Cadalyst - February 2008 - (Page 37)

cadmanager CAD management is a lot more complicated now because of the mixed use of 2D and 3D software tools and rendering, visualization, and Internet support. CAD Management Unifies Do you have many departments in your company that all have a different set of CAD rules? Does every project seem to have a different CAD standard? Do you realize how much this lack of standardization actually costs? When empowered by you, your CAD manager can serve as a unifying power to get departments and projects to follow the same set of standards or processes. The reason the CAD manager can serve this useful function is because he or she understands the CAD problems that the various departments and project managers experience. There’s simply no other person in the company who can bring the knowledge, clout, and unifying power to bear that your CAD manager can. I speak from experience when I say that running today’s CAD software requires more hardware, networks, and storage and higher-end monitors, graphics cards, and plotting devices than ever before. Your CAD manager supports these requirements every day and can help guide you toward budgeting for the resources your CAD users need to do the job properly. Use your CAD manager in this area of your business. Why not? If he or she can help you make users more productive and prevent you from making hardware and software mistakes, your company benefits. Invest in Your CAD Manager If your CAD manager has the potential to provide so many productivity-enhancing functions to your company, what can you do to cultivate and maximize this resource? Here are a few suggestions: Have regular CAD manager work sessions. Get together with your CAD manager and kick around ideas for how you could save the company time and money using clever CAD management. Be clear about your goals for the CAD manager. This suggestion sounds easy but is frequently overlooked. Tell your CAD manager what you need, when you need it, and why and then listen to his or her advice to help you meet those needs. You’ll avoid costly mistakes by doing so, and your CAD manager will be a lot less frustrated. Communicate more effectively when you meet. Educate your CAD manager about financial terms such as return on investment (ROI), budgeting, and project forecasts so he or she can help you get better financial results. Listen to your CAD manager’s technical terms, and you’ll learn more about IT and CAD. Agree that you’ll both strive to understand each other better because you’ll both learn. Help your CAD manager learn about management. They already know the CAD part, but CAD managers are often woefully unprepared to manage people and projects. Ask them where they need help and then provide it. You’ll get a better CAD manager and fewer surprises. Empower your CAD manager. Use some of the tips I provided in the “Authority” section above to pump up your CAD manager’s reputation among your company’s staff members. The more successful and respected the CAD manager, the better off the company will become. The Job Is Growing Think managing CAD is the same now as it was five years ago? It isn’t. CAD management is a lot more complicated now because of the mixed use of 2D and 3D software tools and rendering, visualization, and Internet support. They intertwine to form a perfect storm of CAD support. In fact, most CAD managers are now overwhelmed with making the decisions about which software their companies should adopt and implement. The single best thing that senior management can do to help their CAD managers in this crucial area is to allocate some time and funding to adequate training. This will allow CAD managers to stay in front of the rapid pace of software change. Asking CAD managers to figure out these types of complex software problems without adequate information is simply inviting errors that could cost your company money in the long run. As your company moves forward with implementing new software technologies, realize that your CAD manager could really use some time to get the work done. Simply realize that the more software you expect your CAD manager to implement, the more time it will take. Summing Up I appreciate your willingness to read my endorsement for the great value of CAD management. I believe that senior managers who develop their CAD managers reap huge efficiency gains in the long run, so get to know your CAD manager. You’ll be well rewarded for your time and effort. c Robert Green performs CAD programming and consulting throughout the United States and Canada. His new book, Expert CAD Management: The Complete Guide is now available. Reach him via his Web site at www.cad-manager.com. www.cadalyst.com | cadalyst | February 2008 Budgeting for Hardware and Software I’ve noticed a growing trend of companies handing over all hardware and software budgeting to IT departments, some of which are disconnected and unaware of CAD users’ needs. If you have an IT department that can deliver cutting-edge hardware and software to your CAD users, that’s great. If you don’t, then empower your CAD manager to get involved with the budgeting process and listen to his or her advice. 37 http://www.cad-manager.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - February 2008

Cadalyst - February 2008 Contents Editor's Window CAD Central Tech Trends More than Meets the Eye — A Look at Today's CAD Viewers IronCAD v10 — 3D Modeling Software AcceliArch with AcceliCAD — Add-In Architectural Drawing and Modeling Software CAD Manager MCAD Modeling AEC Insight CAD Cartoon Issue Indexes Hot Tip Harry

Cadalyst - February 2008

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