Finding the best CAD software for product design often feels like an uphill battle. Glitchy interfaces, versioning nightmares, compatibility issues – using computer-aided design (CAD) tools should empower product designers, not hamper them. 

Yet when the inevitable hiccups strike, getting swift fixes from CAD vendors often feels impossible. For time-crunched creators, any delay risks blown deadlines and frustrated clients.

While most CAD providers treat customer service as an afterthought, Onshape places it front and center. The cloud-native CAD platform enables unprecedented real-time collaboration, allowing users to tackle issues quickly rather than submit tickets that disappear into the ether.

CAD users agree: Onshape’s customer support is superior to other non-cloud-native platforms. According to “The State of Product Design and Hardware Development 2023-2024” report, Onshape scored the highest in customer service satisfaction versus hybrid-cloud and desktop CAD options.
Report findings showing Onshape with the highest satisfaction with customer service. Source: The State of Product Design and Hardware Development 2023-2024

With Onshape, CAD support switches from overlooked extra to a secret weapon.

Instant Access and Visibility  

What gives Onshape the edge? The platform's real-time communication tools enable direct access to the Onshape support staff. 

Built-in support features connect users to the Onshape team within the interface itself. Markups allow users to visually indicate issues on designs using annotations and comments for added clarity. Notifications keep users informed as staff swiftly solve tickets.

This combination of visibility, annotation capabilities, and expert assistance reduces ambiguity for quicker resolutions. CAD support functions as an integrated extension of the user's team. With such responsive guidance channels, including the Onshape Learning Center and Onshape Forums, questions never go unresolved for long.

The support pop-up in Onshape

Future-Proofed Microversions   

Additionally, Onshape’s cloud architecture unlocks unique version control capabilities. As users create designs, the platform automatically saves incremental revisions, known as microversions. This means technicians can restore previous states to inspect bug reproduction seamlessly.  

Rather than painstakingly recreate issues locally like legacy tools, simply share the link of the precise microversion where problems appeared. Support staff then examine that exact environment configuration for tailored troubleshooting. The best online CAD software has no guesswork and no delays.

Non-Destructive Branching & Merging

Onshape further augments collaborative assistance through branching and merging. Support can duplicate design environments to safely explore solutions without disrupting main workflows.  

Once created, these branches also enable users to continue progressing main versions, eliminating downtime. Any fixes get merged back in with a click, making branching a versatile collaboration tool between users and CAD support experts looking to optimize the best CAD software for product designers.

Image of Onshape's branching and merging Branches in an Onshape Document.

Direct Access to Developers

Additionally, Onshape connects frontline CAD support and product developers. If trickier issues require escalation, support engineers can directly share debugging branches with coders to tackle them cooperatively.

This unified structure speeds up solutions by giving coders immediate access to real environments. Once remedies get deployed, improvements reach all customers via the cloud – no waiting for major version upgrades.

The Cloud: Continuous Enhancements 

Speaking of upgrades, Onshape’s cloud backbone enables consistent enhancements. New features simply appear upon page refresh rather than through locking migration projects. And paired with assigned user roles controlling access, compatibility chaos disappears.     

This means that when support assists with improvements or fixes bugs, those changes become available network-wide. No individual installation actions are needed. The cloud allows help to scale broadly and remain up-to-date.

Collaborative Product Design Troubleshooters 

Now, what truly unlocks Onshape’s responsive support? A stellar staff empowered by cloud technology. Warm and human in their guidance, technicians empathize with product designers through tailored solutions – more “CAD therapy” than cold script reading.     

Many come from engineering backgrounds themselves, grasping the urgency around project delays. This infectious enthusiasm for collaborating with users shows in their customized assistance. Forget one-size-fits-all design software; Onshape support molds to creators’ specific needs.

Headshots of the Onshape user experience team. The Onshape support team. (February 2024)

The Future of CAD Support is Here 

Legacy CAD providers may promise helpful assistance but lean on outdated models like fragmented ticket systems. Onshape flips the entire paradigm via real-time collaboration, microversioning forensics, and cloud-powered continuous delivery.  

The future of product design support has arrived. Say goodbye to frustrating delays and embrace agile, tailored guidance scaling to the modern era. Help unlocks creation rather than hampers it thanks to Onshape – the premier choice for best online CAD software.

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