Working with Partners

Collaborating with partners is one of the main benefits of a web app, so taking the time to set it up properly makes a lot of sense. In this article, we map out the three most common scenarios. 

⚠️ These scenarios map how a manufacturer shares 3D models with a vendor for the purposes of creating technical documentation. Click an imagoe to open the interactive diagram.

1. The manufacturer uses Zea and invites a 3rd party Service Provider to collaborate
2. A Service Provider uses Zea and wants to collaborate more efficiently with a manufacturer
3. A Service Provider uses Zea but can't change the current process they established with a manufacturer

Scenario 1 - PREFERRED METHOD - The manufacturer owns the organization in Zea 3DXP

Pros:

• Little overhead
• Clean data ownership structure
• The manufacturer ensures data is always up to date
• The manufacturer controls who can access their data

Cons

• None, this is the use-case Zea 3DXP is designed for

Scenario 2 - The service provider owns the organization in Zea; the manufacturer installs the CAD CLNR and syncs data

Pros

• Fast and easy way to collaborate with clients
• The manufacturer ensures data is up to date
• The service provider can transfer workspace ownership to the manufacturer if they subscribe to Zea

Cons

• The manufacturer admin needs basic training on the do’s and don’ts of the CAD CLNR
• Increased overhead; service provider may have to pay for its client’s user fees
• Need to guide the admin at the manufacturer to install and configure the CAD CLNR
• Combined ownership structure (service provider owns the platform, manufacturer owns the data)

Scenario 3 - The service provider owns the organization; the manufacturer sends the data to the service provider

Pros

• Familiar process
• The manufacturer doesn’t need to install software locally
• Less overhead compared to Scenario 2
• Can transfer workspace ownership to the manufacturer if they subscribe to Zea

Cons

• The manual process is inefficient
• If data ends up in the wrong folder, it could get synchronized to the wrong workspace, potentially mixing client data 
• Data will easily get outdated
• Not leveraging the collaborative features of web applications with client
• Combined ownership structure (service provider owns the platform, manufacturer owns the data)
• The 3D CAD models leave the manufacturer's premise in a 3D format that can be opened by anyone and shared within the service provider's organization. The file gets duplicated by each user who needs to open it in a desktop application.

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