About Circle B Measurement & Fabrication
Circle B Measurement & Fabrication, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, provides energy infrastructure equipment and services for oil, gas, solar, and renewable energy sectors. They specialize in gas and liquid measurement, automation integration, custom fabrication, and field services. With additional locations in Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, they offer tailored solutions to optimize energy operations.
Circle B, historically a SolidWorks-focused design house, had recently transitioned to Autodesk Inventor and sought to modernize their workflows to minimize rework and ensure seamless access across all sites. Implementing Project Data Management (PDM) through Autodesk Vault was a critical next step in achieving this goal.
Why Change Was Necessary
The IT team faced significant challenges, including the complexities and potential issues of managing their own Vault Server. They were also concerned about connectivity disruptions during outages. These factors led them to seek an alternative solution that promised greater reliability and a smoother, more hassle-free experience. Additionally, they recognized the importance of a swift transition and the need to import all existing data from network servers into Vault to ensure a smooth shift from network-based to Vault-centric workflows, aiming for a more efficient and structured design process.
The Project goals
- Integrate Autodesk Inventor with Autodesk Vault to improve and simplify design workflows.
- Enhance data management, version control, and collaboration for greater consistency and efficiency in engineering processes.
- Optimize workflows and set up best practices for data organization within the new system.
- Offer training to support user adoption and ensure a seamless transition.
- Ensure a swift transition by importing all existing data from network servers into Vault, enabling a smooth shift from network-based to Vault-centric workflows and ensuring a more efficient and structured design process.
The Solution: Vaultra + Vault Data Migration
Team D3 recommended a cloud-based service solution called Vaultra, along with a “Vault Data Migration,” to ensure a uniform transition for Circle B. Vaultra, hosted in Microsoft Azure and managed by Team D3 under an annual service agreement, provides a reliable and fully supported environment for Autodesk Vault.
To enable secure remote access, Azure VPN was implemented, allowing Circle B’s users to seamlessly connect to the cloud-hosted Vault while ensuring data security through mobile authentication and encrypted connections.
Additionally, the Vault Data Migration was a crucial step in the transition, allowing Circle B’s team to begin working in Vault immediately without downtime, ensuring a smooth shift from network-based to Vault-centric workflows.
Business outcome
With the cloud-based Vaultra service in place and the Vault Data Migration successfully completed, Circle B is not burdened with the maintenance and upgrade responsibilities of a local server-based Autodesk data management system. By leveraging Vaultra and Data Migration, the entire Circle B team can now focus on their primary tasks while benefiting from a secure, scalable, and efficiently managed cloud-based Vault solution. With all their data centralized in a single, easily accessible location, collaboration is streamlined, and productivity is enhanced across all sites.
Conclusion & Customer Testimony
Circle B preferred Vaultra over managing a local Vault Server due to connectivity concerns during outages. The transition from SolidWorks to Autodesk Inventor, integrated with Autodesk Vault, streamlined design workflows and improved data management. Vaultra and Vault Data Migration facilitated a seamless transition, enabling secure remote access and freeing the team from server maintenance, thus enhancing productivity and collaboration. With Autodesk Vault and the cloud-based Vaultra management service provided by Team D3, Circle B is strategically positioned to enhance their data management system with the ability to add additional functionality as their use of Vault evolves in the future.
“Team D3 has been amazing to partner with for this software implementation. Their team was able to work with us to understand our wants and needs for this software conversion and provide us with the best solution. They created, presented, and executed the plan within our intended timeframe and the transition has been seamless thanks to their great work and training provided to us. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Team D3 as they host our Vaultra server, provide software training through the Evolve 360 program, as well as provide technical support through the CAD support program.” – Sage Haight, CAD Manager
