CAD Managers

[#1]

That is downright poetic of you (stealth)man, really I mean it.
I'm trying to remember how to snap my fingers right now.
--
Kevin Anderson
www.KAddAssociates.com

[#2]

In my experience (and I have a ton) Over the last 18 years of using CAD I
have only run across 1 CAD manager that knew what they were doing. He had
created a fantastic program that let you check out drawings and projects,
managed all the standards so eaily with one or two keystroks you could be on
the correct layer. If you needed something added to one of the routines,
you called him and it was usually added later that day. If you didn't need
to use it, you just wouldn't add it to your toolbar, macros or whatever. He
handled all CAD realated problems for about 200 users in several different
offices. Also, set up professional training. (which in my opinion is a
waste of money, in house training is the way to go)
"CADWiz" wrote in message
news:5088781@discussion.autodesk.com...
That is not what I was saying. CAD obviously needs programming but if you
constantly need new programs to be efficient and you can't function with out
it, it's a crutch. Most commonly used programs can be found in on the web
and others need to be created. No office I know of uses CAD out of the box
but no office I know of needs to have someone on a constant basis adding
custom programs either. A programmer thinks you always need it and a CAD
manager decides whether or not the cost is worth it. Some managers can be
both but not many are good at it.



"cad user" wrote in message
news:5088738@discussion.autodesk.com...
Programming Autocad is not a crutch, it is a tool that Autocad is designed
to use. If you feel it is a crutch, then I suggest you delete any custom
lisp, vba, etc. routines/programs/macros that your office uses and just use
Autocad right out of the box.

"CADWiz" wrote in message
news:5088716@discussion.autodesk.com...
I total disagree with cad user as well. I don't know the first thing about
programming but still do a hell of job managing our CAD system (at least
that is what my clients tell me ;-). That said, I think programming is
important but I employ or if need be subcontract out specific needs. I
manage and direct that effort knowing exactly what my users need and it is
my job to understand what can and can not be done within the budget of my
department. I allow the programmers to do what they do best and I focus my
time on determining the needs and making sure they have an efficient running
system. Programmers have absolutely no idea how to stay on budget because
they are dreamers and almost never finish on time. At least the good
ones...

Cad User needs to get off his programming high horse. Most, I stress MOST,
programmers are horrible managers and even worse users of CAD. In my
experience, programming should not be used as a crutch to getting the job
done. The cost has to justify the need and MOST programmers think it is
always justified.


"cad user" wrote in message
news:5088365@discussion.autodesk.com...
The IT department should handle the hardware and software budget. The
office manager/branch manager should work with the IT staff about possible
growth. Why would you give a person the title CAD manager if that person
was managing the entire office? Makes no sense.

"melanie stone" wrote in message
news:5088358@discussion.autodesk.com...
and I totally disagree with you...
why would they need to budget? how much do you pay your users? how much are
subscription contracts? how much for pc upgrades, telecommunications needs?
how much do you need to allocate for paper, ink, and specialty equipment...
I didn't say *anything* about budgeting for construction.

I must from your knee-jerk misinterpretation of my mention of budgeting that
you've never actually worked in management?

"cad user" wrote in message
news:5088338@discussion.autodesk.com...
I totally disagree. Why would a CAD Manager need to schedule or budjet
anything? They are not Project Managers. They need to be able to
streamline the CAD system. They are the people that need to know most about
how the program works in order to make it do what the users want. Autocad
is suppose to be customized. Anybody can create standards, and standards
should be a team effort. The best way to enforce those standards is through
customization/automation so it makes it as easy as possible for users to put
objects on the correct layers, get blocks, details etc. as efficiently as
possible.

But I guess I'm wrong.
"melanie stone" wrote in message
news:5088315@discussion.autodesk.com...
I agree with david and hector that managerial and people skills are tops
here... then it will depend upon the actual office environment what comes
next. some might need to BE the IT guy, others might have a separate IT
department and not need to know precisely how everything works. Knowledge of
the programs? Honestly, I believe rudimentary knowledge about how common
tasks are accomplished is good enough for someone who is not drafting. Their
job is to manage... budget... schedule... etc, not to know every intricacy
of the program(s) being used.

