The problem is that cost-cutting has come to include tasks like setting up project stan-dards, training users, providing support, and rolling out new software as overhead activities CAD
Trang 1System type—collaborative mode SolidWorks-focused CAD installations are almost
always collaborative in nature: Users create parts that come together in assemblies and produce drawings Because large teams of engineers, designers, and detailers all need access to the latest data in real time, SolidWorks CAD systems must be managed as a fully collaborative environment.
Software footprint—typically 1 GB or more when installed SolidWorks-focused CAD
installations typically include large libraries of components in various standards (such
as ISO, DIN, and JIS) that can make the installation size grow very large.
Given the collaborative file-sharing mode and large software footprint, Works environments face a fundamental conundrum: Large files need local resources
Solid-to run quickly, but the collaborative design mode of the software rules out local file locations The following recommendations reflect the best management of SolidWorks environments I’ve seen in industry:
Software installation Run the software from the local machine to gain maximum
per-formance Even though network versions are available, they will slow users’ speeds and impact their productivity Installing software on the local machine has no detrimental effect on anyone and gives CAD users the speed they crave And by running the soft- ware locally, you preserve precious network bandwidth for moving data rather than running applications.
File storage Store files on LANs if at all possible because WAN/Internet access
radi-cally slows access speeds SolidWorks environments, with their large 3D part and assembly structures, generate huge files that don’t move well over WANs and Internet connections If your business model requires sharing of files over WANs, try to store the files most users need on their closest server to increase bandwidth and keep access speeds as high as possible.
Miscellaneous Hints
SolidWorks environments have complex software and file-sharing needs and thus require more planning and network analysis than most other environments do You’ll find that the more you plan and the more you work with your IT department, the bet- ter things will go.
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Trang 2Figure G.1 Your company’s system of local machines, servers, and networks determines where data can best be stored with the
least amount of delay experienced by your CAD software users.
In cases where your IT department or management is pushing you to move CAD files to WANs or Internet servers, be aware that performance degradation will be
extreme and that CAD user productivity will be adversely affected Push for testing or
pilot projects to verify that WAN/Internet methodologies are workable before you’re
forced to support a bad decision.
Internet
Server
CAD StationCAD Station
Trang 4An Open Letter to Senior Management
by Robert Green
because your CAD manager has brought it to your attention after reading my book, Expert
CAD Management—The Complete Guide
I’d like to take this opportunity to state my belief that the CAD manager is one of the most overlooked and underutilized positions in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing
fields today My message to senior management is that you have a goldmine of knowledge and
technical skill in your CAD manager, and you should be taking advantage of it
The CAD manager is a hands-on technician who can also communicate with people, juggle multiple priorities, implement organizational and technological change, and somehow
keep everything running in the meanwhile This is no easy set of tasks, so if you’re blessed
with a great CAD manager, you should be thinking about how to utilize this extraordinary
set of skills more fully In this open letter, I’ll set forth some ideas for doing so.
Low Overhead = False Economy
As industrial productivity has gone up and cost-cutting has become the norm, CAD managers
are being pressed to be billable and abandon “overhead activities” that are seen as costing
money The problem is that cost-cutting has come to include tasks like setting up project
stan-dards, training users, providing support, and rolling out new software as overhead activities
CAD managers should avoid rather than the productivity-enhancing activities they actually are.
If setting up project standards and training users on them were done religiously at the start of every new job, wouldn’t we see reduced rework and overall CAD time during the
lifecycle of the project? When CAD management is performed correctly at the start of project
cycles, everyone benefits because projects run better, standards are followed, and errors are
reduced
Advice for senior management: Work with your CAD manager to define mutually
worthwhile tasks like proper project standards formulation, job kickoff training, and job
sup-port as non-overhead so CAD management tasks are paid for from project budgets If any
departments in your company object, ask them if their projects are always well organized,
error free, and easily combined with work from other departments before allowing them to
opt out of CAD management.
More Software = More Pressure
Over the last five or so years, CAD software has become more specialized and more complex.
