OilQuick Boosts Efficiency and Data Quality with Sovelia Vault and Sovelia Inventor

OilQuick is a Swedish, family-owned company that designs and manufactures quick coupler systems for tool carriers like excavators, wheel loaders, cranes and forklifts. These systems allow hydraulic tools to be changed directly from the driver’s cab, improving both safety and efficiency at work sites around the world.
Design and production are closely coupled at OilQuick.

With both R&D and manufacturing located in Hudiksvall, Sweden, engineers work together with the production team to align design decisions with manufacturing requirements. As Team Leader for mechanical engineering, Jon Engström oversees the day-to-day work of 10 to 12 engineers, as well as the processes and tools they use.

A focused rollout with long-term impact

Before adopting Sovelia, OilQuick was preparing to renew their Autodesk licenses and saw an opportunity to streamline their software environment. They decided to bring design, simulation, and productivity tools together under one roof and chose Symetri as a partner who could support both current and future needs. As part of this transition, OilQuick chose Sovelia Vault and Sovelia Inventor to replace their previous setup, strengthening design workflows and improving day-to-day efficiency.

The timing of the implementation aligned with Autodesk license renewals and also included the move of Altair simulation tools to Symetri. This allowed OilQuick to consolidate key engineering tools and partnerships while continuing their daily work without disruption.

"We wanted to replicate what we had without disrupting our workflows," explains Engström. "But we also saw an opportunity to build a setup that could grow with us, and to work with a partner like Symetri who understands our tools, our needs, and helps us improve."

The project had a fixed deadline and ran in parallel with a new integration from PDM to their ERP solution, Monitor, utilizing Sovelia Vault. A tight collaboration between OilQuick, Symetri and Monitor ensured everything went live on schedule. One critical functionality was identified late in the testing phase. Symetri responded by bringing in their development team, who delivered the required functionality on time. That moment confirmed to OilQuick that they had the right partner.

Simplifying design work with Sovelia Inventor

OilQuick relies on Sovelia Inventor to simplify and standardize data input at the design stage. With a customized property card, engineers only enter the information that matters once, reducing manual steps and helping ensure consistency across the organization.

"Just by collecting what we think is important, making sure we have a clean card with only what’s relevant, really makes it more efficient to create and feel confident that you’ve done it right," says Engström.

This seemingly small change saves time every day and reduces the risk of human error when creating parts and assemblies.

Automated file handling and BOMs with Sovelia Vault

With Sovelia Vault, secondary file generation and distribution are automated. PDFs, STEP, DXF and SAT files are created as part of the design approval process and delivered to the right teams, including production and Coordinate Measuring Machine. This removes repetitive manual work and ensures that information is always where it needs to be.

"If we had to do all of this manually, our team of 10 to 12 mechanical engineers would need several additional full-time resources," Engström estimates. "It’s not just time-saving. It’s about making sure the right information is there in the right way, and that the process flows as it should."

The system also supports bill of material (BOM) and metadata extraction for integration with the company’s ERP.

Reliable data transfer to ERP: Sovelia Vault replaces legacy tools

One of the biggest improvements for OilQuick came through integrating Sovelia Vault with Monitor ERP. Their previous setup included a middle-layer tool that struggled to synchronize updates from Vault or Monitor. This led to regular downtime and support challenges.

Sovelia made it possible to export CAD data (such as BOMs and items) in a neutral format to Monitor’s native PDM integration. Before the data is moved to the ERP system, OilQuick’s production preparation department checks the data, adjusts it if needed, and then allows the data to be transferred to the ERP. This solution replaces the previous, fragile solution and ensures that the right product data flows smoothly from Vault into the ERP system. 

Working closely with both Symetri and Monitor, OilQuick was able to build an interface that supports their production workflows, minimizes downtime, and adapts to future system updates without additional manual fixes.

This integration is especially valuable in engineer-to-order situations, where fast turnaround is critical. When a product needs to be adapted to a specific machine, the ability to quickly update the design and push accurate data into the ERP system can save several days (or even weeks) in delivery time.

"Now it’s easy to verify that the files we export are correct. We’ve disconnected the old integration from the CAD environment in a very good way, and we now have a robust and reliable way to export CAD data to the ERP”, concludes Engström.

Future plans: Product configuration and PLM

With the fundamental design system now running smoothly, OilQuick continues to explore new ways to improve. They are currently exploring Sovelia Configurator to simplify product configuration and reduce repetitive design work through automation.

At the same time, they are looking into Sovelia Core PLM as the next logical step toward expanding their horizons. As Engström explains, "We know that relying solely on PDM comes with limitations. We're outgrowing that stage and getting closer to a real business need for PLM."

Symetri has played an important role in ongoing development. Engström finds that Symetri has proven to be a great technology partner, discussing ideas and introducing capabilities through other products and services. 

How Sovelia makes a difference?

Sovelia helps OilQuick improve both quality and speed. Design tasks flow faster with less risk of errors. Integration with ERP is stronger and more reliable. And engineers can spend their time on productive design work instead of data management. The team continues to look for ways to automate wherever possible and free engineers from repetitive admin tasks so they can focus on smart ideas, solving technical challenges, and improving products for customers.

"If a company isn’t already using these kinds of tools to automate workflows in Inventor and Vault, they’re missing a huge opportunity," Engström adds. "The sooner in the workflow you can make sure your data is clean and consistent, the better."

OilQuick made a smooth transition from one system to another. But more importantly, they chose the right platform and the right partner to support their growth.

A strong relationship with Symetri

OilQuick has been highly satisfied with Symetri as a partner throughout the entire journey, from early sales discussions to technical implementation and configuration. Engström appreciates the forward-looking mindset that Symetri brings, especially their ability to suggest improvements and explore new ideas that support OilQuick’s evolving needs.

He also values how approachable and responsive his key contacts at Symetri are. "Every time I reach out, I get help. Even with small questions, I feel like I’m contributing to something, not bothering anyone," Engström says. "You are not feeling like a burden when you post a silly question. It's an opportunity to build on. And I think that is the right mindset that is worth a lot."

That open and honest communication, combined with real interest in helping the customer succeed, has made Symetri an important and trusted partner for OilQuick.