Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1174596
the Digi-Key website up in full-screen mode. They'd be shopping and figuring out how to put those parts into their CAD tool. It screamed for the part research selection specification process to happen inside of the CAD tool. Beeson: Exactly. For the business, we look for means of process improvement for productiv- ity, enhancements, and more automation. The more we can focus in on these items, the great- er the utilization we can achieve as a result. It ends up being a win-win for everybody. Holden: The big thing for me when I'm working on a circuit board is getting the libraries. I want to go online, pick out a part, but then use it on the supplied EDA tool where they supplied the footprint and the library so that I can do simu- lation and a three-dimensional view and place- ment, all integrated; that's a big advantage. I saw another survey where KiCad seems to be a high priority for people to download and use for the next generation. Beeson: KiCad is one of the viable solutions. We're seeing great traction with this tool. It's Beeson: Yes, and KiCad is the tool we're us- ing. It's a great example of how you would be- come more relevant in the design process and aid the designer. We agree that we have an op- portunity, and we've taken advantage of that in many cases, but that will be an expanding opportunity and positioning for us in that en- tire area—even more so in how search is done. The Digi-Key website is touted as a leading in- dustry website, but we think there are posi- tives and opportunities for enhancements. It's great if you know what you're looking for and the part number, but what if you have a con- cept to research? What if I have a concept or a problem that needs to be solved? How do I steer the user to the correct sensor based on what their problem is, not based on what the part number is or the datasheet orientation of what that component does? That's the oppor- tunity for us to provide more value to our sup- pliers as well as the user. Johnson: Ever since Digi-Key had an online web- site for looking at parts, it was commonplace to see the designers sitting in front of two moni- tors: one with their design, and the other with