Following virtual 3DEXPERIENCE World 2021, we caught up with Jeff Setzer, Technology Evangelist at GSC.

Jeff shared a number of stories of his early days with GSC (formerly Graphic Systems Corporation) and also his experiences in attending ‘world’ events over the last 20+ years.

Within the SOLIDWORKS community, there are very few folks that can talk about being at the very FIRST SOLIDWORKS World event, Jeff is one of them.

Jeff also tells us what it means to be a Technology Evangelist and how it helps the community.

Jeff, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. First of all, I think it would be great if you could simply share some information on where you are from and some of your background.

Happy to share – first off, I’m born and raised in Monroe, Wisconsin. Monroe is in the South-central part of Wisconsin “Home of the Monroe High School Cheesemakers!”. My father was a local high school teacher as well as a sports coach, my father spent his life as an educator. Growing up, I had a twin brother John and a younger brother Tim.

After graduating high school, I looked at attending the University of Rochester (NY), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA) and University of Arizona. Early on in my life I had an interest in telescopes and thought I may go to Arizona to study Optical Engineering. I ended up attending the University of Rochester where I studied Cognitive Science.

During my time there, I took an interest in computers and had learned a bit about AutoCAD and I thought it was really cool technology. While I was in school, I took a summer job working for David Kasinskas – the owner of Graphic Systems Corporation (now GSC). I’d met Dave through an old high school drafting teacher.

Jeff, how many years have you been with GSC?

I’ve been with GSC now for 29 years. What started as a summer job has happily turned into my lifetime career.  I’ve known Dave for so long, one of my brothers was a coach for his kids when they were younger (those ‘kids’ now hold executive roles at GSC).

Can you share just a bit about your early days working in the community?

When I started working with Dave, there were only four of us and we were renting a space in an office suite. During that time, we all had to do different jobs as we were a small business. Honestly, one of my first jobs was to fix the doorknob – I knew how to do it, so I did.

As I had already learned a little bit about CAD, I was familiar enough with some of the technology. We were building hardware and workstations that would run a product called MicroStation. This was a CAD platform that was being used mostly for architecture and engineering. We also sold plotters.

The work that we were doing involved learning a number of different technologies. At the time, we were also working with a network system called Novell. I started reading a manual on this to learn more about technology and to increase my understanding of its use. That’s kind of where I started to really make efforts in learning about both hardware and software.

At one point, around 1993-1994, we did become one of the first resellers to sell the Intergraph Engineering Modelling System (EMS). As solid modelling started to gain more popularity, we started learning Solid Edge and the Jupiter Project.

We went down to Alabama to learn the software and found it challenging to create the designs that we had set out to do as part of the training.

During that week, we spent time with some other folks in the industry and learned about another solid modelling tool that was being developed – SOLIDWORKS. Tim Preston showed us SOLIDWORKS and then put us in touch with Vic Leventhal to discuss becoming a reseller of the software. Vic was instrumental in the development of the SOLIDWORKS sales channel.

I remember the 1^st version of SOLIDWORKS being sold in beta form for about $1,300.

Jeff, having worked at GSC for so long, please share with us some of the roles you’ve had.

Sure – early on in my career with GSC I worked in tech support. As we were a small company, we all held multiples roles and I was also the marketing person for a while. We created some promotional pamphlets about SOLIDWORKS to send out to customers. I also helped with logo creation, designing t-shirts, and miscellaneous marketing tasks. For a bit, I even worked as the internal IT person. We just did what we needed to do as a small company.

As our team grew, I took on the role of Technical Services Manager which I did for a long time. That was probably the longest role I’ve had with GSC. Over time, others started taking on other roles and I’ve now grown into the position of Technology Evangelist.

Jeff’s twin brother, John Setzer, started at GSC about 3 years after John, he had been an English teacher and developed an interest in CAD and technology. He now works as the Training Manager at GSC.

What does a Technology Evangelist do?

To be honest, I gave myself this title a few years back and it’s really defined what I like to do. In the role of Technology Evangelist, I take a lot of time to learn software products and then advise people on how new technology can help them. I’m not training them in how to use the software, but more providing counsel and advocacy in what they should be using.

