How LD Eng built rock-solid QA and flexible working into a fast-growing business from day one

The Challenge

As a new business, LD Eng faced an unusual problem: it needed to achieve ISO 9001:2015 accreditation without an existing project history or established documentation system to demonstrate strong quality assurance processes. The business needed a dependable QA framework that could create the evidence base required for external audit and future growth.

At the same time, LD Eng wanted a more modern way of working than the systems its leadership had seen elsewhere. Steve Hodgson described previous environments where File Explorer, VPNs, hard drives and physical servers made remote work slow and impractical, especially for 12d Model projects. Downloading and uploading files over VPN was inefficient, and every file save could slow the system further.

For a growing engineering practice, that created two clear needs: stronger QA and version control, and a more flexible way for staff to work from home or remotely without sacrificing speed or confidence in the data.

The Solutions

After reviewing different options, LD Eng selected 12d Synergy because it could support the business from a corporate management level down to general project documentation. The platform was implemented from the beginning and used to manage the full business, not just technical design data.

That gave LD Eng a complete digital paper trail across documents, project correspondence, transmittals and version history. Out of the box, 12d Synergy recorded each version change, who made it and when, as well as a full email and transmittal log. This proved critical during the accreditation process and helped demonstrate that LD Eng had the systems and controls required for ISO certification.

12d Synergy’s intelligent data transfer and remote access also became the catalyst for flexible working. Because users could access all server files remotely without VPN dependence, and because data transfer performance over WAN improved significantly, staff could work from home or on site with much less friction. According to LD Eng, once NBN connectivity improved, working remotely became just as quick as being in the office.   

The Result

• Supported ISO 9001:2015 accreditation by providing a strong documentation and QA control framework.
• Helped a business grow from 4 staff to 22 staff within roughly two years.
• Created a full digital paper trail for documents, data, emails and transmittals.
• Enabled remote working without the inefficiencies of traditional VPN-based workflows.
• Improved staff flexibility and work-life balance while increasing productivity.
• Strengthened talent attraction and retention by making location less of a barrier to working effectively.

A young business used quality systems as a foundation, not a fix

What makes LD Eng’s story distinctive is that 12d Synergy was not introduced after years of process problems. It was implemented at the beginning, when the business was still small, as part of the operating foundation the company wanted to build. That gave LD Eng a head start: instead of retrofitting governance later, it embedded documentation control, auditability and flexible working into the business as it scaled.

That matters because growth often exposes process weaknesses. In this case, the system was already in place early enough to support both accreditation and expansion.

QA and accreditation were the first proof points

The role 12d Synergy played in helping LD Eng achieve ISO 9001:2015 accreditation is the spotlight. As a new business with no long project history, LD Eng needed a credible and well-managed documentation process that could stand up to external scrutiny.

Because 12d Synergy recorded version changes, user activity, timestamps and correspondence history automatically, it gave LD Eng a clear audit trail from the outset. That made the platform more than just a storage tool, it became the backbone of the firm’s QA system.   

Flexible working became a practical advantage, not a workaround

A second standout theme is how well the platform supported remote work for engineering data. Steve Hodgson contrasted this with older environments that relied on VPNs, hard drives or even leaving office computers running for remote access. For file-heavy 12d Model work, those workarounds were slow and unreliable.

With 12d Synergy, staff could work remotely without that same friction. The business reported that remote access became fast enough to support everyday flexible working, with team members regularly working from home and adjusting hours around family commitments while still staying productive.

Better flexibility also supported talent retention

The case study also shows that operational flexibility had broader business value. Some staff had previously faced commutes of well over an hour, and the ability to work remotely made the business more attractive to both current and future employees.

That is especially relevant in a busy engineering market. Steve noted that when pressure is high, making work easier for staff and giving them more trust tends to improve performance. In other words, the platform supported not just efficiency, but a better model for retaining and enabling good people.