CAD Manager's Newsletter (#200)

CAD Manager’s Survey 2008 Preview

Readers can get involved early by submitting questions they'd like to see included in the survey.

In a few weeks I'll kick off the eighth annual CAD Manager's Survey. Today I want to share with you the survey topics I'm planning to measure and ask for your feedback. As always, the survey will be designed to measure the duties, responsibilities, frustrations, and compensation of the CAD manager position so that everyone may better know where they stand relative to their peers.

Tell Me What I've Missed!
Your feedback will help me deliver the best survey possible, so please take the time to read through my proposed survey questions and e-mail me (directions provided at the bottom of the preview) your ideas for additional questions. Below are the topics I plan to cover in the survey.

Compensation
I hope to measure the total picture of CAD management compensation and benefits in this section. Read more »

:: CAD Manager’s Toolbox:
     A Very Cool Utility

One simple DOS program can automate the cleanup of network servers.

In the last edition of the CAD Manager's Toolbox, I talked about periodic deletion of files from network servers to prevent clutter and keep things nice and clean. I received several reader responses asking for ways to make more powerful cleaning routines, so in this edition I'll show you a cool little DOS utility that I use to automate the process.

I've been using a utility called SWEEP.EXE for a while now with great results. SWEEP.EXE allows you to process DOS commands throughout entire directory structures, thus making it great for cleaning servers using batch files. Read more »

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.

:: Resources

Open Design Alliance Begins New Educational Program
The Open Design Alliance (ODA) launched a program aimed to stimulate educational research in CAD/CAM and other engineering software applications. Educational institutions, groups, and students interested in or already performing CAD/CAM research can register as ODA educational members free of charge. Read more »

:: Events

Pitney Bowes MapInfo Customer Forums
July 24 - September 9, 2008
Various cities in Canada and the United States
Attendees will learn more about MapInfo Professional v9.5's newest features with live demos and Q&A sessions and also will be able to participate in a focus group with product managers and help provide direction for future features and functions. Read more »

19th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium
August 4-6, 2008
Austin, Texas
The Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) Symposium provides a forum for technical exchange of research and development in all areas of liquid, solid, and gas phase SFF. Read more »

Lean Product Development Conference
November 18-20, 2008
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Lean Product Development Conference is a three-day, high-level conference and a forum for sharing tools and best practices for incorporating lean principles in the product development process. Read more »

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com.