So you have to outsource. Manufacturers can, he says, go some way to regaining control by building on internet communications and linking all those involved in the production cycle. Manufacturers have to get their main suppliers into the loop and communicate with them throughout design and development. Otherwise you end up with people not knowing about changes and design decisions until it is too late. Mr Espey says that CSC is working with manufacturers in Europe on Innovation Studio - a project which aims to solve this problem.
Studio brings the suppliers into the design and production environment.
The idea is to promote collaboration - whether physical or virtual. If companies do not share the same Cad systems then they cannot build a common model. CSC's Innovation Studio uses the web as a way to bridge the gap. It includes a set of software tools that can translate different Cad formats so that a web browser can view drawings. The Studio aims to cover the complete product life cycle - from design, through development and production to maintenance.