Modern Remote Collaboration for Engineering Teams—Without the RDP and VPN Headaches

In engineering and manufacturing, speed and precision are everything. But when your teams are spread across multiple facilities, the real bottleneck often isn’t production capacity—it’s file access. CAD drawings, project documentation, and fabrication specs are only useful when the right people can open the right version at the right time.

This is the story of a CentreStack deployment for a U.S.-based engineering and manufacturing firm that designs and fabricates custom pressure and vacuum systems. Their goal was simple: enable secure, reliable collaboration across locations—without relying on complex remote desktop sessions or fragile VPN workflows.

The challenge: accessing large, critical files across multiple locations

The company’s teams needed to collaborate on large, frequently updated project files—often under tight deadlines. But their daily workflow was slowed down by familiar pain points:

• RDP sessions that didn’t scale well as more users and sites came online

• VPN dependency that created support overhead and inconsistent performance

• Slow access to large design files across geographically distributed facilities

• Confusing version sprawl when people worked around limitations with ad-hoc file copies

• Security concerns around remote access and user management

They weren’t looking for “just another place to store files.” They needed a solution that could connect to their existing environment and still feel natural for engineering teams.

What they needed: a hybrid approach built for real operations

From sales discovery conversations, the requirements became clear. The right solution had to:

• Sync with local file servers to preserve workflows and avoid disruptive migrations

• Provide reliable remote access for distributed teams and traveling staff

• Support real-time collaboration without sacrificing file integrity

• Offer team folder management, so projects stay organized

• Include multi-factor authentication to strengthen access control

• Be easy to administer and scale across multiple locations

In short: keep the familiarity of a file server experience, while gaining the flexibility of modern cloud access.

The solution: cloud backup + syncing that fits the way engineers work

The company implemented a cloud backup and syncing approach designed to integrate with their existing file server footprint. With CentreStack in place, teams could access current project data from anywhere while still keeping their core file server structure intact.

Key capabilities that mattered most:

• File server sync to maintain a single source of truth

• Remote access and collaboration that didn’t rely on always-on RDP sessions

• Centralized folder governance for consistent project structure

• Stronger security controls, including MFA for remote access scenarios

Instead of forcing the business to reorganize everything, the solution aligned with what the teams already knew—while removing the friction that had been slowing them down.

The results: faster work, fewer workarounds, better control

After implementation, the company saw meaningful operational improvements:

• Smoother collaboration across facilities with fewer “which version is correct?” moments

• Reduced reliance on RDP/VPN troubleshooting, freeing up IT time

• More predictable access to critical files, supporting engineering and fabrication timelines

• Improved security posture through stronger authentication and controlled sharing practices

• Simplified management as the environment grew

Most importantly, teams regained momentum—because access to critical files was no longer a daily obstacle.

Why this matters for engineering and manufacturing teams

If your organization depends on CAD drawings, fabrication documents, and cross-site collaboration, your file access strategy isn’t just IT infrastructure—it’s operational infrastructure.

Consider this approach if you’re dealing with:

• Multiple locations that must stay aligned on the same project files

• Remote staff who need fast, dependable access without heavy infrastructure

• Growth that’s outpacing what traditional remote access methods can support

• Increasing pressure to improve security without slowing productivity

Call to action

If your teams are still relying on RDP and VPN as the backbone of collaboration, it may be time to modernize. CentreStack helps engineering and manufacturing organizations securely access and collaborate on critical files across locations—while syncing with existing file servers.

Want to see what this could look like in your environment? Let’s talk.