jobs after University.”

“If you were ever apprehensive about starting a new job then there is nothing to fear at DriveWorks. They are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met.”

LaurenJunior Developer

We first met everyone at on of our summer parties where we offered her a 3-month summer internship which then turned in to a full 12-month placement. Lauren now works part time whilst completing her final year, with the offer of a graduate job at the end of her degree.

“Completing my placement at DriveWorks has been a really valuable experience for me. I have learnt things that I wouldnt have learnt at University and vastly improved upon my skills that I already had, which is currently helping me with my assignments during my final year. ”

If you want to learn lots of new skills whilst working in a fun and friendly team, then DriveWorks is the place for you.

Completing a BSc in Computing at the University of Huddersfield and will graduate in 2018.

Download the Latest Service Pack from the DriveWorks Community

DriveWorks 15 SP2 was released on 21st November 2017 and it’s available to download from the DriveWorks Community.

Our latest releasehas been timed so that this service pack supports the official released version of SOLIDWORKS 2018.

The DriveWorks teamhave been working with alpha, beta and pre-releases of SOLIDWORKS 2018 for months. As always, we’ve waited until the official release of the new version so we can ensure that our latest service pack fully supports SOLIDWORKS 2018.

DriveWorks Pro Server

When upgrading to DriveWorks 15 SP2, please ensure that you upgrade all modules* of DriveWorks to this version, including DriveWorks Pro Server.

In DriveWorks 15 SP2, we’ve made a change which means older versions of Pro Server cannot communicate with newer versions of DriveWorks.

Forexample, Pro Server running DriveWorks 15 SP1 will not be able to serve Groups to DriveWorks 15 SP2 modules such as Administrator.

*DriveWorks modules include DriveWorks Administrator, DriveWorks Autopilot, DriveWorks User and DriveWorks Live.

Our developers have added new and updated code to DriveWorks 15 SP2 and it has been tested rigorously by our tech team. The DriveWorks online help files have been updated with more information about this latest service pack:

Important Things to Remember

  • As ever we have tested the updates rigorously across SOLIDWORKS and Windows Operating Systems (x32 and x64) to maintain reliability.
  • All DriveWorks Solo and Pro Customers with an active Subscription Support Contract and all Authorized DriveWorks Resellers can download the latest release now from the DriveWorks Community.
  • You will need a DriveWorks Community account to download the Service Pack. If you havent already, visit hub.driveworks.co.uk and create an account.
  • The download should take no more than 30 minutes.
  • As with any upgrade, remember to take a back up of your data!
  • If you are working in a multi-user environment make sure you upgrade all of the DriveWorks Modules e.g. DriveWorks Administrator, Autopilot, any DriveWorks User licenses, DriveWorks Live and of course, DriveWorks Pro Server.

What’s New in DriveWorks 15?

In DriveWorks 15, we built on our extensive Design Automation capabilities and greatly enhanced our 3D capabilities.We made sure DriveWorks is a powerful configurator and company-wide CPQ solution for manufacturing companies.

Join us in this 3 part ‘Whats New in DriveWorks 15’ webinar series to find out how you and your company can benefit from the enhancements.

What’s New in DriveWorks 15 – Part 1

Thursday 7th December

Register

What’s New in DriveWorks 15 – Part 2

Thursday 14th December

Register

What’s New in DriveWorks 15 – Part 3

Thursday 21st December

Register

Specialising in SOLIDWORKS

We have specialised in design automation and CPQ configurator software for SOLIDWORKS since 2001.

Because we focus on SOLIDWORKS, we make sure we know it really well.

We use SOLIDWORKS ourselves, we employ SOLIDWORKS engineers, we are SOLIDWORKS certified.

For the last 16 years, we’ve worked with customers around the world to see how they use SOLIDWORKS and DriveWorks together. We have listened to suggestions and included many of these in our product development plans and annual release. We’ve helped many SOLIDWORKS engineers to automate their design processes to work smarter.

Our software is theproven choice for SOLIDWORKS.

