B2B SaaS · Workflow design · User research · Concept

Prototype Handoff: CAD to Factory

Concept: drop a CAD file and the spec fills itself in.

At a glance

Problem

Before pre-production, physical prototypes had no shared system. 3 of 4 designers spent about half their week on data entry and tracking. Specs went out incomplete, and frustrated factory managers pushed prototypes to the back of the line.

Solution

A “file extension transfer” concept. Drop CAD files named brand_style name_stock number and the spec fields fill themselves in. Designers and factory agents share one prototype status.

“File extension transfer” · concept

Drop a CAD filebrand_style name_stock number
Spec fields fill themselvesBrandbrandStyle namestyle nameStock numberstock number
One shared prototype statusDesigners and factory agents

Impact

Design target: cut designers’ manual data input by 80%. Not yet tested.

Context

At Washington Shoe Company (Chooka, Staheekum), pre-production runs in PLM. The sampling stage before it, where prototypes are specced, made, shipped, and tracked, had no fast, shared system. This concept adds prototype management as a new category in monday.com.

Role: Product designer: research, process mapping, concept design
Context: Washington Shoe Company (Chooka, Staheekum)
Team: Jill K., Mark M.
Status: Concept

Concept prototype: CAD files dropped onto the monday.com board fill in the spec fields — Interactive concept prototype · File extension transfer

See more if interested

01 / Problem

Prototypes had no shared system

Sampling before pre-production was slow and manual. Designers re-keyed spec data, specs went out incomplete, and factory agents chased missing details, so prototypes were delayed or pushed to the back of the line.

The 8-step process

Design → spec → data input → factory revises spec
Protos made → shipped → arrive → tagged and stored

Step 2: spec drawing with measurements — Step 2 · Spec

Step 3: data input and prototype tracking — Step 3 · Data input

Step 4: factory-revised color spec — Step 4 · Factory revises spec data

Step 5: a proto sample checked against its spec drawing — Step 5 · Protos are made at the factory

Step 6: boxed protos ready to ship — Step 6 · Protos are shipped out

Step 7: the finished proto arrives — Step 7 · Protos arrive

Step 8: protos tagged and stored — Step 8 · Marked arrived, tagged and stored

02 / Research

Half the week on data entry

I interviewed four designers. 3 of 4 said about half their week goes to data entry and tracking prototypes. Factory agents described the other side: missing or vague spec details and long email chains back to design.

I have no time to do my design work because I’m spending a lot of time doing data input for my spec details.Designer

A lot of spec information is missing or not detailed enough. Sometimes the factory managers get so frustrated that they push the prototype to the back of the line.Factory agent

03 / Root cause

Broken communication delays prototypes

Incomplete specs and no shared status between design and factory. The fishbone traced delays to material and shipping holdups, unclear tech packs, complicated designs, language barriers, and missed emails.

Fishbone diagram of prototype delays — Root-cause fishbone

04 / Concept

File extension transfer

Drag and drop CAD files. If a file is saved as brand_style name_stock number, the spec fields fill in automatically. Each task feeds the next: CAD images, stock numbers, material tags, shipping, status, then adopt or drop. The goal was to cut designers' manual data input by 80%, so they have time to check for errors and talk with factory agents.

Prototype handoff user flow — User flow: CAD drop → stock numbers → material tags → status → shipping → adopt or drop

05 / Prototype

Drop the file, the spec fills in

A clickable concept prototype of the file extension transfer on the monday.com board: CAD files go in, and the filename fills in the spec fields so nothing is typed twice. It was prototyped.

Prototype clip: CAD files upload to the monday.com board and the spec fields fill in

06 / Key decisions

Add to a work tool, not a new system

The concept adds prototype management as a new category in monday.com, which also served as the UI template. Mark M. pitched building on monday.com because he had connections there.

Filenames auto-fill spec fields, so nothing is typed twice.
One shared prototype status for designers and factory agents.
Prototype tracking lives next to the rest of the work, not in another system.

07 / Where it landed

Next steps

This stayed at the concept and prototype stage. Next I'd test time on task against manual entry to check the 80% target. I'd also interview factory agents to design their side of the handoff, and connect prototype tracking to PLM so data flows into pre-production without re-entry.

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