But even a company steeped in heritage must evolve to meet the demands of a digital world.

Customer Challenges

In recent years, Trident SA’s engineering complexity – and the need for real-time collaboration between departments – grew exponentially. This expansion exposed inefficiencies in the way that engineering data, especially bill of materials (BOMs), were managed across the organisation. Design updates weren’t always aligned with on-the-floor modifications. Misalignment between what was designed and what was built threatened not only productivity but also product integrity.

For a company that engineers equipment deployed in some of the harshest environments on earth, every component counts. At Trident SA, even a small misstep in data or documentation can have significant cost and safety implications.

Prior to their transformation, the biggest challenge wasn’t a lack of data – but the disconnected systems and siloed workflows that governed it. Engineers would model parts and assemblies in Autodesk Inventor, but changes made during fabrication were often not fed back into the design environment.

“A fitter would make a change on the shop floor because something didn’t work in the real world, and that change would stay there,” Simon explains. “It wouldn’t go back to the engineer. The BOM in the model and the BOM in reality would be two different things.”

This disconnect had serious ripple effects:

• Inaccurate BOMs led to incorrect procurement orders and misinformed stock management.
  
• Redundant or excess parts were either over-ordered, unused, or ended up scrapped.
  
• Engineering time was wasted reworking or duplicating changes that had already been applied informally on the shop floor.
  
• No single source of truth meant version control was a persistent issue—making it difficult to track what was built versus what was designed.
  
• And critically, manufacturing cost estimates were unreliable. Simon noted instances where a locomotive was estimated to cost a certain amount based on the design BOM, but actual production costs ran significantly over due to untracked changes and unplanned component usage.

“You’d think the machine would cost one thing, based on what was in the model, but by the time it came out the other end, it would be way over budget,” he says. “And we couldn’t really account for where the extra spend came from.”

The downstream impact became especially visible when customers reordered the same product. In these cases, Trident SA would revisit the original design files – only to discover major inconsistencies between what had been designed and what had actually been manufactured the first time around.

“That’s when you’d see the gaps,” Simon explains. “You’d pull the BOM from the model to quote the repeat job, and it wouldn’t match what we built or delivered before. The errors would surface, and so would the hidden costs.”

Without a feedback loop, the engineering department had no visibility into why designs were being modified post-release – or how those untracked decisions impacted timelines and budgets.

“We didn’t have control,” Simon admits. “If we wanted to know why a part was redesigned or why a certain assembly had changed, we had to physically go ask people or dig through emails. There was no audit trail.”

For a company committed to delivering customised, safety-critical machinery, that lack of visibility simply wasn’t sustainable.

Project Goals

Recognising the long-term risk of continuing with disconnected systems, Trident SA knew they needed more than just software – they needed a strategy for digital unification.

“We weren’t just looking for a new tool,” says Simon. “We needed a way to bridge the gap between engineering and manufacturing. A system that captured changes, ensured consistency, and held everyone accountable to the same truth.”

Working closely with Baker Baynes, Trident SA defined three strategic objectives for their digital transformation:

1. Establish a single source of truth for engineering data
   Centralise all product design information, drawings, and BOMs in a version-controlled, access-managed system that would serve as the authoritative source across departments.
   
2. Close the feedback loop between shop floor and design office
   Enable structured, auditable feedback from manufacturing back to engineering – so that every design iteration reflects real-world production insight.
   
3. Automate and streamline data flow across systems
   Reduce human error by automating repetitive tasks such as BOM updates, drawing revisions, and document routing, and ensure that downstream systems like ERP receive accurate, up-to-date data.
   

“Ultimately, we needed engineering data that reflected reality,” Simon summarises. “And we needed to move fast – without interrupting our day-to-day operations.”

Design Solutions

In search of a solution that could bring cohesion, control, and visibility to their engineering processes, Trident SA turned to Baker Baynes. Through the implementation of Autodesk Vault Professional and CoolOrange PowerGate, the company embarked on a digital transformation that would streamline its design-to-manufacture process, bridge critical communication gaps, and empower its workforce.