Honestly, it really is more of a technology and marketing role combined. I spend a lot of time with both teams during my work week but find I’m working more with marketing. We help create messaging about software and technology for the community to learn about products. Creating content and promotions are really helpful to support things like our Technical Communications Week that we host. While I didn’t participate directly in the event, I worked with marketing to create some of the promotional content – it’s fun to create ways to talk about technology.

I love participating in the software rollout events and look forward to it every year. It’s at the rollout events and other events where I do more talking and ‘evangelizing’ of software.

While it’s my job to learn and stay updated on SOLIDWORKS software (including products such as Electrical PCB, Simulation, etc.) as well as what’s available through the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, I also keep an eye on competitive software so I can understand what else is being used out there.

I’m a huge advocate for thinking differently.

With respect to knowing and understanding technologies – I’ve been known to be the one to say, “I’m here to tell you what you may need to hear, not what you may want to hear”.

Dolphin Solutions Reduce Design Time and Create a Great Customer Experience with DriveWorks

Dolphin Solutions, headquartered in Robertsbridge UK, design and supply a range of products and accessories for commercial washrooms.

We recently caught up with Robert Allen, Product Design Engineer and main DriveWorks Administrator at Dolphin Solutions to see how they’ve implemented the software over the past few years.

Dolphin Solutions purchased DriveWorks in 2017 with the aim of creating an online sales configurator tool that would help them to achieve two key targets;

• Reduce Design Resources
• Create a Great Customer Experience

Designing to Order — Before DriveWorks

Before DriveWorks, Robert manually designed each individual bespoke mirror unit from scratch using SOLIDWORKS. He also manually created all the production files for the product.

The sales team handled the initial request. Then Robert designed the unit which then needed to be signed off before being sent to production.

This was a lengthy and time-consuming process, involving a lot of back and forth between Robert and the sales team to ensure the design for the bespoke product was not only to the customer’s specification but also that it was correct for manufacturing standards.

This process could take days and even weeks before the customer received the product they’d ordered.

Dolphin Alavo Washroom System

A Great Customer Experience

Robert also wanted to create an online configurator that was easy to use, contained all the relevant information, but was also aesthetically pleasing, slick, and professional.

Robert used DriveWorks to create a flowing set of pages, that easily guide the customer through the configuration process.

Knowing the value of this to the company, Robert was given the time to create a great experience.

Guided Selling

Robert has created forms that guide users based on their selections, for example, the height of the washbasin, the number of wash stations, and appliances.

Each time a selection is made, the online configurator filters the customer a step closer to a final design.

Based on the previous selection, options will become greyed out if they are unavailable.

Robert has also used the Tooltip Text property to display extra information when a customer hovers over a control.

This declutters the form and also ensures that the customer inputs the correct information.

Capturing Customer Data

When a customer has completed a specification, their details are captured on the last page of the form and they are given a unique specification ID.

This allows Dolphin to track orders and assign the ID to the customer’s project.

An email alert is also triggered when a specification is complete, automatically sending an email to the sales and marketing team, with information such as the customer name, email, phone number and company.

The customer also receives one automatically as confirmation of their request.

Automating Drawing Creation

To eliminate even more design time, Dolphin Solutions have also automated the creation of drawings.

The process used to be manual, but now with DriveWorks and SOLIDWORKS working together, a drawing is automatically generated for each specification, ready for manufacturing.

Continued Success

Dolphin’s configurator has been live for over 2 years now and they are consistently recording more interaction with it month on month, with a slight dip owing to the global pandemic.

When asked how they’ve achieved so much success with DriveWorks, Robert says that a huge factor is being given dedicated time to work on DriveWorks.

When first tasked with creating the configurator, Robert went to his directors and said “if you want me to deliver DriveWorks, I am going to need some serious time on this.”

Robert then spent 50-75% of his working time on DriveWorks for the year leading up to the release of their impressive online configurator.

Having achieved their two targets; reducing design time and improving customer experience, we’re excited to see what else this innovative company achieve next!

See What You Can Achieve with DriveWorks

Explore our online product configurator examples to see the many different ways DriveWorks can be used for design automation and digital selling.

