The Client
Edwards is a leading global supplier of integrated solutions for the manufacture of semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells and a leader in vacuum technology for industrial, pharmaceutical, chemical, scientific, process, glass coating and food packaging industries as well as a wide range of R&D applications. Edwards employs more than 3,000 people worldwide in the design, manufacture and support of high tech vacuum pumps and exhaust management equipment, and offers a wide range of other pumping technologies and related products, supported by an international sales and service organization.

The Challenge
Like many large manufacturing organizations with multiple product and technology offerings, Edwards outsources some of its low risk manufacturing capabilities to a number of third-party licensed manufacturers around the globe. To assist in these manufacturing efforts and ensure that corporate standards are met, Edwards stores its thousands of critical drawing assets on their Engineering Database, to which all stakeholders – both internal and external – have access depending on their permissions. The documents housed in this database consist of a wide variety of file formats, so third-party software programs are often required in order to view, edit and save the various assets.

Without an effective asset management system in place, Edwards recognized the risk of losing control over drawing assets that are not only central to the function of the organization, but often contain sensitive and confidential information.

The Solution
Edwards looked to Ensemble to help them modify existing processes by which they could use standard rights management functionality to provide authenticated user access to their asset repository.

After a thorough review of Edwards existing processes, Ensemble assisted with the installation and upgrading of Adobe® LiveCycle® to support level and assisted with the modification of existing processes by which Edwards could protect and distribute their design assets to internal and external stakeholders.

Remote end points were set up for Edwards’s satellite offices and at the various third-party manufacturing locations allowing design assets to be effectively distributed and shared. Embedded metadata in files allows them to link back to policies on the server with a centrally managed interface so users and/or administrators can change or edit policies in real time to remove or add users and groups.

To accommodate the two separate groups of stakeholders, two managed policies were created that restricted access to assets and included an audit trail illustrating user actions, allowing Edwards managers to view who does what with their drawing assets.

The Bottom Line
To date, Edwards has successfully deployed Adobe® LiveCycle® across their various lines of business, effectively managing and protecting their repository of design assets. Restricted access to the Edwards Database was improved and all file types were consolidated into PDF, allowing for easier file interrogations and audits.

Through this process, information policies are dynamically managed and documents are protected both on- and offline, enhancing secure access to Edwards digital assets.

Client

Technologies

Website
edwardsvacuum.com

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Case Study as PDF

“Adobe is delighted to have had the opportunity to partner with Ensemble on a number of value added solutions for a diverse range of clients. Thanks to the combination of Ensemble’s enterprise software expertise and Adobe’s Customer Experience Management solutions, Edwards Vacuum is experiencing firsthand the benefits of implementing Adobe solutions in a business context.”
Bertil Snel, Director worldwide partner marketing, Adobe Systems

"Our Engineering Database is critical to our continued success, and while we need to make the assets within the database accessible to authorized viewers, we are very cognisant of the fact that these materials contain a large amount of proprietary information. By implementing Adobe Digital Rights Management, not only are we safeguarded against intellectual property theft, but we are given an unprecedented level of control and security with regards to how these assets are delivered.”
Mark Hadlum, Global CAD/CAM Manager, Edwards