SOLIDWORKS Gold Partner

We have been working with SOLIDWORKS for over 15 years. All three of our products, DriveWorksXpress, DriveWorks Solo and DriveWorks Pro, have been endorsed by SOLIDWORKS and are SOLIDWORKS Gold Partner Products.

In 2008, SOLIDWORKS chose to include DriveWorksXpress as the free design automation tool in every license of SOLIDWORKS.

Why SOLIDWORKS?

SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software delivers powerful design functionality with the intuitive SOLIDWORKS user interface to speedup design processes andimprove productivity.

Dassault Syst竪mes SOLIDWORKS Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data.

SOLIDWORKS products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively.

SOLIDWORKS focus on ease-of-use, allows more engineers, designers, and other technology professionals to take advantage of 3Dand bring their designs to life.

This focus also aligns with our commitment to making DriveWorks easy to use.

Any company, in any industry, can use DriveWorks to create their own, fully customisable configurator. Companiesuse DriveWorks software to create Configurators that areeasy to update and that can be used by anyone to configure custom products. Engineering rules,knowledge, business logic and salesworkflows can all bebuilt into the configurator.

DriveWorks integrates seamlessly with SOLIDWORKS, generating sales, manufacturing and customer data, automatically.

Find Out More

Make sure your company works smarter with SOLIDWORKS and DriveWorks. Watch these video to find out more.

First Look at SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD

Introduction to DriveWorksXpress

Introduction to DriveWorks Solo

Introduction to DriveWorks Pro

The 2nd annual SOLIDWORKS Largest User Group Meeting Ever (SLUGME) took place on Wednesday 15th November 2017.

We were a proud sponsor of the event and we sent packages containing giveaways to many user groups around the US.

Heather from the DriveWorks team travelled to SOLIDWORKS HQ, in Waltham, where she joined user groups from Boston, Central Massachusetts and New Hampshire. John, our Technical Territory Manager, also attended the Portland area SOLIDWORKS user group meeting in Oregon.

The groups linked up with dozens of additional user groups around the world for a live presentation by one of the leaders in the SOLIDWORKS community.The event also included an in-person panel discussions with SOLIDWORKS Executives and Product Definition Managers.

62 user groups participated in this meeting and the members enjoyed learning, networking and eating lots of pizza!

The evening was a great success and we were happy to be a part of it as attendees and sponsors. Congratulations to the SOLIDWORKS User Group community on coming together for another fantastic SLUGME event.

The community have proven once again that ‘SOLIDWORKS is everywhere’ and we look forward to seeing you all at SOLIDWORKS World 2018 in Los Angeles.

Digital selling and the ability to Configure, Price and Quote easily,has fast become a vital part of “doing business” for manufacturing companies of all sizes and in most sectors.

CPQ solutions are built on rules, workflow, user interface and integration. These are the core technologies that have underpinned DriveWorks since the software was first introduced to the SOLIDWORKS market in 2001.

The DriveWorks CPQ Template is a series of DriveWorks projects and templates that when combined create a powerful CPQ solution.It’sa starting point for any DriveWorks customer and can be used as a complete CPQ solution ortaken apartto use individualfeatures and functionality.

The Benefits to Your Company

The DriveWorks CPQ template makes it easy for manufacturing companies to quicky reap the benefits of guided selling and CPQ.

It provides a customizable dashboard to select which products can be configured, using existing DriveWorks product configurators, what pricing to apply and what data to pass to and from any other company systems such as ERP and CRM.

The template also makes it easy to manage permissions, real-time pricing updates and views to create a customized solution for inside sales, dealers, distributors and even customers.

It’s completelywhite label, which means that it can be easily customized to reflect your corporate branding and image.

DriveWorks Pro customers already have access to all of this functionality within DriveWorks. The CPQ template weve created simply makes it even easier to quickly set up the functionality as a customisable CPQ solution.

Learn More

These shortvideos explain how different people within your company (Customers, Distributors, Internal Sales Teams and Sales Adminstrators) could interact with your DriveWorks Product Configurators to help your company sell digitally.