Last week, we were excited to host the second DriveWorks Drivers virtual networking meeting! 

DriveWorks Drivers Second Virtual Meeting 

After the success of the first meeting and lots of positive feedback from attendees, we decided to keep the event in the same format.

Once again, the event was split into two Microsoft Teams meetings, the first DriveWorks Drivers networking event took place at 3pm GMT and the second took place at 9pm GMT. 

During the 3pm GMT meeting, we were excited to be joined by 57 DriveWorks users and 41 DriveWorks users in the 9pm GMT meeting.

It was great to welcome even more enthusiastic DriveWorks users to share and connect.

Here’s just some of them!

Technical Updates, Networking and Much More

The aim of DriveWorks Drivers is to create a space for DriveWorks users to share DriveWorks knowledge, ideas and connect with each other.

Whilst all DriveWorks Drivers meetings will be user-led, we wanted to give the opportunity for DriveWorks users to learn a bit more about our team and what we get up to.

During the meeting, we were joined by a member of the technical team, Ian Prossor.  Ian shared what he has been working on recently for DriveWorks 19, his focus on creating content for Digital DriveWorks World and how we use a configurator to order our Fish & Chips on a Friday!

As well as lots of exciting conversations taking place, we also tested our customer’s and reseller’s DriveWorks knowledge with a special DriveWorks quiz!

Guest Presenters 

We know how important it is for DriveWorks users to share ideas and tips with each other.

Customer presentations will be a big part of all DriveWorks Drivers meetings. We were extremely excited to welcome more DriveWors Drivers guest presenters to this session.

Zach Long – CHL Systems

First up in the 3pm meeting Zach Long, from CHL Systems shared his DriveWorks story.

CHL Systems are a design/build system integration company that provides custom engineered solutions based in Souderton,PA. CHL Systems first purchased DriveWorks Pro in 2018. They had the goal of implementing a conveyor configurator and taking design time from 40+ hours down to 8-12 hours.

Zach spoke about how CHL Systems implemented its DriveWorks project.  Starting off automating subassemblies, they can now easily make an entire conveyor or only subassembly. 

It was great to hear about the huge time savings CHL Systems are making when configuring conveyors. We loved to see the presentation sparked an interesting discussion on how to approach a DriveWorks project and overcome any challenges that may come along.

Joe Miller – D.S.Brown

Next up Joe Miller from D.S.Brown took the floor. D.S.Brown provides expansion joint systems and speciality products for bridges around the globe. Based in Ohio, Joe started as an engineering manager 21 years ago. In 2016, they developed a project to switch from 2D CAD, to SOLIDWORKS and DriveWorks, as well as introducing a PLM system.

Before implementing data automation, approximately 70% of data entry was redundant work with multiple tools being needed to capture and share data between departments.

After implementing DriveWorks, much of this process is now automated.  As a user works through a specification, the project automates the generation of documents, 3D model creation, Bills of materials and even custom terms and conditions forms.

Niels Christian Eskelund – Green Box

During the 9 pm meeting, we heard from Niels Christian Eskelund based in Denmark. Niels first stared using DriveWorks at his previous company. He began using it in his role at Green Box in 2016. Green Box produces and delivers prefabricated bathrooms in an innovative and lightweight construction with a concrete floor. They make bathrooms on a line with 16 bathrooms a day shipped out.

Green Box has been using DriveWorks to build an entire bathroom. Right now they have the shell and production drawings.  The future goal is to use DriveWorks Live to bring out a DriveWorks configurator for customers and architects to configure the bathrooms.

It was great to hear that in the future Niels will be continuing to implement as much as possible into DriveWorks and continue making use of the new DriveWorks Learning Portal.

What’s Next?

We were delighted to welcome so many DriveWorks users to the second DriveWorks Drivers virtual networking meeting.

It was great to see everyone interacting and talking all things DriveWorks.

We will be hosting four DriveWorks Drivers events each year, with the next one scheduled for June 2021.

If you would like to register your interest for the next event, please get in touch with us.

Recently on the InPod by InFlow Podcast, host Nick Sweeney from InFlow Technology was joined by DriveWorks Heather Hasz and Bridie Mills to discuss all things DriveWorks.

