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CAD Manager's Newsletter (#153)
22 Jun, 2006 By: Robert Green
CAD Management Finances, Part 2
More strategies for getting the funding you need to equip your CAD departmeNT
In the last issue of CAD Manager’s Newsletter (click here for archives), I started a general discussion of the financial angle of the CAD manager’s job and presented some strategies you can use to approach your job using financial metrics. If you haven’t had a chance to read Part 1, please take the time to do so now because I’ll be building extensively upon the concepts from the first installment.
In this installment I’ll focus on taking your ideas for improvement and turning them into savings-generating ideas that you can take to your management. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a financial CAD manager, take the time to read through these ideas and consider the possibilities. Here goes.
It’s All About Savings
In the previous edition I asked you to ponder three questions and
come up with some possible answers. To recap, those questions were:
- Where can I save?
- Where are the broken processes in our company that cost us money?
- Why do we do things the way we do?
If you haven't already done so, now is the perfect time to get out a blank pad of paper and start brainstorming all the answers. The end result of your brainstorming session should be an extensive list of cost-saving ideas that also result in faster, smoother, more-efficient processes. These cost-saving ideas will form the foundation of your CAD management savings plan, so it is important that you think the list through using some suggested guidelines. Read more >>
My company’s project management and marketing teams expect my CAD group to do more 3D walkthroughs, flyovers and graphics work for presentations. Should I be expected to do this? Are other CAD managers facing the same issues? How do I cope?
Robert Green responds: First off, you’re not alone because I get this question often. Because we design buildings, cars, subdivisions and so forth using CAD, the expectation is that we can add some sizzle to the marketing process. I actually view this trend as good news now that CAD tools are viewed as an integral part of the entire lifecycle of a project rather than a tool to grunt out engineering and architectural designs.
To meet this challenge I recommend a “can-do” attitude combined with some practical approaches to fulfilling the needs. Read more >>
Submit your questions to Robert Green at rgreen@greenconsulting.com.
Online User Community: CAD Manager's Newsletter reader Lori Dankovic alerted us about one of her favorite Web sites. With the motto "Get Below the Surface," TheSwamp.org provides a forum for programmers, designers and drafters to share ideas, resources and information. The site, which is owned and maintained by Mark Thomas, currently boasts about 1,200 members. Registration is free; the only requirement is that users maintain professional decorum in their posts and contributions. Two upload-download areas are available for registered members. TheSwamp reports that it is completely independent, with no business ties, and it is not part of any other forum or message board.
Send us the address of your favorite Web site or other resource and a few words about why you like it. If we publish it, we'll send you a Cadalyst t-shirt! E-mail editors@cadalyst.com.
"Success with 3D" Web Presentation
June 23, 2006, 10 a.m. PT
Cadalyst hosts "Success with 3D," an exclusive Web event for the
manufacturing community. Sponsored by Autodesk, the 45-minute presentation
will discuss how to successfully deploy 3D design software. It will bring together
Cadalyst contributing editors Robert Green, Jeff Rowe and Bill Fane, as well
as product specialists from the Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions Division and
Larry Schester, mechanical design supervisor at Gefit Liverrnois Engineering. Read
more
2006 Best Firm to Work For Summit
September 28-29, 2006
Chicago, Illinois
ZweigWhite hosts this event designed to help AEC leaders learn the essential
elements for attracting and retaining the best employees in order to maintain
their firm's continuing growth and success. Read
more
2006 Design-Build Conference & Expo
October 18-20, 2006
Nashville, Tennessee
Annual conference for DBIA (Design-Build Institute of America) members and
partners. Read
more
Fall International IAI Meeting for Building Smart
October 30-November 4, 2006
Washington, D.C.
IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability) is promoting effective means
of exchanging information among all software platforms and applications serving
the AEC/FM community. Read
more
For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here.
Polywell PolyStation 939CF-V7350—Dual-Core Workstation: Polywell's PolyStation 939CF-V7350 workstation incorporates a lot of memory and a powerful graphics card.
NEC MultiSync LCD2190UXi—21" LCD Display: The NEC MultiSync LCD2190UXi 21" display adjusts to environmental lighting conditions by checking ambient brightness.
Get the Code for June! Cadalyst’s June code from Hot Tip Harry is now available for download. This month's $100 winner is Edit Text from Leonid Nemirovsky, which lets you specify text objects to display for editing. Congratulations also to May's $100 winner, Pedro Ferreira, for the tip Erase Inside a Closed Pline.
Cadalyst Daily Update: For all the latest news and new products, subscribe to Cadalyst Daily e-newsletter. Plus, every issue includes a feature you won’t find anywhere else – hardware and CAD software reviews, success stories, AutoCAD tips and much more! Here’s a sample of what you missed in recent issues:
- Graphisoft Announces ArchiCAD 10: New features in 3D architectural application designed to improve modeling freedom, workflow and user interaction
- Review: Earth Connector for AutoCAD: Avatech's new tool lets architects, engineers tap into Google Earth to communicate new designs in a true spatial reference system
- First Look: Deep Exploration 4.0: Highly recommended Right Hemisphere tool can translate, author and publish graphics to communicate CAD designs, procedures and more
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AutoCAD Tips!
Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a different AutoCAD feature in every edition of her popular "Circles and Lines" tutorial series. For even more AutoCAD how-to, check out Lynn's quick tips in the Cadalyst Video Gallery. Subscribe to Cadalyst's Tips & Tricks Tuesdays free e-newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is available. All exclusively from Cadalyst! |
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