How Your Customers Interact with DriveWorks as a CPQ Solution

How YourDistributors Interact with DriveWorks as a CPQ Solution

How YourSales TeamsInteract with DriveWorks as a CPQ Solution

How You Administer Your DriveWorks CPQ Solution

DriveWorks Pro Resources

Learn More. Achieve More.

Below are some of the resources we’ve created for DriveWorks Pro. Use them to get started with your project, add to your project over time or just refresh your knowledge.

Help File

Find information, best practices and solutions. Available online, whenever you need it.

Online Help

How to Videos

Watch short video clips, covering a range of topics, to learn how to use DriveWorks Pro at your own pace.

Watch

Training

Download and complete the DriveWorks Pro training in your own time or take a class from your reseller.

Download

DriveWorks Pro Forum

Join the conversation in the DriveWorks Pro forum. Share tips and ideas, find answers and discuss features.

Get Certified

Technical Webinars

Join our tech team for webinars covering a range of topics. Download previous webinars from our extensive library.

Register Now

DriveWorks World

Annual technical training event for DriveWorks users to explore the latest version, learn from experts and share ideas.

Secure Your Place

There are even more resources for DriveWorks Pro customers with an active Subscription Support contract.
Find out more about all of the resources available here.

Join Us!

SOLIDWORKS World 2018 in Los Angeles will be DriveWorks 15th year at SOLIDWORKS World!

The event takes place from 4th 8th February 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Were excited to be a part of the action again sponsoring, exhibiting, presenting, listening and learning!

Networking and Breakout Sessions

We attend SOLIDWORKS World every year and the best part is always meeting new people and catching up with familiar faces.

Over the course of SOLIDWORKS World, youll join more than 5,000 of your peers and select from more than 200 breakout sessions on a range of topics.Make sure you learn about design automation and CPQ. Even if youre already automating, theres always something new to see and learn!

Well keep you updated with details of our design automation and CPQ presentations as we get closer to the event.

Meet the DriveWorks Team

Pop by and see us atBooth #511in the Partner Pavilion and meet our CEO, Vice-President and several other members of our team.

You can also try our sales configurator software onour kiosk, designed in SOLIDWORKS and made by the DriveWorks Design Club.

Heather Hasz and John Bannon from the DriveWorks teamare also attending the Annual SOLIDWORKS User Group Network Meeting.

See you in Los Angeles!

Free Online DriveWorks Solo Resources

Learn More. Achieve More.

Below are some of the resources we’ve created for DriveWorks Solo. Use them to learn how to use DriveWorks Solo and make the most of your30 dayfree trial.

Help File

Find information, best practices and solutions. Available online, whenever you need it.

Online Help

How to Videos

Watch a selection of short video clips to learn how to use DriveWorks Solo at your own pace.

Watch

DriveWorks Solo Training

Download and complete the training, or join our monthly online training sessions to learn from an expert.

Complete

Sample Projects

Download and explore complete DriveWorks Solo projects. See a range of industry examples and learn how they are set up.

Download

Getting Started Webinars

Get up and running quickly with a step by step guide in setting up a DriveWorks Solo project, including handy tips and tricks.

Register

30 Day Free Trial

Try DriveWorks Solo free for 30 days. Set up your own design automation project with a full feature trial of DriveWorks Solo.

Try Now

CPQ for Manufacturing.

We have specialised in automation and customisation for manufacturing companies since 2001.

Our links to the manufacturing industry come right from our roots. Our CEO, and co-founder of DriveWorks, Glen Smith started his career as an engineer at a manufacturing company. It was from this early experience with SOLIDWORKS that inspired Glen to enable manufacturers to configure, automate and work smarter.

DriveWorks configurator software is the ultimate choice in 3D CPQ for manufacturing.

The ability to configure, price and quote easily has become essential for manufacturing companies of all sizes, in all industries, as customised products are becoming the norm. DriveWorks CPQ closes the gap between initial sales inquiry and manufactured product.

MechFuse 2017.