InPOD by InFLow

Every Wednesday, Nick Sweeney, Pre Sales, Application Engineer at InFlow-Technology releases a new InPOD by InFlow podcast.

Each podcast Nick is joined by special guests to discuss all the different products that InFlow offers and supports.

Starting with some conversations about SOLIDWORKS, Nick covers all sorts of topics.

Each week Nick is joined by professionals from around the company and around the Dassault channel community.

InPod Features DriveWorks

For this two-part special of InPod, Nick was joined by DriveWorks Brand & Community Ambassador, Heather Hasz and Technology and Brand Champion, Bridie Mills.

In the podcast, Heather and Bridie talk about the exciting launch of the brand new DriveWorks Community, the DriveWorks Education Program and our new digital event that aims to connect DriveWorks users from around the world!

Through the podcast, Heather and Bridie talk with Nick about all of the different areas of the community that DriveWorks reach as well as all the great resources we have available to DriveWorks users of all ages and levels.

In December, we were extremely busy launching the new DriveWorks Community and the DriveWorks Learning Portal. With over 1000 users registered already, it’s clear to see how active the community is!

We were also super excited to host the first-ever DriveWorks Drivers virtual networking meeting. In the podcast, Heather and Bridie talk about the success of the event and how we plan to continue growing this programme in the future.

In Part Two, Nick, Heather and Bridie continue the conversation and talk about growth and development with careers. One of the big topics they discuss is getting people into a “design automation headspace” and the benefits of understanding what automation can do for you.

Each week Nick tweet’s the latest episode of InPod by InFlow and a teaser for it on his InFlow Twitter Account (@NSweeney_InFlow).

Listen to the full podcast here and find more great podcasts from Nick Sweeney: InPOD by InFlow.

Carrosserie Cazaux are Saving Time by Driving New Variations with DriveWorks Solo

Carrosserie Cazaux are a leading manufacturer of custom-made refrigeration units for carrier vehicles of up to 26 tonnes, as well as containers, cold rooms, trailers and custom units.

Based in France, Carrosserie Cazaux was founded in 1983.

Implementing DriveWorks

Carrosserrie started using DriveWorks Solo in 2019 and used it to develop a configurator inside SOLIDWORKS that drives dimensions and appearances.

They have also automated the placement of different features on a model.

When describing how DriveWorks has benefitted the company, Guillaume Guerin, design engineer at Carrosserie Cazaux says that “DriveWorks is interactive and fun to use, more flexible, and benefits from the excel syntax in the rules builder.”

Guillaume says that this is particularly beneficial when first learning how to use DriveWorks.

At Carrosserie, DriveWorks is used internally by the engineering team.

Since implementing the software, they have found it much easier to train up new members of the team, owing to the simplicity in writing the rules and in using the software itself.

Using Define Tables

Guillaume says that Carrosserie have benefitted particularly from using tables in DriveWorks Solo.

The ability to work with tabular data allows the user to import data into static tables, from any existing databases and spreadsheets.

This data can then be queried and used to drive new variations.

Automating Drawings

Carrosserie Cazaux also uses DriveWorks Solo to automate the creation of manufacturing data and drawings.

The image on the right shows an example of a custom 2D drawing that has been automatically generated by DriveWorks Solo inside SOLIDWORKS.

Each drawing is updated and customized with the company logo, the designer, the date and the client. It is then ready to be sent to the manufacturing floor.

Form Navigation

Carroserrie Cazaux have also benefitted from the ability to design their own forms inside DriveWorks Solo.

These then appear in the SOLIDWORKS task pane.

Using decisions, you can also set up a custom navigation.

This allows you to show specific forms and follow a set path based on values entered.

Benefits of DriveWorks Solo

When asked what the most important thing about implementing DriveWorks Solo has been for the company, Guillaume says “the speed in getting our products into production.”

We look forward to following the progress at Carrosserie Cazaux!

Download and Use DriveWorks Solo Free for 30 Days

Follow the 3 easy steps below to download the DriveWorks Solo 30 Day Free Trial and see what time savings you can achieve.

Automate SOLIDWORKS Parts, Assemblies and Drawings.

