FEA is misunderstood by lots of people in engineering who don't do CAE too and this can cause headaches in a product development cycle. This is a deep-rooted issue across engineering organizations. FEA often gets viewed as a “black box,” which leads to mistrust or misuse of results by those who don’t fully understand it.
In this article, first I want to answer the question “How to Elevate CAE Understanding Across Your Organization?”. Then I will present how to establish a CAE Literacy & Mentoring Framework within an engineering organization. I will end by defining the Core Functions of a CAE Engineer.
HOW TO ELEVATE CAE UNDERSTANDING ACROSS YOUR ORGANIZATION
Here’s a strategic way to address this problem and bridge the gap between CAE specialists and the rest of the engineering team.
1. Integrate FEA Education into Product Development Culture
The goal isn’t to turn every engineer into an analyst, but to equip them with enough understanding to interpret and question results effectively.
A practical way to achieve this is to develop short, applied learning modules tailored to non-CAE engineers, such as “FEA for Design Engineers” or “Understanding Simulation Assumptions.”
These should be complemented by case studies that reveal how incorrect assumptions, whether in boundary conditions, material models, or mesh density, can lead to flawed design decisions. It is also valuable to foster cross-functional workshops during design reviews where CAE engineers walk teams through not only the results themselves, but also how those results were generated and why specific assumptions were chosen.
2. Promote a Mentorship and Oversight Framework
CAE engineers should serve as mentors and design advisors rather than simply functioning as service providers.
This can be supported by establishing FEA champions within product teams who guide the interpretation of simulation data during early-stage design. It is also effective to introduce structured CAE review checkpoints where senior analysts mentor junior engineers and design leads on how to validate and critique results.
To reinforce this culture, mentorship should be incorporated into performance metrics so that engineers are recognized not only for the quality of their analyses but also for their contributions to knowledge transfer and clear communication.
3. Develop Better Communication Tools
Results communication is often overly technical or limited to visuals, which can make it difficult for non-specialists to grasp the implications.
A more effective approach is to present simplified visual summaries paired with clear notes explaining what the findings mean for design decisions. Incorporating confidence levels or “simulation maturity indicators” also helps decision-makers understand how much trust they can place in the results. In addition, CAE engineers should be trained to craft concise engineering narratives that translate simulation insights into meaningful business or performance implications, ensuring the analysis informs decisions rather than simply reporting data.
4. Embed CAE into Design Decision-Making
FEA needs to move upstream in the development process so it can influence early concepts rather than simply validate the final design.
This begins by involving analysts in design brainstorming sessions, allowing them to advise on feasibility from the outset. It also requires the use of design–CAE co-simulation loops, enabling designers to explore “what if” scenarios with simplified models under the guidance of CAE specialists. In addition, systems-level design reviews should be structured so that simulation data directly informs key trade-off decisions, such as weight versus stiffness, ensuring that CAE insights shape the product from the beginning.
5. Leverage Digital Tools for Shared Understanding
Adopting platforms that make simulation data more accessible and interactive can significantly improve how teams engage with FEA outputs.
This includes using dashboards with intuitive visual analytics, such as web-based viewers that allow users to explore the model, mesh, and results layers directly. Integrating assumptions, inputs, and results into PLM or knowledge systems ensures that simulation information remains tied to design revisions and is easy to trace. Additionally, incorporating AI or automation can help flag potential misinterpretations or unrealistic setups before results are reviewed, improving both accuracy and confidence in the analysis.
CAE LITERACY & MENTORING FRAMEWORK
Here’s a clear, actionable blueprint for establishing a CAE Literacy & Mentoring Framework within an engineering organization. This framework is designed to raise simulation awareness across all disciplines, institutionalize mentorship, and ensure FEA insights are understood and used effectively in product decisions.
1. Program Vision and Objectives
Purpose
To embed FEA understanding and simulation literacy across engineering teams, improving design quality, collaboration, and decision-making.
Key Outcomes
- Non-CAE engineers gain functional literacy in simulation assumptions and result interpretation.
- CAE engineers become recognized as mentors and advisors, not just analysts.
- Product design decisions increasingly rely on validated and properly interpreted FEA insights.
2. Framework Structure
Role | Responsability | Key Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
CAE Lead / Champion | Defines standards, mentors analysts, works closely with design leadership | Simulation review process, knowledge templates, internal FEA forum. |
CAE Mentor | Provides 1:1 or small-group mentoring to design engineers. | Mentorship plans, training workshops, review feedback. |
Design Engineer (Mentee) | Participates in mentoring and learning sessions; applies principles to projects. | Design-CAE integration examples, case study presentations. |
Project Manager / Decision Maker | Ensures CAE is part of project gates and design reviews. | Decision records informed by FEA summaries. |
3. Core Component #1: CAE Literacy Training
Develop a structured training program that targets different levels of involvement.
Level | Audience | Focus | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 – Awareness | Managers, project leads | How FEA fits into product development and risk mitigation | 1-hour seminars, visual case studies |
Level 2 – Practitioner | Design engineers | Basics of model setup, loads, BCs, meshing, result interpretation | Hands-on workshops, mini-projects |
Level 3 – Advanced Mentorship | Analysts and leads | Mentoring, communication, verification/validation culture | Peer sessions, internal mentoring certification |
Tip: Keep it practical. Base sessions on real company models and decisions.
