Part of the Systems Adi Group, Adi Automotive provides specialist engineering and installation services for manufacturers across the UK. From automation and robotics to precision fabrication and sustainable production, their North Birmingham facility supports a wide range of complex manufacturing and design projects.
As the pace of industrial change accelerates, Adi Automotive recognises that maintaining reliability and resilience across its operations is just as important as driving innovation. To protect productivity and ensure stability throughout its supply chain, the company continues to invest in technology that strengthens collaboration, data protection, and operational performance.
Adi Automotive’s design and engineering teams handle thousands of project files and technical drawings every day. Over time, the systems supporting these processes began to show signs of strain. Large design files took longer to load, and performance slowdowns created pressure on both productivity and delivery schedules.
More importantly, the leadership team recognised that these issues could have a wider impact on production and the supply chain. In a sector where precision, timing, and coordination are critical, even a minor disruption could affect multiple projects or delivery timelines.
To prevent potential risks and maintain confidence across their supply chain, Adi Automotive made a proactive decision to modernise the systems that underpin their engineering workflows improving performance, enhancing data security, and ensuring business continuity.
Having worked with Hubtel IT for several years, Adi Automotive turned to their trusted technology consultant to lead the project. Acting as an extension of Adi’s internal IT team, Hubtel IT provided expert advice and hands-on delivery to design and implement a high-performance, future-ready Product Data Management (PDM) environment.
While many manufacturers are adopting cloud-based solutions, Adi Automotive chose to retain its PDM system on-premises. The decision was driven by the need for maximum performance, data control, and reliability essential for managing large CAD assemblies and protecting sensitive design data. An on-premises solution allowed Adi to guarantee low-latency access for its engineers, maintain full ownership of its intellectual property, and eliminate reliance on external connectivity that could impact production or supply chain continuity.
At the core of the solution was a Windows Server 2025 platform optimised specifically for SolidWorks PDM. To ensure exceptional performance, enterprise-grade SAS drives were configured in a RAID 10 setup speeds. This allowed the system to handle large CAD datasets and multiple concurrent users with ease, keeping workflows running efficiently even under heavy demand.
To strengthen protection and reduce downtime risk, the new environment was fully integrated with Datto SIRIS, a robust backup and disaster recovery system. This provides complete data protection and rapid recovery in the event of hardware failure or data loss ensuring that projects and supply chain operations remain uninterrupted.
Hubtel IT’s consultative approach focused on long-term resilience as well as immediate performance improvements. By modernising the PDM infrastructure, Adi Automotive not only achieved faster collaboration across teams but also built in the reliability needed to protect its production schedule and supply chain from unforeseen disruption.
Through Hubtel IT’s strategic partnership with Dell, Adi Automotive also achieved substantial cost savings on enterprise-grade hardware. This allowed the business to invest in a high-performance, secure, and scalable solution that delivers both technical strength and long-term value for money.
The upgrade delivered immediate results. Adi Automotive’s engineers reported faster access to design files, smoother collaboration between teams, and a significant boost in overall system reliability. By keeping their data securely managed within an on-premises environment, Adi Automotive strengthened control over intellectual property while ensuring consistent performance for day-to-day operations.
Most importantly, these improvements have reduced the risk of downtime or disruption impacting the wider supply chain. With a modern, resilient PDM infrastructure in place, Adi Automotive is now better equipped to meet customer demand, maintain delivery schedules, and continue building strong relationships across its partner network.
Just wanted to say thanks for the support on the recent project for the Server and the new PDM. All upgraded and went a lot smoother than expected. The team are already experiencing enhanced performance on loading and saving content onto the server. Thank you for going above your scope of work and in supporting all the work expected from Solid Solutions.
Anas Al-Sadi, MSc (Hons), BEng (Hons)
Operations Director, Adi Automotive