Whereas a CAD manager used to worry about a 2D CAD tool (usually AutoCAD or
Micro-Station), it’s now common to manage specialized 3D design tools for building modeling, civil
topography, or part modeling/assembly tasks In a real sense, CAD management is harder now
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Trang 5Advice for senior management: Understand that your CAD manager is being
pulled in more directions than ever as your company employs new software gies to get the job done Know that your CAD manager is the conduit facilitating the implementation of these new technologies and that they need training to stay on top
technolo-of the ever-changing technology you expect them to master If at all possible, include a training budget and some quality time for your CAD manager to fully understand the software they must manage, because not doing so will diminish the return you get from the expensive design software you’ve purchased.
Involvement with Hardware, Software, and Budgets
In recent years, CAD managers haven’t had much to do with hardware, operating tems, and networking, as corporate IT departments have taken over the purchase and deployment of CAD workstations The efficiency of this practice is understandable, but
sys-it has led to artificially low cost estimations for CAD hardware and the purchase of equipment that isn’t optimized for CAD usage.
CAD workstations require more power, more RAM, bigger disks, faster network interfaces, better graphics, and bigger monitors than regular computers, and as such they cost a lot more Although your CAD manager may not buy the computers or deploy them, at least make sure the CAD manager is involved in the specification and budget- ing of new computer hardware You wouldn’t let an architect tell a civil engineer what tools they need to do their job, so don’t let your IT department hamstring your CAD users by under-buying on hardware.
Advice for senior management: Get your CAD manager’s unique input on the
future of hardware and software platforms early this year, and make sure to involve them in the budgeting process to avoid costly IT surprises CAD computing platforms will change a lot in the coming years, so it will pay to have a CAD-centric look at the market.
Process Changes
Most management teams I know would agree that business gets better by delivering better designs and products faster and cheaper than before Most management teams would also agree that new software technology, when properly implemented, can assist
in facilitating these goals but that changing the processes within the company is more important than changing the software.
What most management teams I’ve talked to don’t see clearly is that the CAD manager is in a unique position to assist in making the process changes required to gain better efficiency Believe me when I tell you that CAD managers know which processes work and which ones don’t, and they have a generally good idea of where
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Trang 6changes can best be made to make things work better CAD managers typically don’t
have business or accounting degrees, but they can tell you where the inefficiencies are
in your operation and how to begin fixing them Don’t believe me? Ask your CAD
manager!
Advice for senior management: Instead of viewing your CAD manager as a techno
jock, view them as an efficiency consultant who can tell you where the inefficiencies in
your operation are If you view your CAD manager as a managerial resource, you begin
to see the real potential they have to help you improve your business
Connecting Your Departments
CAD used to be the exclusive domain of engineers and architects, but now CAD files
are used for field operations, prototyping, estimating, supplier integration, and a
vari-ety of other purposes If you went back ten years and asked how many companies were
using CAD systems to output bills of materials, interface with the manufacturing floor,
or drive custom design and manufacturing of configurable products, you’d find few
companies who even believed in the concept If you ask the same question now, there
is general acceptance that CAD can be the hub of engineering or architectural
informa-tion exchange.
If CAD files are becoming more useful around your entire company, what does that say about the CAD manager? At minimum, you should be on the lookout for
ways that your CAD manager can help bring departments together At maximum, you
should view your CAD manager as an invaluable resource who can translate CAD
jar-gon and technology for the departments in your company and thereby help them make
great productivity strides by more fully understanding the technology they can apply.
Advice for senior management: Bring your CAD manager into project team
kick-off meetings or quality and improvement initiatives I think you’ll find that your CAD
manager can function as a technological common denominator to help you avoid
mis-takes and maximize company efficiency by being involved early in the process.
Worthy of Your Time
If your CAD manager has the potential to provide so many productivity-enhancing
functions for your company, what can you do to maximize this resource? Here are a
few suggestions:
Talk with your CAD manager regularly, and feel free to give career advice Many
times, your CAD manager would love to have career guidance but probably feels you’re too busy to ask Go ahead and tell your CAD manager what they can do
to improve their career because CAD managers get little mentoring.
