CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
15 January 2009
Product News
Kinnosa 4.1 Released for Engineering Document Management
First Trace, Inc. has released Kinnosa 4.1 for engineering document management of complex CAD files and design processes. New enhancements have been added to Kinnosa's service-oriented architecture (SOA) to improve Engineering Enterprises' visibility of critical data, improve collaboration among distributed teams, and automate business processes. "Document management problems only get worse when firms are forced to lay off people in tough economic times like we see today," said Terry Simpson, President of First Trace. "Kinnosa 4.1 is an easy-to-use tool that can eliminate expensive process breakdowns, enhance collaboration, and begin generating quantifiable ROI immediately."
Kinnosa's service-oriented architecture (SOA) and open data repository make it the most adaptable software solution for managing engineering files produced by CAD tools from Autodesk, SolidWorks and Bentley Systems. Application add-ins place Kinnosa functionality directly into the menu bar of CAD tools and Microsoft Office programs so engineering and office users can easily manage files from within the programs they use daily. Kinnosa's integration with Windows Explorer makes searching, viewing and collaborating on documents across a distributed enterprise extremely efficient.
Kinnosa's content searching capabilities have been improved with this new release, providing simplified visibility of crucial information. Users have more choices and flexibility in how they want to search, organize and use their data. The addition of Search Folders and Saved Searches means users can create and reuse custom searches based on document types, properties, and other criteria. "Files are still stored in their original location, but Search Folders provide an easy way to organize, search and view files, without complicating data management," said Simpson.
The current economic climate is forcing firms to do more with less, so solutions that eliminate or automate manual processes are gaining popularity. Kinnosa 4.1 includes additional Workflow Services to manage and automate real-world business processes, such as design, collaboration, review, release and publishing activities. Kinnosa users that design using SolidWorks can easily generate a PDF Rendition from a CAD file for quick review, document publishing and a myriad of other uses. ERP systems, purchasing departments, and other corporate groups often need specific information from CAD files to drive production. Kinnosa's new Bill-of-Materials (BOM) Service allows SolidWorks users to extract BOM information from a drawing into an Excel file, where it can be promptly delivered to other enterprise systems and groups.
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