Baker Baynes didn’t approach Trident SA with a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, they co-designed an implementation roadmap that aligned tightly with Trident SA’s operational context – engineering complexity, legacy data, and future scalability.

At the heart of the solution was Autodesk Vault Professional, selected for its robust data management capabilities and seamless integration with Autodesk Inventor – Trident’s primary CAD tool. Vault Professional, which had been previously implemented, but not to its full capability, would become the company’s new engineering backbone, providing controlled access, version tracking, and lifecycle management for all design assets.

CoolOrange (PowerGate), a powerful automation and integration layer, was introduced to extend Vault’s capabilities – especially where business logic and ERP integration were concerned.

“One of the big wins for us was the ability to automate the transfer of BOMs to our ERP system,” says Simon. “Previously, that was a manual process. Someone had to extract the data, manually have it signed off, re-enter it, and cross-check it. Now it just flows.”

Key components of the solution included:

• Lifecycle and Revision Management: Vault allowed engineers to control the lifecycle of components – from work in progress to released – ensuring that only approved designs were used in production.
  
• Change Order Workflows: These workflows were specifically configured for Trident by the Baker Baynes team to systematically manage engineering changes, complete with full traceability and controlled approvals – including the design and implementation of a customised lifecycle workflow tailored to Trident’s operational needs.
  
• Bidirectional ERP Integration: Using CoolOrange( PowerGate), BOMs could be pushed to and pulled from Trident’s ERP system, ensuring procurement was always working with validated data.
  
• Training and Cultural Buy-In: Baker Baynes also facilitated user training across engineering and production teams, focusing not just on the tools, but the why behind them – creating buy-in and ownership.

“Baker Baynes didn’t disappear after implementation,” Simon says. “They walked the journey with us. If something didn’t make sense for our team, they helped reconfigure it. They truly became a partner, not just a vendor.”

Business Benefits

Trident SA’s digital transformation quickly began to show tangible benefits, not just within engineering, but across the organisation.

Accurate, reliable BOMs

Perhaps the most immediate win was the ability to maintain synchronised, production-ready BOMs across engineering and manufacturing. What’s in the model is now what gets built.

“We no longer have to double-check if the BOM on the drawing matches the one in ERP,” says Simon. “They’re synced. That alone has saved us huge amounts of time – and mistakes.”

Reduced rework and scrap

Designs reflect real-world feedback, reducing the likelihood of manufacturing ‘workarounds’ that lead to inconsistencies and costly errors.

“Because we’ve created a feedback loop, engineers now understand the impact of their designs on the shop floor. That’s been a game-changer.”

Auditability and traceability

With full version control and change history, Trident SA can now track every decision, change, and approval – critical for quality control and future product development.

“If something goes wrong now, we don’t have to dig through emails or ask ten people. We can go straight to the change record and see exactly what happened and why.”

Empowered teams and better collaboration

Departments are no longer operating in silos. Engineers, production staff, and procurement teams are accessing the same data and speaking the same language.

“There’s less finger-pointing, more problem-solving. Everyone’s on the same page.”

Future-ready foundation

Autodesk Vault Professional and CoolOrange have given Trident SA the flexibility to scale. As the business grows, the system can accommodate more users, deeper ERP integrations, and even additional workflows.

“What we’ve implemented is not a static solution. It’s a platform for future innovation.”

Conclusion

For a legacy company like Trident SA, change is never taken lightly. But the decision to digitise their engineering processes – and partner with Baker Baynes – has proven to be transformative.

From synchronised BOMs to smarter collaboration, from automation to traceability, Trident SA is now operating with the kind of efficiency and confidence that defines modern manufacturing.

“This journey has changed how we think about data,” Simon reflects. “We’re no longer just designing parts – we’re designing processes. We’re building smarter, not just harder.”

Baker Baynes’ hands-on approach, deep technical knowledge, and ability to contextualise solutions within Trident SA’s unique environment were key to that success.

“They didn’t just implement a product,” Simon concludes. “They implemented peace of mind.”

Now, Trident SA is better equipped than ever to deliver on its promise of durable, reliable, and purpose-built equipment – while future-proofing its operations for the next generation of manufacturing innovation.