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CAD

Training with Standards (CAD Manager's Toolbox)

24 Jun, 2008 By: Robert Green

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CAD managers often wear more than one hat and must be creative when devising training materials and enforcing standards.

Some readers have commented that they, like most CAD managers, have the dual responsibilities of user training and standards authoring and enforcement. If you fall into this common situation, here are a few tips that can help you enforce standards while you perform training tasks, thus getting a potential 2-for-1 productivity boost.

Tip 1: Combine standards with features. Don't train users how to plot from a generic point of view; train them on how to plot using all your plotting standards. Now the training course echoes your standards and makes it much easier for users to actually plot correctly because that's how they were trained.

Tip 2: Beef up standards to match training needs. Having trouble with people misusing xrefs? Maybe your standards need to be better. Take this opportunity to revamp and beef up your standards, then integrate the revised standard into a training session using the principles outlined in Tip 1.

Tip 3: Record it. Use the concepts I've outlined in the two-part series on making your own training videos to capture any training offered that reinforces standards. This way you'll be able to use the recordings to train new employees or conduct standards reviews.

Do you have a suggestion/tip that should be in the CAD Manager's Toolbox? Send it to me at rgreen@cad-manager.com, and you might get a cool Cadalyst souvenir if I use your idea.