5 Digital Tools to Help Your Engineering Firm Streamline Operations

To compete in today’s engineering sector, specialized software is a must-have. The modern engineer has come to rely on software to eliminate errors and save time while improving overall work quality. Top engineering firms and industry recruiters are placing a high value on operational proficiency with various digital platforms and networks.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has identified a variety of ways that software programs have completely revolutionized engineering design and production processes in areas such as:

• Production Control

• Structural Analysis

• Geotechnical Analysis

• Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

• Engineering Calculations

• Modeling 3D Data

• Programming and Coding

The benefits of quality software are not strictly limited to engineering design and production. After all, engineering firms are also businesses, and they’re businesses that have their own particular set of unique challenges and needs. For this reason, BQE adamantly believes that every list of useful engineering software should go beyond mere design and production to encompass all areas of engineering firm operation.

BQE is always ready to help engineers improve their job efficiency and gain a distinct edge over their closest competitors. That said, here is a list of the five best digital tools to help streamline your engineering firm’s operational processes.

1. BQE CORE

A partner of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Architects, BQE is a renowned leader in the creation and support of proprietary professional services software for engineering firms. Our CORE platform allows clients to choose among a number of software modules that can automate and optimize engineering firm operations in areas that include:

• Project Management

• Automatic Billing

• Working Time and Expense Tracking

• Invoice Management

• Human Resource Management and Compliance

Unparalleled in terms of efficiency and versatility, BQE CORE was created to meet the specific and unique wants and needs of engineers and engineering sector administrators. It’s a platform that can impact and improve nearly every operation of an engineering practice. 

2. Autodesk Product Design Suite

When it comes to outstanding 3D modeling and engineering design software, it is tough to beat the iconic Autodesk. Pannam Imaging, the leading manufacturer of equipment membrane switches and keypads, identifies the extreme versatility of the Autodesk Product Design Suite as the secret to its success.

From simulation and visualization to digital prototyping, this platform has everything that an engineer needs to boost efficiency and quality, thereby significantly streamlining overall firm operations. Even better, it allows groups of registered team members to collaborate on integrated electrical and mechanical designs. Autodesk has a proven ability to reduce final manufacturing costs through a combination of accurate design documentation and product manufacturability evaluation.

3. MATLAB

Another leading name in the field of engineering software, MATLAB is one of the favorite design tools of engineers around the world. A MathWorks product, this platform allows for matrix manipulation, user interface creation, function/data plotting, and algorithm implementation.

MATLAB is a key driver of deep learning, machine learning, signal processing, image and video processing, model creation, computational finance, control system, computational biology, and test/measurement engineering initiatives worldwide. Adding to its value, MATLAB is capable of creating and interfacing with programs that are written in a wide variety of computer languages.

4. PandaDoc

Although design and production obviously occupy a great deal of the average engineer’s workday, an engineering firm certainly won’t last long without a concerted dual focus on internal human resources and external client transactions and interactions.

PandaDoc is designed to help users create and use the practical proposals, quotes, contracts, and employee documents that they need in order to keep their businesses moving forward. Let’s face it: paperwork is both tedious and time consuming. By leveraging the power of PandaDoc, you can avoid the headache of paperwork and free up time for far more important tasks.

5. Slack

Like paperwork, communication is an essential part of doing business no matter what business you happen to be in. Engineers, however, often need more than other professionals when it comes to mounting and sustaining highly effective communication channels. After all, you don’t have to be an expert communicator to crunch numbers!

Completing engineering projects, however, requires open and constant communication among team leaders, employees, and clients alike. An extremely user-friendly and professionally oriented online chat platform. Slack is a great place to connect, share files, and get work done. It is a particularly helpful, if not essential, digital tool for any firm that has important team members working remotely from home.

The right digital tools help your engineering firm save time, minimize errors, and expand its design capabilities by leaps and bounds. The market is saturated with countless software platforms that are marketed to engineering firms, so BQE has done the work for you and decided that the five listed above are a great place to start. Check them out and determine which will work the best for your firm!