"Kevin Anderson" wrote in message
news:5088147@discussion.autodesk.com...
With all the recent great insightful discussions of Cad testing, Management
worth, Document management, etc... What do you think are the most important
traits / objectives of a good Cad manager? And how would you rank those
items in terms of order?
Like:
1. Knowledge of the particular Cad Program itself, (ADT, etc.)
2. Networking / Server knowledge
3. People skills for training, etc...
TIA,
--
Kevin Anderson
www.KAddAssociates.com

[#3]

hehe.. it was meant in humor..
and I cant take credit.. cad usere knew the movie.

[#4]

Of course, all great minds think alike
"StealthMan" wrote in message news:5089660@discussion.autodesk.com...
hehe.. it was meant in humor..
and I cant take credit.. cad usere knew the movie.

[#5]

cad user wrote in
news:5089333@discussion.autodesk.com:

> In my experience (and I have a ton) Over the last 18 years of using
> CAD I have only run across 1 CAD manager that knew what they were
> doing

Matt Stachoni huh?

[#6]

nope
I replaced a cad manager in the past who was a good programer
but had horrible communication skills and a cultrical barrier.
His thinking process / reasoning was completely backwards from
how everyone else in the office thought. So when he wrote programs
and explained how to use them, nothing was intutitive. It was like
a rocket scientist writting a manual on how to put gas into the gas
tank of your car. I did not have his programing skills but the users
were alot more happy with my performance. He left because he
was fustrated that he could not get through to people and the users
just started ignoring him because his way of communicating sucked.
Of course I had to came in and had to cleanup his programing to make it
user friendly. What a PITA.

--
Dave

"cad user" wrote in message
news:5088252@discussion.autodesk.com...
#1 Most important thing is programming for Aucotad.
No point in hiring a person for CAD Manager if they cannot manage the
program to do what the users want.

"Kevin Anderson" wrote in message
news:5088147@discussion.autodesk.com...
With all the recent great insightful discussions of Cad testing, Management
worth, Document management, etc... What do you think are the most important
traits / objectives of a good Cad manager? And how would you rank those
items in terms of order?
Like:
1. Knowledge of the particular Cad Program itself, (ADT, etc.)
2. Networking / Server knowledge
3. People skills for training, etc...
TIA,
--
Kevin Anderson
www.KAddAssociates.com

[#7]

A CAD managers #1 job is to make the company more money through
making the users more efficient. How its done is a mixture of support,
dealing
with issues, orginization and programing. You cannot say that the single
most
import skill is programing.

--
Dave

"cad user" wrote in message
news:5088338@discussion.autodesk.com...
I totally disagree. Why would a CAD Manager need to schedule or budjet
anything? They are not Project Managers. They need to be able to
streamline the CAD system. They are the people that need to know most about
how the program works in order to make it do what the users want. Autocad
is suppose to be customized. Anybody can create standards, and standards
should be a team effort. The best way to enforce those standards is through
customization/automation so it makes it as easy as possible for users to put
objects on the correct layers, get blocks, details etc. as efficiently as
possible.

But I guess I'm wrong.
"melanie stone" wrote in message
news:5088315@discussion.autodesk.com...
I agree with david and hector that managerial and people skills are tops
here... then it will depend upon the actual office environment what comes
next. some might need to BE the IT guy, others might have a separate IT
department and not need to know precisely how everything works. Knowledge of
the programs? Honestly, I believe rudimentary knowledge about how common
tasks are accomplished is good enough for someone who is not drafting. Their
job is to manage... budget... schedule... etc, not to know every intricacy
of the program(s) being used.

