Proper training is the key. I currently use three of the top Electrical CADD programs. All are very good. AutoCAD Electrical can seem somewhat intimidating at first becaise it is incredibly powerful. People have the impression that, since the name says AutoCAD, they should be able to just pick it up and use it, relying on their knowledge of plain vanilla AutoCAD. But once you install AutoCAD Electrical you will see that the menus for the electrical functions far outweigh the menus for the standard drafting part. The electrical portion makes up probably 85% of what is AutoCAD Electrical. So people buy it and think that it is difficult to implement, when the truth is that it does require training.
The good news is that many of the commands in AutoCAD Electrical are designed to make the mundane rudimentary day-to-day tasks extremely easy and semi-automated. This is where AutoCAD Electrical excels. If you buy the competitors they will insist upon selling you training, because they know that is the key to your satisfaction as a customer. But it is just as imperative to get properly trainined on AutoCAD Electrical, regardless of what you know about plain "vanilla" AutoCAD. Plain vanilla AutoCAD is a drafting tool, not a series of relational databases like all of the intelligent CADD programs. Harnessing the intelligent CADD software is the key to the future productivity of your company, but you must commit to a full implementation plan.
I have taught in Europe, North America, and Australia and everywhere it's the same. People either did not take training or were not properly trained the first time. If you purchase one of the competitors it is just understood that you should be trained. I recently attended training for one of AutoCAD Electrical's competitors and it was 5 days. I teach a 4-day work-flow based AutoCAD Electrical course that covers basic administration and user-level functionality from blank screen to reports. I wish I could take 5 days and slow the pace a bit, because there is so much to show, but AutoCAD customers seem to have an aversion to training. I also have a 3-day course for those who already have AutoCAD Electrical implemented and seek user-level training only. I also offer 2-day update training courses for those moving from an older release to a newer release.
No matter which brand you choose, proper training is the key.
Regards,
Doug McAlexander
www.ecadconsultant.com
Edited by: dougmcalexander on Nov 25, 2009 9:16 PM
Edited by: dougmcalexander on Nov 25, 2009 9:19 PM
Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in
AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support
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Web-based Support Plans AvailablePhone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623
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