Bring the CAD manager into processes like budgeting and process changes so they can experience more of the managerial aspects of the job In fact, give them
some managerial responsibility, and you may be surprised how willing they are
to participate in the process.
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Trang 7Help the CAD manager enforce CAD Standards CAD managers try to make
things better by creating CAD standards so all users are on the same page, yet they have little or no power to enforce those standards Send a signal to your CAD manager by helping them enforce standards, and you’ll be rewarded with better financial results!
Build business savvy by teaching your CAD manager about your company’s return on investment (ROI) methodologies and staffing philosophies When
you show your CAD manager how they can use CAD to justify monetary ments and work within your staffing plans, you’ll teach them how they can best help your company achieve its goals.
invest-Break down the technicality barrier Speak to your CAD manager in terms of
your business expectations, and then listen to what your CAD manager tells you about your software and hardware platforms If either of you don’t understand the other, then agree to explain yourselves again using plain language Remem- ber that business language can be just as confusing to the CAD manager as com- puter technobabble can be to senior management By striving to understand each other, you’ll both gain a better total understanding of your company.
In Conclusion
I realize that this open letter to management can be taken as an advertisement for the value of CAD management and CAD managers in general—and this enthusiasm is fully intended As I’ve talked with companies all over the world, I’ve come to believe that the CAD manager is the secret weapon in implementing technology change because the CAD manager is the person who makes the rubber meet the road.
Without CAD managers teaching, pushing, persuading, and facilitating logical change in our workplaces, we’d still be on the drafting board So, I reiterate
techno-my core message to senior management: Use your CAD manager, and involve them in making your business better You’ll be well rewarded for doing so.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at the address below Thanks for reading!
Regards,
Robert Green
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Trang 8Note to the reader: Throughout this index
bold-faced page numbers indicate primary discussions
of a topic Italicized page numbers indicate
costs to move to, 114
explaining benefits to management, 113–114
management ambivalence about, 130
accuracy, in prioritizing job candidates, 87
ACS Software, AutoEDMS, 207–208
actions for starting project, 149
advice, asking for, 49
AEC (Architecture/Engineering/Construction)
envi-ronments, 235–237
aggregate ROI, 135
air mail, vs standard mail, 129
allowable deviation from standard, by vendor, 59
Alt+PrtSc key combination, for screen capture, 110
paying for, with savings, 138
programming skills for customizing, 191–192 purchasing, 102–105
benefits, 106
decision making, 107–108 easing transition, 110–111
and hardware requirements, 168management expectations for costs, 117
and new methods, 98–99 time table, 118
outsourcing to, 62patent and intellectual property rights non-enforcement, 101
assemblies, 119assessment
budgetary, 29–32
of hardware, 23–25
of IT department, 26–29 red flags in, 29
of software, 22–23
of user skills, 18–21
asynchronous DSL (ADSL), 163, 222ATA disk controllers, 162
attitudinal issues, in user assessment, 21audits
of software, 102
of vendors’ work, 59
authority, 14asking for, 15and user behavior, 74
Index
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Trang 9Architectural Desktop, 193DWF Composer, Writer and Viewer, 201DWF file format, 200
Inventor, 114, 220Visual Basic customization for, 192Land Desktop, 193
resources, 193
training in, 193
AutoLISP in Plain English (Head), 193
AutoManager Teamwork, 208automation, 69
of procedures, 44standards for, 56with wizards, 149AutoTEST Pro (Academix Software), 20average cost per project, standards and, 57
of LAN connection, 162–163, 222
of WAN connection, 163, 222benchmarks
in bottleneck analysis, 138–139phase for developing customer relationships, 61for software upgrade, 105
for verifying time savings estimates, 138–139big picture, vs day-to-day environment, 40–41billable seat of software, 103
blogs for CAD management, 178books
for CAD manager training, 176
on management, 184for training, 76
