So what is CoLab?

Is it a collaboration platform?

Yes, but collaboration is a broad term that means different things to different people. Your engineering team probably uses a bunch of tools for collaboration already—things like PDM, PLM, Jira, email, and Microsoft Teams.

So, where does CoLab fit in?
  • $3M
    savings in one VA event
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  • 8 figures
    annual cost savings
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  • 4X
    faster supplier reviews
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  • 15%
    COPQ improvement
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  • 30%
    shorter lead times
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  • 2X
    faster design cycles
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CoLab is a cloud based platform purpose built for fast, effective design review. Using CoLab, multiple engineers, designers, and other stakeholders can review designs together and build off one another's feedback.

CoLab makes it easy to review the right data (including CAD) with all the right people, capture useful feedback, and track issues through to action.

CoLab pulls together design discussions previously lost in emails, spreadsheets, and notebooks into a single platform that integrates back into PLM.

We call it a Design Engagement System.

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Comment example

How does it work?

review ai

Automate lessons learned and routine design checks with ReviewAI

As your team uses CoLab and more data gets collected, ReviewAI starts to surface lessons learned automatically. Eventually, you can even ask ReviewAI to complete simple design checks for you. So, your team can do more high-impact engineering work.

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If you're ready to finally get:

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Design decisions captured in one place
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Every reviewer access to 3D models
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Design reviews that work with your existing CAD and PLM systems
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Issue management automated

Then, schedule a call with us to see if CoLab is the right fit for your team.

Schedule a demo
Dashboard

Connecting CoLab with PLM and CAD is fast, easy, and secure.

CoLab integrates with major PLM systems, including Windchill, Teamcenter, and 3DXperience. You can share CAD directly to CoLab from your PLM, maintaining critical data associations. Because CoLab accepts 30+ file types, it’s easy to review native CAD, even if you’re working with a supplier or customer that uses a different CAD tool.

colab connect to applications
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What makes CoLab different

Share design files with anyone

It should be easy to share design files with the people you need feedback from—without compromising your IP security or downloading half a dozen CAD viewers. And with CoLab, it is easy. Securely push drawings or models to CoLab and set the appropriate permissions. Then use a simple link that lets anyone open and view files, right in their web browser.

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Share dashboard overview
Comment example

Reference the right files, feedback, and design history every time you make a decision

Assembling engineering files for a design review can take hours. Sometimes, key files are left out of a package. Not to mention design history, which may be buried in old emails, slide decks, or spreadsheets. By doing your work in CoLab, you’ll automatically create a centralized database of reviews and feedback across every revision of every file. Need to bring a new SME up to speed? Reviewers can quickly toggle between files and see all relevant feedback in the context of the model.

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Replace sequential workflows with engaging reviews

Reviews are often sequential, with one person creating markups, then sending them to the next person. This can lead to duplicate feedback, comments that contradict one another, and even late stage errors. With CoLab, you can review files together and see other people’s feedback populate in real-time. Instead of sending static markups back and forth, reviewers can interact with each other via discussion threads. If you need someone’s help to resolve an issue, bring them into the discussion with an @ mention (just like you would on social media).

Activity overview
Feedback dashboard

Automate design review admin

Documenting feedback during a design review is manual and time consuming. And the more context you capture, the more admin work it takes. It’s no wonder that 43% of all feedback from design reviews is never documented at all. That’s why CoLab automatically tracks and organizes design feedback, as you do the work. Leaving feedback during a review creates a unique object that is automatically organized into a database and assigned its own URL.

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FAQs about using CoLab for Design Review

Our PLM has design review workflows. How is this different?

Our CAD viewer has markup capabilities. How is this different?

We have folks on the team who have never interacted with a 3D model. How easy is the software for them?

We launch 300+ projects a year. How can we be sure the interface won’t get bogged down with workspaces, files and notifications?

We often have 100+ comments on a design. Is there a way to quickly find the design feedback I need?

Sometimes, during a design review, an engineer will have a really novel idea. But it’s not relevant to the review. How can I save these ideas for another time?

Better products start with better design conversations.

CoLab works hand-in-hand with your existing tools. With native file support for 70+ file formats and out-of-the-box integrations for major CAD/PLM systems, CoLab fits perfectly into your engineering tech stack.

Schedule a talk with a CoLab product expert.