BAKER DRIVETRAIN, INC. - SolidWorks · Engineer BAKER Drivetrain, Inc. 9804 E. Saginaw Hasle˝ , MI...
2
BAKER Drivetrain, Inc., has ridden Bert Baker’s invention of a six-speed overdrive motorcycle transmission to become a leading manufacturer of an extensive line of motorcycle transmissions, primary drive units, and clutches for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the motorcycle aſtermarket. The company relied on SolidWorks ® Professional design soſtware to support its growth from a single product to an offering that fills a 56-page catalog. However, as BAKER has expanded into the broader motorcycle accessories aſtermarket and grown its worldwide distribution network, it has begun selling products to customers who aren’t as technically deep as the enthusiasts who initially installed BAKER transmissions on their own. According to Engineer Andy Friar, the company’s extended line of products now targets motorcycle hobbyists who don’t know how to tear down and rebuild an engine, like early BAKER devotees oſten could. “An increasing number of our products are purchased by weekend motorcycle riders as opposed to the hard-core motorcycle mechanics who buy and install BAKER transmissions,” Friar explains. “To support our extended product set, we needed to provide beer documentation materials and clearer installation instructions to our growing customer base and dealer network, and reduce the number of support calls that we get from customers.” BAKER also needed to develop installation instructions faster and with less manual effort. “We used to produce 2D line art and write our instructions in Microsoſt ® Word,” Friar recalls. “That approach was tedious and time-consuming, and the end product was not always as clear and easy to understand as we wanted. We try to take advantage of any tool that can help us shorten time-to-market and improve customer service, so we started looking for a beer, faster way to develop product documentation.” CASE STUDY BAKER DRIVETRAIN, INC. Opening the throle on technical communication development with SolidWorks Composer BAKER Drivetrain relies on SolidWorks Composer soſtware to more effectively communicate technical information to the growing number of casual motorcycle riding enthusiasts. Challenge: Accelerate development and improve the quality of product communication material to meet the needs of new markets. Solution: Implement SolidWorks Composer technical communication soſtware. Results: • Cut documentation development time by 50 percent • Reduced customer support telephone calls by 10 to 20 percent • Improved clarity of installation instructions • Supported requirements of broader motorcycle accessories market
Transcript of BAKER DRIVETRAIN, INC. - SolidWorks · Engineer BAKER Drivetrain, Inc. 9804 E. Saginaw Hasle˝ , MI...
BAKER Drivetrain, Inc., has ridden Bert Baker’s invention of a six-speed overdrive motorcycle transmission to become a leading manufacturer of an extensive line of motorcycle transmissions, primary drive units, and clutches for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the motorcycle a� ermarket. The company relied on SolidWorks® Professional design so� ware to support its growth from a single product to an off ering that fi lls a 56-page catalog.
However, as BAKER has expanded into the broader motorcycle accessories a� ermarket and grown its worldwide distribution network, it has begun selling products to customers who aren’t as technically deep as the enthusiasts who initially installed BAKER transmissions on their own. According to Engineer Andy Friar, the company’s extended line of products now targets motorcycle hobbyists who don’t know how to tear down and rebuild an engine, like early BAKER devotees o� en could.
“An increasing number of our products are purchased by weekend motorcycle riders as opposed to the hard-core motorcycle mechanics who buy and install BAKER transmissions,” Friar explains. “To support our extended product set, we needed to provide be� er documentation materials and clearer installation instructions to our growing customer base and dealer network, and reduce the number of support calls that we get from customers.”
BAKER also needed to develop installation instructions faster and with less manual eff ort. “We used to produce 2D line art and write our instructions in Microso� ® Word,” Friar recalls. “That approach was tedious and time-consuming, and the end product was not always as clear and easy to understand as we wanted. We try to take advantage of any tool that can help us shorten time-to-market and improve customer service, so we started looking for a be� er, faster way to develop product documentation.”
C A S E S T U D Y
BAKER DRIVETRAIN, INC.Opening the thro� le on technical communication development with SolidWorks Composer
BAKER Drivetrain relies on SolidWorks Composer so� ware to more eff ectively communicate technical information tothe growing number of casual motorcycle riding enthusiasts.
Challenge:Accelerate development and improve the quality of product communication material to meet the needs of new markets.
Solution:Implement SolidWorks Composer technical communication so� ware.
Results:• Cut documentation development time by 50 percent• Reduced customer support telephone calls by 10 to 20 percent• Improved clarity of installation instructions• Supported requirements of broader motorcycle accessories market
That search led BAKER Drivetrain to SolidWorks Composer technical communication so� ware. The company decided to implement SolidWorks Composer because engineers could use it to quickly and easily create instruction illustrations and exploded views directly from SolidWorks design models.
“With fast, easy-to-create exploded views, we can communicate more eff ectively with customers, dealers, and production staff ,” Friar says.
Producing higher quality technical communication material fasterEven though BAKER still uses Microso� Word in the development of documentation and installation instructions—to produce hard-copy documents for three-ring binders and PDF fi les for web download—SolidWorks Composer automates the creation of illustrations, supporting views, and technical images. Because engineers can more easily develop visual content, BAKER has cut its documentation development time in half while simultaneously elevating the quality of its technical communication materials.
“It takes roughly 50 percent less time to create a 20-page set of product assembly or installation instructions with SolidWorks Composer,” Friar stresses. “The response to the new documentation from our dealers and customers has been incredibly positive, and we routinely get compliments regarding the improvements that we have made.
“Everyone can understand visual depictions more readily than wri� en descriptions,” Friar adds. “With SolidWorks Composer, our illustrations are super clear, crisp, and user-friendly, and the so� ware helps us bring products and supporting documentation to market faster.”
Reducing customer support callsSince implementing SolidWorks Composer so� ware, BAKER has also realized a signifi cant reduction in the number of telephone support calls from customers. “Because we have really good instructions, our engineers get fewer support calls,” Friar notes. “When we do get calls, they tend to be short because we can point the customer to the exploded view of the product and walk them through it.
“The improved documentation also makes it simpler for customers who want to order replacement parts,” Friar continues. “It’s easier to identify a particular part number because it’s right there. Our call volume has gone down by at least 10 to 20 percent, which gives us more time to design cool products.”
Quick and easy marketing imagesIn addition to improving BAKER’s documentation eff ort, SolidWorks Composer so� ware is helping the motorcycle accessory manufacturer market its growing product set more effi ciently and eff ectively. The SolidWorks Composer implementation coincided with the launch of the new BAKER website. Users can download rendered images created with SolidWorks Composer, which highlight hidden technical features, thus supporting marketing and sales.
“We are evolving from a company that sells to customers who can rebuild an engine to customers who don’t go much past changing their own oil,” Friar says. “With SolidWorks Composer, we can create some real whiz-bang imagery that communicates more eff ectively and matches the evolution of our products.”
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation in the US and other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. ©2013 Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved. MKBAKCSENG0213
“WITH SOLIDWORKS COMPOSER, OUR ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SUPER CLEAR, CRISP, AND USER-FRIENDLY, AND THE SOFTWARE HELPS US BRING PRODUCTS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION TO MARKET FASTER.”Andy FriarEngineer
BAKER Drivetrain, Inc. 9804 E. SaginawHasle� , MI 48840 USAPhone: +1 517 339 3835www.BAKERdrivetrain.comVAR: DASI Solutions LLC, Pontiac, MI, USA
Technical communications before SolidWorks Composer
Technical communications a� er SolidWorks Composer
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation175 Wyman StreetWaltham, MA 02451 USAPhone: 1 800 693 9000Outside the US: +1 781 810 5011Email: [email protected]