bottleneck analysis, 138–140
creating benchmark, 138–139potential locations, 140brainstorming, v
with peers, 178branch offices, undercapitalized, 29brevity of standards, 53
budget meetings, finding disconnects, 31–32
budgeting, 122–126 assessment, 29–32 changing parameters, 123–125 disciplined approach, 125–126
expectations in assessment, 32
gathering information, 123 for hardware, 25
documentation to support, 24
managing perception, 122–123
as ongoing process, 182prioritization of projects, ROI for setting, 138
for software, 117
tracking projections, 125bugs
in software upgrades, 131software upgrades to reduce, 106building information models, as intellectual prop-erty, 197
business metrics, 12Business Software Alliance (BSA), 102
C
cable modems, 163CAD filesdata in, 171
as intellectual property, 197size of, 28
CAD manager
balancing tasks and perspectives, 9–11 simplifying equation, 9–10
budgeting for professional development, 123
business angle on tasks, 11–13 from CAD users’ perspective, 6–7
costs for software upgrade support, 105–106
critical path of, 43
emphasis on understanding management needs,43
gaining power, 14–15
general truths, 16involvement with IT department, 160
from management perspective, 7–8
mission, i–iiresponsibilities, 1–2importance of analyzing, 5
selling yourself, 185–194 documenting ROI, 189–190
effective reporting, 188–189
maximizing ROI, 190
speaking quality, 186–187value of weekly report, 188writing quality, 185–186skills
basics, 173–174
efficiency in learning, 175–179 learning style, 174–175 learning what to manage, 179–182 management style, 183–185 programming, 191–192
tracking, 182
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Trang 10formulaic approach to change, 33, 33
formulating and writing, 52–54
help from management for enforcing, 69–70
information exchange with, 56–57
management tasks for, 3–4
objectives for, 53
problems from absence, 45
signed approval by management, 54
specifying software versions in, 62
user noncompliance with, 94–95
complaints about passwords, 199
connection speed for login, 64
contributions from all for process
documenta-tion, 149cost of wasted time from hardware performance
issues, 169delegating to, 181
gaining support for plan from, 156–157
handling renegade, 93–95
limits to number supported by EDM, 207–208
objections to 3D software transition, 119
obstinate, 95
perspective on manager, 6–7
problems from lack of support for plan,
155, 156
questions from, and training needs, 79
selling on long-term plan, 154–155
shortage for 3D software, 115
standardized tool palettes for, 135
tracking number simultaneously logged, 104
training, as upgrade cost, 106
Undo function to learn about, 87
wants
vs company needs, 42–44
and critical path needs, 43
willingness to accept upgrade, 108
CAD workstation, in computing system, 162
Cadalyst magazine, 111
cadalyst.com, 177CADLock CADVault, 201calculation files, as intellectual property, 197Camtasia Studio, 80, 81, 83
capital items, budgeting for, 124–125
car lease, vs software license, 100–101
CATIA files (Dassault Systémes), security for, 201CDs
for CAD manager training, 176for interactive instruction, 75cell phones, 82
central corporate network, minimizing risk, 198change
managing in budgeting, 123–125
in processes from software deployment, 66–67
check in/check out methodologies for files, 164China
outsourcing to, 62patent and intellectual property rights non-enforcement, 101
civil engineering systems, 239–241
as intellectual property, 197classroom training, 74–75for CAD manager, 175
on Visual Basic, 194
client standards, 60–62, 61
collaborationand data storage locations, 223tools for EDM systems, 210–211costs, 214
using Internet, 30collaborative-mode systems, 220for AEC-focused CAD systems, 236for civil engineering systems, 240for manufacturing-focused CAD systems, 232for running software, 225–226
for SolidWorks-focused CAD systems, 248colors, including standards in template, 53communication
with management, 38
on 3D software purchase, 116
with reports, 46–48
standards to aid, 56technology vs process, 44companies
needs
vs user wants, 42–44
vs users’ CAD needs, 66questions on growth, 30size of, and CAD manager need for IT knowl-edge, 161
understanding purpose, 185user understanding of standards, 18compatibility with partners, after software upgrade, 106
competency, as power user motivation, 91complaints from users, 29
complexity basis, for prioritizing ideas, 146–147
compliance with standards, management support for, 69
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