How to have actionable DFM reviews: Unlocking digital manufacturing for SMBs with PCBflow and Xpedition Standard

Have you ever had a project timeline delay that could have been avoided? Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face the dual challenge of innovating rapidly while keeping design and manufacturing costs under control. As PCB designs grow more complex, Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews become critical for ensuring that your boards can be produced reliably, quickly, and without costly reworks late in the process. Unfortunately, many design tools don’t integrate with real-world manufacturing data making traditional DFM checks feel confusing, out of reach, and expensive.

With the release of Xpedition Standard, including seamless PCBflow integration, Siemens is changing the PCB manufacturing landscape by delivering actionable DFM reviews that empower SMB teams to design with confidence, accelerate time to market, and eliminate unnecessary iteration cycles.

Why actionable DFM reviews matter

A DFM review isn’t just about catching errors, it’s about ensuring that your PCB layout and design intent translate smoothly into a manufacturable, high-yield product. Common DFM pain points include:

• Delayed feedback: Waiting days for external checks slows iteration.
• Generic rules: Out-of-date or generic DFM rules can miss fab-specific issues.
• Non-actionable outputs: Lengthy reports without clear, practical recommendations waste valuable engineering time.

When you can’t tie manufacturability findings directly to your design intent, you end up with last-minute redesigns, missed deadlines, or unexpected costs.

Meet PCBflow powered by Valor: secure, online DFM powered by real manufacturing data

PCBFlow, powered by Valor, is included with every Xpedition Standard purchase allowing designers of all scales access real-world, always-current DFM analysis right from the cloud. Here’s what PCBflow brings to your workflow:

• Instant, self-serve DFM: No need to ship files or coordinate with a third party—simply upload your design and get instant manufacturability analysis in minutes.
• Manufacturer-certified rules: PCBflow lets you select specific PCB manufacturers and applies their up-to-date DFM constraints for each review.
• Actionable insights: Each flagged issue is directly mapped to your layout, with clear, visual indications so you can fix what matters fast.
• Secure collaboration: Share DFM results with your team or manufacturing partner securely, accelerating design sign-off and production handoff.

Integrated with Xpedition Standard: DFM, delivered

For SMBs evaluating Xpedition Standard, the inclusion of PCBflow DFM analysis is a powerful differentiator:

1. No extra cost, no extra complexity

With Xpedition Standard, every license includes access to PCBflow with no additional subscriptions or hidden fees. It’s ready when you are.

2. Cloud-native for SMB agility

You don’t need IT overhead or heavy infrastructure: PCBflow works through any modern web browser. Your team stays agile and so does your workflow.

3. Always using up-to-date manufacturing rules

Unlike static DRCs or DIY scripts, PCBflow rules are defined and maintained by each participating manufacturer on the platform. Your review always reflects the latest capabilities, constraints, and tolerances from your preferred suppliers.

4. Actionable, visual results

PCBflow doesn’t flood you with cryptic spreadsheets. Interactively navigate visual results highlighting each issue directly on the board image, making it clear what needs to be changed.

5. Built for secure, flexible collaboration

SMBs thrive on rapid, secure sharing. PCBflow makes it easy to grant access to team members, external EDA partners, or manufacturers streamlining feedback and accelerating approvals.

See it in action: A typical SMB workflow

• Layout in Xpedition Standard: Finish your schematic capture and layout.
• Upload to PCBFlow: From your design environment, send your board files (including ODB++ or Gerber) securely to PCBflow with just a click.
• Select Manufacturer & Run Analysis: Choose your preferred PCB fabricator—or run a generic multi-vendor check.
• Review Actionable Results: Instantly see DFM violations, severity, and specific recommendations—visualized directly on your board.
• Fix, Rerun, Move to Production: Address flagged items within Xpedition, then rerun PCBflow or push directly to your selected fabricator when ready—all from the same connected flow.

Real business value for SMBs

• Reduce costly respins and surprises by catching real-world manufacturing issues before release.
• Accelerate time-to-market with same-day, at-your-desk manufacturability checks.
• Empower every engineer with industry-proven DFM with no specialist needed.
• Collaborate securely for faster sign-off and first-time-right production runs.

Get started today

Actionable DFM is no longer a privilege of big enterprise teams. With Xpedition Standard and PCBflow, SMBs get professional-grade, cloud-connected manufacturability analysis as a standard part of every design. It’s never been easier or more affordable to design with confidence and deliver quality products to your customers fast.