Alignex, a DriveWorks reseller based in the United States, recently held their annual Design & Engineering Summit, MechFuse. At the event, we presented to delegates and held a CPQ round table session.

We enjoyed meeting a range of different manufacturing companies and read some fascinating facts about the growth of the manufacturing industry. Here are some of our favourite facts…

Download a PDF of all of the manufacturing industry facts from the Alignex website.

This year, we have set ourselves the challenge of raising 贈2000 to provide a lifesaving public access defibrillator for our local community.

Fundraising for a Defibrillator

Our fundraising for a public access defibrillator has been a great success so far. From our bake sale in August, we raised an incredible 贈900.

With 贈1100 still to raise, we did what we do best… threw a party!

The DriveWorks team celebrated Halloween together and donated to the fund. Everyone who came to the party donated 贈5 each and DriveWorks donated another 贈5 per person too.

In total, we raised 贈317.10, which was generously boosted to 贈417.10 by our LaskeyLane neighbours, Dreamscape.

We’ve had our Donate to Defibrillate pots out in the office since August for any loose change to be added to the fund and we’ve gathered an extra 贈15.32 in donations.

In total, an additional 贈432.42 has been added to the defibrillator fund!

We’re now only 贈667.58 away from our 贈2000 target!

Here are some snaps from our Halloween fundraising party.
There were some good fancy dress costumes, can you tell who’s who?

Of course it wouldn’t be a DriveWorks Halloween without a configurable 3D printed pumpkin!

Free Online DriveWorksXpress Resources

Learn More. Achieve More.

Below are some of the resources we’ve created for DriveWorksXpress. Use them to learn how to use our free design automation tool and make the most of your project.

Help File

Just press F1 or click the Help icon inside SOLIDWORKS to access the embedded help file.

Online Help

How to Videos

Watch short video clips to learn how to use DriveWorksXpress at your own pace.

Watch

Sample Projects

Explorecomplete DriveWorksXpress projects from a range of industries and learn how they are set up.

Download

Get Certified

Follow the free training and certification to become a Certified DriveWorksXpress Associate (CDWXA).

Get Certified

Getting Started Webinars

Join our monthly webinar, a step by step guide in setting up a DriveWorksXpress project.

Register

Activate to Automate

DriveWorksXpress is already installed inside SOLIDWORKS, all you need to do is activate your free license.

Online Help

Catching Up With Seth Dallman of PS DOORS

A DriveWorks customer who manufacture safety and fall protection products.

Seth is PS DOORS CAD Systems Administrator and his background is in engineering, manufacturing, design and information technology. We recently caught up with him to learn more about his role at PS DOORS and what he likes about DriveWorks.

Seth, when were you first introduced to DriveWorks?

Within my first couple of weeks at PS DOORS I was approached by a team member who asked me if I had any Excel skills or an interest in DriveWorks. My answer was yes and I started working with DriveWorks shortly afterwards. At first DriveWorks wasnt my main responsibility, but the company had a growing need for someone to maintain and grow our DriveWorks projects.”

“Currently my role at PS DOORS is along the lines of CAD/design/automation guru! Im in charge of the CAD systems, such as SOLIDWORKS and DriveWorks, and I oversee their deployment, development and maintenance. My primary focus is DriveWorks, but my position happens to be within our IT department, so I often deal with computer hardware / software issues too!

Whats your favourite DriveWorks feature and why?

As Im sure many would say, DriveWorks has too many great features to pick just one, so Im going to give my top 3, which are: Generation Tasks, Calculation Tables and Specification Macros.”

“It really depends on the type of task Im trying to automate, but if someone were to twist my leg to pick just one, Id say Calculation Tables.

As Im sitting here reflecting, I cant help but mention our current breakthrough. Ive recently switched gears from making our SOLIDWORKS automation better to working on our office processes.”

“It seems a lightbulb has turned on in our company as we realised that DriveWorks isnt just an automation tool for SOLIDWORKS, its an automation tool for nearly anything! There are very few tasks that I cant automate in some way with DriveWorks!

For more information about PS DOORS and their products, visit www.psdoors.com.