Core77

[steppenwolf]

So, here is the latest "problem" i am trying to solve for the design consultancy i am working for.

We got 4 offices, in 4 countries in 2 continents and what we have figured out is the lack of information that flows between these 4 locations. There are times that we do not know on what projects each office is currently working on, what research is conducting, the experience it gains. The top management assigned my to find on solutions.
Of course we do have out Facebook, Linkedin pages but these mediums offer limited solutions for the variety of information we want/need to share, plus not all of us constantly check them ( ).

In the past, we have also used Springpad ( https://springpad.com ), it is nice to post images and articles but then it is not that flexible and again people will not really login that often to have this constant flow of information/updtaes.

Ideally, i was wondering of there is a software with a permanent “window” open on the pc desktop that would provide there live info (plus notification) and then maybe get you a link to the main area (software, folder, cloud software whatever) where everything can be stored, searched, uploaded, shared etc.

Is there something like this?

Really how do you, or your office manages to document, store and share knowledge/info?

Thanks!

[dynamitetalks]

Grabcad.com has a platform for cad design management.
or dropbox for cloudspace.

[sprockets]

SharePoint

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_SharePoint

[steppenwolf]

@ dynamitetalks , thank, i use grabcad but i did not know about this function. However we need something more than sharing CAD files as our services and industries are not only in ID/Engineering. Thanks your your suggestion though!
@sprockets, ha, i actually found out just yesterday about this software but as it is an MS product i was a bit reluctant about its functionality... however after you mentioned it i looked at it again and it seems to be covering a number of needs we have. Do you happen to use it? How do you like it?

[sprockets]

I have used SharePoint for a few years and, for the most part, it works well. However it is extremely flexible and can be customized to do pretty much whatever (assuming the SharePoint consultant you hire knows what they are doing).

I have no idea how integrated SharePoint is in the systems where I work but 2500 employees on three continents are able to share files fairly well (there are size restrictions that keep us from using large files, like 3D scan data, with SharePoint).

All CAD data is controlled via Windchill so the SharePoint functions are limited pretty much to MS Office documents. Like Windchill (or other PDM) you can check in, check out, and control revisions.

[steppenwolf]

springpad we were using is closing.. pitty as i think it was a pretty nice software for what we were using for actually. I think all the other ones are either more complicated (and not free) or not as visual as springpad was.