Case Study:

Tornado Land Vehicles

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment
Streamlined Engineering and Scaled Manufacturing with PRO.FILE

Challenge

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment faced critical roadblocks in engineering collaboration and production handoffs. Their flat file structure, manual bill of materials (BOM) creation, and email-based approval workflows caused version control issues, input errors, production delays, and scaling limitations. Following a rapid post-COVID scale-up, these challenges demanded a scalable and traceable product data management system.

Outcome

PRO.FILE centralized Tornado’s engineering data backbone, integrated with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP), and digitized its mission-critical data workflows. From the start of their ECN process, Tornado has seen a significant reduction in release cycle time, smoother product handoffs, and seamless cross-functional collaboration between engineering, purchasing, and quality control processes.

By implementing PRO.FILE PLM software, Tornado transformed its manufacturing and engineering operations from error-prone manual dependencies to cross-functional, automated data management processes. The comprehensive product lifecycle management (PLM) solution provided by PRO.FILE empowered Tornado to control document flow across different sectors of production, cut drawing release time, and improve collaboration. Granular permission controls, real-time status networks, and seamless integration with existing

Automation Provides Seamless Scalability

Tornado Infrastructure Equipment manufactures industrial truck systems for specialized construction and utility applications. Post-COVID growth increased their employee headcount from 60 to 200 and quadrupled their production lines, leading to growing pains tied to outdated documentation and engineering processes. A flat file structure, manual BOM, and a reliance on in-person or email-based handoffs created a disconnect between engineering, purchasing, and production workflows.

As Tornado planned their continued growth, they attempted to scale their data management processes by expanding shared drive usage.

As their workload increased from 6-8 units per month to over 30, a lack of version control resulted in increased errors, delays, and rework. According to Tornado’s Process Coordinator, Tim Mitchell, “We tested a cloud-based share system [but] didn’t work out well with scaling/growth … [We] needed systems in place to support growth and standardized processes.”

Tornado turned to PRO.FILE PLM software as part of a renewed strategy to solve these bottlenecks by modernizing and centralizing engineering processes and product development workflows under one solution. Integrating with Epicor ERP was a top implementation priority. PRO.FILE stood out by managing complex product structures without manual handoffs, automating workflows, enforcing permissions, and maintaining status controls between departments for maximum visibility.

Multi-System Integration at Scale

In 2023, Tornado adopted PRO.FILE for its engineering workflow, projecting its full deployment by 2026. Implementing a modern PLM solution with their existing ERP systems required shifting away from outdated manual workflows, such as flat folders and email-based handoffs. A portion of the company’s users resisted the change at first, but Tornado’s project leaders emphasized its core benefits–transparency, scalability, and standardization– while backing their claims with hands-on training and support from the PRO.FILE team. This external support helped validate workflow changes with Tornado’s teams. As Mitchell noted, the system was “Great for training and support,” and for providing “transparency in the ‘why’ with support.”

PRO.FILE has transformed Tornado’s engineering release cycles from a time-consuming manual bottleneck to an efficient and more accurate automated process. The system makes drawing packages simple, reducing turnaround time of large drawing packages from 2-4 hours to a matter of minutes. As a result, engineering changes are processed faster and with fewer questions, empowering production teams to work with validated documentation, updated in real time and delivered to relevant parties without error-prone manual handoffs.

Key Outcomes

Reduced drawing release time by 85-90%: Using automated systems, PRO.FILE can publish pushes to all other parties, including purchasing, production, QA/QC, etc., in as few as 36 minutes, a process that used to take Tornado’s engineers 3-4 hours.
Automated prototype tracking: The system automatically improves efficiency and accuracy within the development process from the initial concept to the final refinement. This also ensures that older versions never accidentally re-enter production.
Eliminated manual revision errors: The system now updates and revises designs, documents, and production plans without the risk of human errors and misfilings that used to impact product quality, cost, and production timelines.
Improved forecasting: By automating and tracking standardized part numbers, managers gained 360-degree traceability based on a sequence generator set up with a “next-in-line” rule. With each part consistently referenced by its CAD files, BOM data, and revision history within the system, the company can run reliable reports and are working to more accurately forecast demand.

The improvements go beyond engineering. With PRO.FILE workflows in development, teams at all levels will be able to access this shared source of internally validated product data, including quality, purchasing, service, and materials workflow information. As Mitchell noted, the main benefits of deploying the new system include “Reducing the amount of questions asked during [the] release of products … [making the teams] quicker and more organized … [and] creating visibility into projects.” In other words, Tornado did not simply reduce errors– they improved project visibility and reshaped the foundation of how they work.

Product Lifecycle Management for the Modern Day

Since implementing the PRO.FILE PLM solution, Tornado has evolved from manually managing disconnected file structures to operating on a centralized platform fully integrated across all departments. The structured environment is replacing a patchwork of flat files, email chains, and redlined drawings. Later in 2025, the company will introduce automation to verify product data flows and deliver them to the relevant department.

This shift has drastically reduced the engineering uptime needed for low-value tasks, which the system can handle. Drawing packages can be generated up to 90% faster, saving valuable team members up to 3.5 hours a day on large drawing packages, or more during peak demand periods.

The time savings have introduced a new level of clarity and control across the entire product lifecycle. Using standardized part numbers instead of ambiguous, manually-tracked identifiers provides a consistent asset tracking and demand forecasting framework for each step of production. As data has become cleaner and more reliable, purchasing, demand planning, and inventory management can be integrated system-wide and instantly re-evaluated to meet the needs of a growing business.

Future Vision

With PRO.FILE PLM software, Tornado Infrastructure Equipment is positioned to further streamline their production process with higher data visibility and more efficient workflows. These factors are only possible with the time savings afforded by PRO.FILE. As Tornado enters the next phase of its digital evolution, the ultimate goal is to enable a fully connected, product-centric ecosystem where each team, from engineering to procurement, works from the same real-time data foundation.

When asked why PRO.FILE PLM was Tornado’s number one choice, Mitchell shared that the visibility offered by the PRO.FILE workflow has helped Tornado reduce turnaround times and improve outcomes. By continuing to trust and invest in PRO.FILE PLM software, Tornado is not just reacting to current scalability challenges–it is building the infrastructure for long-term innovation in a fast-moving, technology-focused space.

Simplify Product Data Management with Full Automation and Digital Thread

See how PRO.FILE can help you solve common challenges by reducing design time, enabling full data control, and providing a single, trusted view of product data. Contact us today to find out how to streamline operations and go to market faster.