Cloud-based CAE accelerates innovation

The strength of engineering simulation over the last 50 years or so, as it has grown to become a multi-billion-dollar industry, has been the application of computer-aided engineering (CAE) as early as possible in product development and industrial process design cycles, and as frequently as possible throughout a product or process’s lifecycle. Myriad user stories over the last half century have shown that the adoption of more and more CAE usage invariably results in better products, shorter times-to-market, higher quality products, lower costs, and fewer product recalls. Latterly, engineering simulation in the cloud as part of CAE toolchains and product development backbones is having an increasing impact on CAE usage with its ever-lower cost per simulation (a vector for democratization) amid diminishing security concerns related to data and IP theft. Nowadays, it’s not a case of “if we use cloud” – but increasingly “how much?”, “who from?” and “why more?”

In a recent white paper by the Analyst Company Cambashi from Cambridge in the UK that I participated in writing, the current trends and challenges for CAE simulation in the cloud are evaluated, observations made, and gaps for the future are outlined. You can download the White Paper for free at this link.

Cloud-based CAE toolchain balancing

Cloud platforms (be they private, public or hybrid) bring much new resource to bear for experienced CAE engineers to use and benefit from in better product development decision making. Arguably, these same CAE engineers are an overstretched, expensive and ‘bottleneck’ resource in many companies across the spectrum from SME’s to OEM’s. Moreover, switching to ever more cloud usage in engineering simulation at a company leads to tensions between IT managers, engineering simulation managers and strategic business managers as balancing conflicting needs, costs and demands is crucial for a successful deployment. Most manufacturing companies have evolved a possess involving a heterogeneous CAE toolchain today dominated by preferred best-in-class products for individual disciplines from different suppliers, along with accretions of in-house software, and even employing different software providers in different subsidiaries worldwide.

Figures 1 and 2 from the White Paper illustrate the balancing act that CAE engineering simulation in the cloud toolchains have to factor in today - ranging from a software buyer led approach to an ISV (Independent Software Vendor) led adoption. Depending upon appetites for risk, limitations in vendor offerings, and challenges of implementation of these CAE toolchains in the cloud, companies will vary in what they choose to do. ?Figure 3 outlines the various layers of solutions and companies associated with CAE in the cloud. The big CAE software vendors offer ISV embedded cloud solutions, companies like Rescale offer ‘Blackbox’ middleware solutions and companies like Simr (formerly UberCloud) offer ‘Whitebox’ custom solutions today. The White Paper assesses the pros and cons of each approach.

The White Paper also discusses the need for better CAE best practices and CAE toolchain solution governance in the cloud as illustrated by Figure 4 that shows how both technical and business drivers in the four quadrants are covered by the ISVs and independent not-for-profit standards organizations like NAFEMS, ASSESS and ERCOFTAC.

SimOps and the CAE community

Finally, a new concept is touched on, SimOps, which is Simulation Operations Automation which may best be viewed in conjunction with CAE simulation in the cloud as similar to what DevOps has done to software development in the cloud and FinOps for financial software on the cloud (see Figure 5). Both initiatives (DevOps and FinOps) have developed operational frameworks and cultural practices inside communities of users that maximize the business value of cloud, enable timely data-driven decision making and creating accountability through collaboration between engineering, IT and business teams.

To find out more about SimOps listen in to a Webinar that Simr are hosting on the 5th June. I will be one of several panel members contributing to the discussion.