NX EAP Event : A Newcomer’s Experience

Almost everyone I talk to who works at Siemens, particularly those of us on the NX team, cites talking to customers as their favorite part of the job. After my first day at NX EAP testing in Cypress, California, I can see why. The passion and energy around product design and good design software is downright contagious. It’s one thing for an inexperienced CAD user like myself to hear about changes that will come in future releases of NX, but it’s entirely another to sit in a room full of people who watch a demonstration and instantly think of all of the ways a given change will impact their daily work. You can feel the excitement in the air.

It’s more than just the excitement and positive reactions, though. Testing is truly about the opportunity to sit down in person and discuss NX – the direction of the software, challenges to using it, and the future of things to come. What do you want to see going forward? How do you think this feature or command will be used? These are the types of questions you’ll hear asked time and again. Product Managers and truly everyone involved in the development of NX want to hear from you. Your experience using the software is what matters at the end of the day, and it’s why we do what we do. Enhancement Requests (ERs) serve their purpose, but there is something to be said for having a real face-to-face conversation with the person responsible. Even better is being able to engage in a discussion with NX users from a variety of companies across industries.

That brings up another point that strikes me about testing: Each person brings a unique experience and perspective to using NX. It may not seem like a groundbreaking revelation to anyone because of course no one person is the same. While I always knew workflows could vary based on industry, I never gave much thought to the fact that two people in the same industry—in the same company, even!—could work slightly differently in NX. This became apparent almost immediately though in hearing feedback on certain coming changes; one person may instantly see the value in a change, while another will chime in that they will never use the newly added feature.

Speaking of changes, you are probably anxious to hear what you can expect in the latest NX release. While I can’t share any specifics yet, you can rest assured that as soon as we are able, we will post what’s coming in the community. Be sure to check back for updates after an announcement has been made. If the feedback I’m hearing today is any indication though, you will be happy with the changes rolling out in the latest version of NX. There is a lot to be excited about! Stay tuned.