"Kevin Anderson" wrote in message
news:5088147@discussion.autodesk.com...
With all the recent great insightful discussions of Cad testing, Management
worth, Document management, etc... What do you think are the most important
traits / objectives of a good Cad manager? And how would you rank those
items in terms of order?
Like:
1. Knowledge of the particular Cad Program itself, (ADT, etc.)
2. Networking / Server knowledge
3. People skills for training, etc...
TIA,
--
Kevin Anderson
www.KAddAssociates.com

[#8]

oh, no... he *can* say it.
he just might not be able to prove it.

"David Allen" wrote in message
news:5089959@discussion.autodesk.com...
A CAD managers #1 job is to make the company more money through
making the users more efficient. How its done is a mixture of support,
dealing
with issues, orginization and programing.

You cannot say that the single most import skill is programing.

--
Dave

"cad user" wrote in message
news:5088338@discussion.autodesk.com...
I totally disagree. Why would a CAD Manager need to schedule or budjet
anything? They are not Project Managers. They need to be able to
streamline the CAD system. They are the people that need to know most about
how the program works in order to make it do what the users want. Autocad
is suppose to be customized. Anybody can create standards, and standards
should be a team effort. The best way to enforce those standards is through
customization/automation so it makes it as easy as possible for users to put
objects on the correct layers, get blocks, details etc. as efficiently as
possible.

But I guess I'm wrong.
"melanie stone" wrote in message
news:5088315@discussion.autodesk.com...
I agree with david and hector that managerial and people skills are tops
here... then it will depend upon the actual office environment what comes
next. some might need to BE the IT guy, others might have a separate IT
department and not need to know precisely how everything works. Knowledge of
the programs? Honestly, I believe rudimentary knowledge about how common
tasks are accomplished is good enough for someone who is not drafting. Their
job is to manage... budget... schedule... etc, not to know every intricacy
of the program(s) being used.

"Kevin Anderson" wrote in message
news:5088147@discussion.autodesk.com...
With all the recent great insightful discussions of Cad testing, Management
worth, Document management, etc... What do you think are the most important
traits / objectives of a good Cad manager? And how would you rank those
items in terms of order?
Like:
1. Knowledge of the particular Cad Program itself, (ADT, etc.)
2. Networking / Server knowledge
3. People skills for training, etc...
TIA,
--
Kevin Anderson
www.KAddAssociates.com

[#9]

It’s obvious CM means different things to different firms, & this is exactly my suggestion to you – find out what your managers expect from your position. (This should even be clarified in your initial interview). Being a CM is an interesting position in the food-chain, in that you have to satisfy the needs/requirements of your drafters, but more importantly the expectations of your superiors.

For my drafters – CAD apps knowledge, it’s important to them that I can set-up & maintain our customised ACAD environment. After all, they’re not CAD geeks like us who spend lunch hours in CAD user forums.

For my managers – Management skills. This affects so many fundamental tasks like resourcing (I’m not a fan of the term, BUT this is THE most important task as CM), department budgeting, estimating project drafting, tracking production & costs of project drafting, capex’s etc etc. Without a good management skill set, you cannot expect to get drawings out the door on time & on budget, & that is what ‘managing’ a drawing office is all about at the end of the day.
[For Cad-user: remember all the stuff the chief/head/supervising/senior drafter used to do, that PM’s either have no expertise or time to supervise.]

The people skills go without saying. I’ve had a few bad managers in my time, but they never last long – if you’re not amenable & pragmatic, IMO don’t get into management.

Talbot Kite

[#10]

"After all, they’re not CAD geeks like us who spend lunch hours in CAD user forums."

Crikey, I'm a geek 8-\
Well, at least I'm not alone on that one x-D

I work for an organisation with over 8,000 staff and our CAD peeps are a very small part of that - 14 ADT & LT with about 80 on Volo/TrueView. Our system is looked after by several groups:
Resource is managed by the line managers.
Supplies are managed by Admin.
Systems, hardware, software, network access, installations, etc are managed by IT.
Customisation, processes, standards, troubleshooting, software support is managed by me...no title.

We do have a CAD manager (not full-time) and she liaises with all the above parties to ensure that things run smoothly. We also use our CAD supplier as consultants for additional help on installations, training and upgrades when required.