CAD Manager's Newsletter #150

CAD Management Trends, Part 1

A look at the latest labor and economic trends and how they can affect your job

In this issue of the CAD Manager’s Newsletter, I’m kicking off a two-part series on trends in CAD management that I’ve noticed over the past half-year or so. I speak to hundreds of CAD managers each year, and as I meet them, I survey the climate in the various geographic and market segments. I want to pass along the conclusions I've drawn from these valuable exchanges. Here goes.

Gauging the Trends

I do a lot of public speaking, which gives me the opportunity to interact with hundreds of CAD managers each month. Because each CAD manager represents a larger group of CAD users at his or her respective company, I try to gauge technology and CAD trends by polling my CAD management audiences.

I will point out that the polling I do isn’t scientific, but rather an informal show of hands in a casual group environment. Although I might not be a professional pollster, I can certainly draw conclusions when I get similar responses from a variety of groups all over North America. And I must say that the conclusions I present here do seem to represent conditions in all markets nationwide. Read more

:: CAD Manager's Q&A

Why is it I have so much trouble getting training approved by my management team?

Submit your questions to Robert Green atrgreen@greenconsulting.com.

:: Resources

Cadalyst's New Job Search Now Live! If you're in the market for a new job -- or if you just want to see what's out there -- Cadalyst.com offers a new online job search that will help. This powerful new search tool offers a state-by-state list of CAD-related job openings, or you can customize a search to find your own list of U.S. job openings based on the keywords and locations you specify. Check it out today! Use the Job Search button on Cadalyst's Management Web site or click here for a direct link.

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-maileditors@cadalyst.com.

:: Events

Accelerate Your Ideas
Various dates and locations
Autodesk series of events will introduce and demonstrate its manufacturing solutions, including Autodesk Inventor v11, AutoCAD Electrical 2007, AutoCAD Mechanical and Autodesk’s Data Management solutions. Read more

Autodesk 2007 Technology Tour
Various dates through June 2006
Various locations
Avatech Solutions invites existing and prospective Autodesk product users to participate in free half-day introductory workshops. Read more

Large-Format Document Management
Various dates
IDEAL offers webinars every Tuesday and Thursday on large-format scanning and document-management problems. An interactive question and answer session is included. Read more 

FISHER/UNITECH Open Houses
May 10-30, 2006
Various locations
FISHER/UNITECH will hold a series of open houses scheduled throughout the month of May that will showcase the company’s Dimension 1200 3D printers. Read more

Autodesk 2007 Engineering Software Solutions Seminar
May 11, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia
The seminar is hosted by Applied Software and will be broken into three engineering fields including building solutions, infrastructure solutions and manufacturing solutions. Read more

AUGI CAD Camp
June 8, 2006
Marina Village Conference Center
San Diego, California
This is an official Autodesk User Group International (AUGI) learning and networking event designed to help you gain knowledge and skills you can apply immediately to solve existing challenges and make you more productive. Read more 

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here.

:: What's New at Cadalyst.com

Cadalyst Discussion Forums Have a New Look ? and a new URL: Cadalyst's CAD Manager, CAD Questions and Hot Tip Harry Discussion Forums have moved to a new location. Visit today to update your bookmarks, check out the new look and find out what's on the minds of other CAD professionals.

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 the past week:  

• Taming the File Flood: Avionics manufacturer uses PLM to tap into the vast resources of its own company files, saving millions .
• Enlisting in Apple Boot Camp: Experts from Autodesk, auto-des-sys and Nemetschek discuss the realities of running Windows-based CAD on a Mac .
• First Look Review -- Intuos3 12x12 Tablet: Wacom's pressure-sensitive drawing and design tool earns high marks.
• First Look Review: Shade 8.5: Capable 3D graphics toolkit for designers, illustrators and architects comes in Windows and Mac versions.

CAD Manager (Column) — Hire the Good and Avoid the Bad:Tips for hiring better CAD staffers.

Dialog Box — Cadalyst Readers Have Their Say: May 2006 letters now live!