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96 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2024 Scalability and resulting cost savings form the third reason to move DFM to the cloud. On- premises solutions can be limited by the num- ber of soware licenses purchased, whereas cloud-based solutions are typically subscrip- tion-based with no upfront cost. Cloud-based solutions can be scaled up or down as needed, paying for what is used, resulting in cost sav- ings. is is especially relevant for SMBs where the use of DFM soware can be sporadic, and purchase of permanent tools might not be justifiable. Accessibility is the fourth reason to do DFM on the cloud. Cloud-based solu- tions can be accessed f r o m a n y w h e r e , s o engineers can work on DFM analysis even when they are not physically in an office or onsite at the fabrica- tion or assembly plant. In the emerg- ing post-COVID19 hybrid mode of work, this is a big advantage for maintaining efficiency. e online soware needs no maintenance or updating, guaranteeing access to the most recent ver- sion, latest features and functionality with no additional operator or IT investment. ese solutions are accessible to all potential users, regardless of the company's size or budget. We expect that this egalitarian access will further disrupt the balance of enterprises vs. SMBs in the PCB design industry since it makes possi- ble quality DFM and collaboration with previ- ously unreachable partners. Conclusions ere is a definite push to move the elec- tronic design and manufacture industry into the cloud. Regardless of company size, the ever-present pressure to lower costs and reduce time to market for new product intro- ductions is now leading most businesses in the industry to adopt tools and practices that are quickly. Cloud-based DFM solutions can also help designers iterate faster. With the ability to make changes and see the results in real-time, designers can experiment and get to the opti- mal solution faster. Collaboration is another key reason to move DFM to the cloud. With on-premises solu- tions, it can be difficult to get everyone on the same page. With a cloud solution, multiple engineers can work on the same DFM analysis at the same time. is can be a huge time-saver, especially for large p r o j e c t s . Co l la b o r a t i o n between geographically disparate design teams is no longer an issue, since all are working on the same project simul- ta n e o u s l y. L i k e w i s e , collaboration between designer and manufac- turer no longer needs to be an arduous process. Cloud storage and collaboration can offer secure data transfer between stakeholders as well as direct communication to clarify design intent and reduce time-to-market. DFM analysis is particularly influenced by the improved collaboration offered by the cloud environment. To date, communication between designer and manufacturer was a time-consuming process, with no standard for- mat to accurately and efficiently convey true manufacturing constraints to designers. Previ- ously, manufacturing rules, such as for design rule checking (DRC) and DFM, had to be con- veyed between parties by phone, or in com- plex standards documents and spreadsheets. Now, a single cloud collaboration platform can serve both designer and manufacturer, pro- viding the opportunity for manufacturers to directly communicate both their capabilities and limitations. Designs can be quickly modi- fied to conform, and any uncertainties can be clarified using in-app tools such as chat, notifi- cations, etc. Collaboration is another key reason to move DFM to the cloud.