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26 The PCB Design Magazine • July 2014 • In its simplest form, write access to the library data is allocated only to those with re- sponsibility for maintaining the library's logi- cal, parametric, and geometric information. In its more sophisticated form the library can also be configured to interface with information from a centralized Component Information System (CIS). At this level the parametric data in a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, or a content provider, is available for viewing during the component decision-mak - ing process. • Library data is updated as required, tested in a sandbox environment, approved for re- lease, and then synchronized to each site's pro- duction environment. 3. Data Management • All design data exists in a central vault, ac- cessible from any design center at any time, en- abling distributed design teams to work closely together. • Design data is under continuous revision control, with data locked for non-editing team members during work-in-progress and to all team members during release to manufacturing. • Access to design data is permission-based— only those with a need to view and/or edit data have access to the data. • Check-in and check-out of either entire designs or portions of designs is fully supported by both the EDM system and the EDA software suite. • A library of known good design data (cir- cuit blocks and PCB blocks) is available and un- der strict revision control. Leveraging your global Configuration Now that you are managing your EDA envi- ronment, CAD library, and design data to prop- erly support your global engineering team, let's leverage all three to enable effective multi-site concurrent design. As time to market for many high tech products continues to be a para- mount driver, various methods and techniques to reduce design cycle time are continually be- ing developed and evaluated. For leading-edge products with short lifespans, the first to market has the luxury of time, while the clock is tick- ing for the followers. In many cases the leader can produce multiple generations of a product before the follower brings their first "me too" product to market. A properly managed and configured global design environment can pro- vide a competitive advantage that permits de- sign cycle time compression without the need to add resources or to compromise quality. Manage and Share Work Locally and globally Design teams with resources distributed around the globe are a fact of life for many cor- porations today. The ability to work on a design feature MULTI-SITE CONCURRENT DESIgN: TIPS AND BEST PRACTICES continues Figure 2: site-specific vs. global approach.