Save time, reduce errors and innovate more.

Building on 20 Years of Innovation

2021 marks 20 years of continuous innovation and automation for DriveWorks co-founders, CEO, Glen Smith, and VP, Maria Sarkar. It also marks the start of the next phase of our strategic plan, thanks to investment from BGF, the UK’s most active growth capital investor.

At DriveWorks, we have a strong track record of adding to our design automation and configurator capabilities year after year, by listening to customers and anticipating market needs. We’ve also forged strong partnerships with SOLIDWORKS, Microsoft, and many local organizations, colleges, universities, and schools.

In 2019, our technology and team were recognized with Queen’s Awards for Innovation and International Trade.

Now in 2021, we’re excited to announce that we have partnered with another Queen’s Award-winning company, BGF – an established, independent investment company that has backed almost 400 businesses in the UK since 2011.

With BGF we are supported by a knowledgeable team with a non-controlling approach. This means we can lean on them for support, guidance, and funding. DriveWorks will continue to be led by Glen and Maria, with the same core values and commitments to users, technology, and our team.

The funding from BGF provides us with more opportunities to scale, invest in our international markets, and of course develop our technology further.

BGF’s company culture is very similar to our own and we’re looking forward to working with them. We’re excited about this partnership and look forward to meeting other BGF funded companies.

See the press release below for more information about the funding and what it means to us.

“With BGF’s support, we have an opportunity to build on our growth with continued investment in our software and focus on international expansion into new and existing markets. We’ve been impressed with BGF and their expertise in supporting the scale-up of technology businesses in our sector which will be key to achieving our ambitions for DriveWorks.”

– Maria Sarkar, VP & Co-Founder, DriveWorks Ltd

BGF Backs DriveWorks for Further International Expansion

BGF – the UK’s most active growth capital investor – has invested £4 million into double Queen’s award-winner, DriveWorks. The Warrington-headquartered company works with manufacturing and engineering businesses to provide innovative design automation and 3D sales product configuration software solutions.

The fast-growing technology company was co-founded by CEO Glen Smith and VP Maria Sarkar in 2001 with the creation of DriveWorks software as a design tool to automate SOLIDWORKS, the world’s leading 3D CAD design platform.

With an already established userbase in the US, DriveWorks’ technology has a truly global reach and is utilised by thousands of customers across 47 countries.

BGF’s funding will support continued investment in technology to accelerate growth and position the business to address the significant market demand for customised 3D product visualisation in an increasingly virtual world.

Commenting on the deal, co-founders Glen Smith and Maria Sarkar said: “Our company is built on innovative technology, high standards and above all else the quality and commitment of our people to our customer base and channel partners.

“With BGF’s support, we have an opportunity to build on our growth with continued investment in our software and focus on international expansion into new and existing markets. We’ve been impressed with BGF and their expertise in supporting the scale-up of technology businesses in our sector which will be key to achieving our ambitions for DriveWorks.”

Harry Jones from BGF originated and led the deal. He said: “DriveWorks is an excellent business with unique and world-leading technology which has significant global potential to help manufacturing companies generate more sales whilst also driving efficiencies in their production processes. We have also been impressed by the founders’ commitment to their team and investing in talent within the business which gives a strong cultural alignment between our organisations. All of these elements, combined with our support, investment and attractive sector fundamentals, mean DriveWorks is primed to scale its operations.”

“This is a sector BGF knows well having previously backed Solid Solutions – the UK’s largest reseller of SOLIDWORKS, in 2016 which more than tripled revenues through significant organic and acquisitive growth over a four-year period before a successful exit last year.”

Harry Jones, Business Growth Fund

The advisors to the transaction were: Knights (Legals for BGF), DTM Legal (Legals for Management), Mattocks Grindley (Financials for Management) and Hurst (Tax DD).

“DriveWorks is an excellent business with unique and world-leading technology which has significant global potential to help manufacturing companies generate more sales whilst also driving efficiencies in their production processes. We have also been impressed by the founders’ commitment to their team and investing in talent within the business which gives a strong cultural alignment between our organisations. All of these elements, combined with our support, investment and attractive sector fundamentals, mean DriveWorks is primed to scale its operations.”

