Fine-Grained Access Control for Engineering Docs

Zhenyu Zhang
Zhenyu Zhang
•
December 23, 2024
Fine-Grained Access Control for Engineering Docs

Every engineering document you share carries more than technical data—it holds your company’s intellectual property (IP). Whether it’s an engineering drawing or technical specification, these documents define what sets your business apart.

Yet, sharing these files often feels like walking a tightrope: share too much, and you risk exposing sensitive designs; share too little, and you stall collaboration. The problem? Most tools today only offer broad access control, leaving you stuck with "all or nothing" sharing.

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Sharing engineering IP with contractors and clients often raises questions about security and control.

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The Risks of Sharing Engineering Docs
Platforms like Google Drive or OneDrive work for basic collaboration, but they lack the nuanced controls needed to handle sensitive technical data.

This leads to common issues:

  • IP Exposure: Sharing entire files when only parts are needed risks exposing proprietary designs and processes.
  • Tedious Workarounds: Redacting documents or creating separate versions wastes time and increases the chance of errors.
  • One-Size-Fits-All Permissions: Most tools apply the same level of access to everyone, making it impossible to share files selectively.

When your IP is at stake, these risks are unacceptable.

At Cronwell, we’re changing that with fine-grained access control.

Select sections of an engineering doc and share with your contractor Alice.

What is Fine-Grained Access Control?
Fine-grained access control gives you the power to share exactly what you want, with exactly who you want. Instead of applying permissions to an entire file, you can control access at the level of individual sections, pages, or annotations.

Here’s why that matters:

  • Precision: Share the specific parts of a document relevant to a contractor or client, while keeping sensitive details private.
  • Security: Protect proprietary process data by ensuring no one sees more than they need to.
  • Efficiency: Eliminate the time and risk of creating duplicate versions or manually redacting files.

For teams working with sensitive engineering data, fine-grained access control bridges the gap between collaboration and protection.

Cronwell’s Approach to Fine-Grained Access Control
Cronwell is built to solve these challenges for engineering teams. With fine-grained access control, you can:

  • Share Exactly What’s Needed: Select and share specific areas of an engineering drawing or technical document while blocking sensitive sections.
  • Protect Sensitive Data: Ensure that proprietary process flows, equipment specs, or design details remain confidential.
  • Define Group-Based Permissions: Assign user groups (e.g., contractors, internal teams, clients) with tailored access levels—view, comment, or edit.
  • Prevent Unnecessary Downloads: Limit downloads to only users who have edit access, adding another layer of IP protection.

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User-group based access level management.

A Real-World Scenario
Imagine you’re working with a contractor to review equipment positioning in a P&ID. The same document contains proprietary process flows you can’t disclose.

Here’s how Cronwell helps:

  1. You select only the equipment positioning section to share.
  2. Sensitive process flow details are blocked.
  3. The contractor is given view-only access, ensuring no edits or downloads.

The result? Secure collaboration without compromising your IP.

How Cronwell Stands Out
Engineering teams thrive on collaboration, but collaboration shouldn’t mean sacrificing control. Fine-grained access control empowers you to share confidently—knowing your IP is secure, your data is protected, and your team stays productive.

Compare Cronwell with generic file-sharing solutions.

Join us in protecting what matters most—your IP. Sign up for updates and let us know your thoughts! 

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