At DriveWorks we’re committed to delivering powerful design automation, 3D product configurator, and CPQ solutions that are secure and reliable. To achieve this, we employ a robust, multi-faceted, and agile approach to both quality and security. This ensures that every piece of code is rigorously vetted, reviewed, and certified to meet the highest standards.
A multi-faceted approach to quality
Thousands of customers worldwide trust DriveWorks software in business-critical processes. We take this responsibility seriously and employ strict quality control and assurance measures to ensure our software is robust and reliable.
DriveWorks has an annual release cycle, comprising one major version and two service packs, and every version of DriveWorks goes through a rigorous testing process before being signed off for release. Every customer downloads the same software, standardizing quality and testing.
Quality assurance of DriveWorks software starts with a strong foundation in testing. All of our code goes through a comprehensive series of tests to ensure that it performs as expected under all conditions.
Our testing strategy is built around:
Source code unit testing: DriveWorks has an extensive suite of unit tests. These tests are designed to verify that individual components of our software work correctly in isolation. By catching any issues at an early development stage, unit tests enable our developers to ensure that each piece of functionality works exactly as expected. Early bug detection saves time and improves the overall quality of DriveWorks software.
Code coverage tools: Alongside our unit testing, we also use advanced code coverage tools. These tools analyze our tests and measure the extent of our code testing so that we can measure and improve the level of automated testing.
Code review by security-trained developers: DriveWorks software development process includes robust code reviews. Reviews are carried out by security-trained developers who check code quality and functionality. They also assess any potential security vulnerabilities. Additional peer reviews ensure code meets standards and best practices.
Automated testing: Over 1TiB of SOLIDWORKS® data is generated in each test run and our algorithms automatically check the accuracy and consistency of generated SOLIDWORKS parts, assemblies, and drawings. Tests are performed on every supported combination of Windows, SOLIDWORKS, and DriveWorks.
Manual testing: Every new feature added to DriveWorks undergoes usability, performance, and reliability testing. Our experienced Technical Team conducts extensive manual testing throughout the development phase and on every release of DriveWorks. DriveWorks is manually tested on every supported version of Windows, SOLIDWORKS, and across popular web browsers.
A robust approach to security
Security is embedded into every stage of the DriveWorks software development process. We take our responsibility as a software developer very seriously and work continuously to safeguard our software and protect DriveWorks users.
Continuous monitoring and patching: We adopt a strategy of continuous monitoring for potential security issues, employing monitoring tools that flag any potential vulnerabilities. Our development team quickly addresses any issues so that DriveWorks users are always protected.
Signing certificates: We also protect DriveWorks users by using signing certificates. Every DriveWorks release is signed with a certificate that verifies that we are the genuine authors. This provides our users with confidence that the software they are installing is legitimate and gives an extra layer of trust and security.
Agile testing and security
Agile testing practices: Our testing practices are embedded in our workflows and run throughout our development process. This agile approach to testing enables us to identify and address issues at an early stage and ensures high standards of development quality.
Agile security practices: We conduct white box pen tests where our developers focus on protecting DriveWorks software against potential threats. Security is a continuous process that enables us to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Internal projects
We trust our software to run our own business processes. Ordering our own branded clothing, booking holidays, and generating license certificates for customers are just some of the ways we use DriveWorks to automate our business. This isn’t just a great way to work efficiently. Using DriveWorks internally tests the software in real-world applications and overcoming any challenges drives our innovation and development.
We always upgrade Internal DriveWorks Projects to the Beta builds of DriveWorks as part of every release process. This acts as a full real-world system test and means that we are always the first people to be using the software in production.
SOLIDWORKS® Gold Partner
DriveWorks has been automating SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD since 2001 and first became a SOLIDWORKS Certified Gold Partner in 2002.
DriveWorksXpress, DriveWorks Solo, and DriveWorks Pro are all SOLIDWORKS Gold Partner products. As a Certified SOLIDWORKS Gold Product, DriveWorks represents the highest level of integration with SOLIDWORKS software and requires an ongoing partnership with Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS.
More information on achieving and maintaining SOLIDWORKS Gold Product status can be found on the SOLIDWORKS Certified Gold Product website.
“Quality is built into our DNA here at DriveWorks. Adopting DriveWorks can result in staggering time reductions in sales and design processes, which means a bad release risks bringing those processes to a grinding halt. This is a responsibility we take very seriously, and we invest significant time and effort across all of the teams at DriveWorks to ensure every release is a great one.
Whilst we’re proud of our quality record, it’s a job that’s never done. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we’re always looking carefully at how we can further enhance our quality systems to ensure that every release of DriveWorks is more robust than the last.”
Philip Stears, DriveWorks Director & CTO