4. Core Component #2: Mentoring System
A structured process that builds consistent communication channels between CAE and non-CAE staff.
Mentorship Format
- Kickoff pairing: Design engineers are paired with a CAE mentor for a defined project phase.
- Guided sessions: Mentors walk through one model from setup to results, explaining reasoning behind each assumption.
- Result review: Design engineers interpret outcomes and present them back, reinforcing understanding.
Metrics of Success
- Improved accuracy in design assumptions.
- Fewer misinterpretations or late rework due to misunderstood analysis.
- Feedback surveys from mentees on comprehension and confidence.
5. Core Component #3: CAE Oversight in Design Reviews
Formalize CAE’s presence in design decisions.
Implementation Steps
- Include a “Simulation Validation” item in every design review checklist.
- Require a CAE Summary Sheet for each major component:
- Simulation goal and scope
- Key assumptions
- Sensitivity to boundary conditions
- Design implications and confidence rating
- Make the CAE Lead a required sign-off for product release stages involving performance validation.
6. Core Component #4: Knowledge Capture and Sharing
Avoid knowledge silos and ensure insights persist beyond individuals.
Best Practices
- Maintain a CAE Knowledge Base (Notion. Confluence, etc.) with:
- Standard modeling procedures
- FAQ on common misinterpretations
- Annotated case studies of simulation-led design changes
- Host monthly CAE Forum sessions: open discussions of project lessons learned.
- Introduce “FEA Story of the Month” newsletters summarizing one practical example of simulation value.
7. Core Component #5: Communication Templates
Train CAE engineers to summarize results in a format that non-analysts can interpret easily.
Standard Report Format
- Objective: Why the simulation was done
- Setup Overview: Simplified diagram + assumptions
- Results Summary: Key findings in bullet form
- Design Impact: What should change, and why
- Confidence Level: (e.g., 90% validated via test correlation)
Include visuals like side-by-side “Before/After” plots.
8. Implementation Roadmap
Phase | Duration | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|
1. Pilot Program | 3 months | Select one project to trial mentoring + literacy workshops |
2. Evaluation | 1 month | Gather feedback, adjust training and templates |
3. Rollout | 6–9 months | Expand across departments, introduce review integration |
4. Institutionalize | Ongoing | Add CAE Literacy KPIs to performance goals and onboarding |
9. Long-Term Sustainability
To ensure this doesn’t fade after initial enthusiasm:
- Make CAE mentoring a recognized career pathway for analysts.
- Integrate simulation quality metrics into project dashboards.
- Celebrate cross-functional wins — highlight when simulation insight prevented costly redesigns or failures.
WHAT CAE EXPERTS REALLY DO
CAE engineers play a critical role within an engineering organization by ensuring that design decisions are grounded in sound physics, reliable simulations, and robust engineering judgment. Their work spans analysis, guidance, validation, and communication. Key activities typically include the following:
Performing Advanced Simulations
CAE engineers use tools such as FEA, CFD, MBD, and thermal analysis to predict system behavior under various loads, conditions, and failure scenarios. They define boundary conditions, select appropriate material models, design meshes, and verify that the simulation setup reflects physical reality.
Guiding Design Through Engineering Insight
Beyond running simulations, they interpret results, identify risks, and recommend design improvements. They support early-stage concept development by advising on feasibility, load paths, stress concentrations, stiffness, thermal behavior, fatigue life, and other performance metrics.
Ensuring Model Accuracy and Validation
CAE engineers validate simulation assumptions by comparing results with test data, hand calculations, or previous experience. They assess sensitivity to boundary conditions and mesh quality and ensure that results are reliable enough to support decisions.
Collaborating with Cross-Functional Teams
They work closely with design, materials, manufacturing, testing, and product management teams. Their input helps align design choices with performance targets, safety requirements, and customer needs. They often participate in design reviews and support trade-off discussions.
Developing and Maintaining Simulation Standards
CAE engineers establish internal best practices, build templates, automate workflows, and maintain modeling guidelines. They help ensure consistency, repeatability, and quality across all simulation work performed within the organization.
Mentoring and Knowledge Transfer
They train design engineers and other team members to understand the fundamentals of simulation, interpret results correctly, and avoid common pitfalls. They often act as advisors or mentors in early design phases.
Communicating Results and Risk
A major part of the role is translating complex technical analyses into clear, actionable insights for decision-makers. This can include creating simplified visuals, confidence indicators, and concise narratives that connect simulation findings to business goals.
Supporting Testing and Verification
CAE engineers collaborate with test engineers to plan physical tests, define instrumentation requirements, and correlate results. They use test data to refine models and improve prediction accuracy.
Driving Simulation-Driven Development
In mature organizations, CAE engineers help push analysis upstream so it influences concept generation, architecture selection, and systems-level decisions rather than serving as a last-minute validation step.
If you want, I can also help you summarize these roles into a shorter description or adapt them for training materials, internal documentation, or a job description.