– Harry Jones, Business Growth Fund

About BGF:

• BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested £2.5bn in nearly 400 companies, making it the most active investor in the UK.
• BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with a patient outlook on investments, based on shared long-term goals with the management teams it backs.
• BGF invests in growing businesses in the UK and Ireland through its network of 16 offices.
• BGF models have now been set up in Canada and Australia, with other countries evaluating the opportunity to replicate this.

The DriveWorks Community

The DriveWorks Community is our user portal, bringing together DriveWorks users from around the world.

The community is a place for our resellers, customers and partners to come together and find useful resources. Whether you’re trialing DriveWorks Solo, familiar with DriveWorks Pro, or from a reseller sales, technical or order admin team, the community is a place for everyone.

It’s our opportunity to help you by providing content, resources and opportunities to connect with other users.

The DriveWorks Community includes many important downloads – including DriveWorks software and PowerPacks, learning and training materials and many other useful resources.

We’ve built a new DriveWorks Community at my.driveworks.co.uk.

The new MyDriveWorks community includes improvements to the user experience, to make it easier for you to find the content you need.

We’ve personalised each page based on the software you have, so you only see what’s relevant to you.

We’ve improved the stability of downloads making them quicker and easier.

The new forum we’ve introduced enables you to connect with other people using DriveWorks – this is a great place to chat with others, share ideas, ask questions and share your knowledge with each other.

We’ve added even more learning resources and the new online learning portal makes it even easier for you to learn and see your progress. You can access the content to add to your knowledge from anywhere and at any time.

Overall, we’ve made sure you are better informed about what’s going on with clearer updates within the community.

With MyDriveWorks it’s even easier than ever to keep your knowledge and software up to date and ensure you’re getting the most from your DriveWorks software.

Setting Up a MyDriveWorks Account

You need to create an account, even if you had an account in the previous DriveWorks Community.

It’s quick and easy to create a MyDriveWorks account and get access to the new resources.

Creating an account on MyDriveWorks is free, easy, and quick.

Having an account gives you access to lots of useful resources and helpful content.

To access the new MyDriveWorks, you will need to head to my.driveworks.co.uk and first set up an account. Even if you had an account in our previous community, you will need to create a new account.

All you need to set up a MyDriveWorks account is your email address. We recommend you use your business or academic email address.

Head to the homepage and click on the link and create a new MyDriveWorks account.

1. Enter Details

Enter your details into the form. You will need to enter your first name, surname and your email address.

2. Set Password

Once you’ve entered your details, you will need to set yourself a memorable password, in line with our password policy.

3. Click & Subscribe

4. Verify Email

The final step in creating your account is verifying your email address. You will receive an email from us with a verification code to activate your MyDriveWorks account. The code will be active for 1 hour before expiring.

If you don’t receive the verification email, make sure to check your spam folder and ensure that your email address is correct.

Set up Your Profile

Once you have verified your email, click on your name in the top right corner of My.DriveWorks to edit your profile. Upload an image or an avatar to your profile and change your details here.

Explore MyDriveWorks

With MyDriveWorks it’s even easier than ever to keep your knowledge and software up to date and ensure you’re getting the most from your DriveWorks software.

User Forum

Join the conversation in the DriveWorks forum. Share ideas and connect with other users.

Download Software

Download the latest DriveWorks software and PowerPacks or find previous versions.

Learning Portal

Access exclusive DriveWorks learning resources and build on your knowledge.

Webinars & Events

See upcoming events and webinars, sign up, get involved and join us to learn and network.

DriveWorks Online Learning

Gain the skills you need to succeed with online learning resources

As part of the new DriveWorks Community, we are proud to present an entirely new DriveWorks Learning Portal.

The new Learning Portal offers a whole host of DriveWorks training courses and resources for you to access at any time.

We have set up the DriveWorks Learning Portal to make learning easier for you, with everything you need in one place.

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, we have resources to help you succeed!

The Learning Portal is packed with courses suited to all types of DriveWorks user.

Get Involved & Start Learning 

Create an account and start exploring the new DriveWorks Community.

Discover all of the resources you have available, download the lastest DriveWorks software or start a conversation in the forum.