CAD User Group Questions

[clopez_tcs]

Next week, I will be performing a User Needs Assessment four one of our offices. My target groups will be the Project Manager and CAD Users within a Civil Engineering environment. I guess I am kind of unsure what questions to ask. The meetings generally are going to cover the following:
-CAD Standards
-Tools to speed up production
-Training.....
-etc..

I guess my question is, has anyone ever had any experience in these types of meeting? And if so, what type of questions would you ask?

Thanks a bunch,

Carlos

[Brian Myers]

Carlos,

It sounds as if you already have some ideas as to some of the topics you wish to discuss. If these are issues that you are aware of then I'd imagine your own personnel likely have some issues that they too would like to see addressed. If possible, I'd take a "private" email/survey/etc. of some of their concerns/ ideas/ questions in advance... with the disclaimer that you may not get to everything suggested in the meeting(s) but you'll investigate everything brought up.

This way your users will have input to their own future and you might dig up problems that management might not realize are concerns on a production level.

Just my 2 cents....

[glee.94356]

Make sure you have an agenda set up and distribute it to the group. Sometimes it helps to do a draft, send that out by e-mail and ask for their opinions. It gives people a heads up and you can adjust your agenda to fit.
Be prepared for the meeting to get side tracked but be able to bring it back on track by suggesting that side issues can be dealt with in a future meeting. Note it and that goes into your next agenda.
Some of the issues you are addressing normally tie back into CAD standards. Set up your CAD standards first. No point trainning anyone if you don't have that established. Otherwise what are you training them for? How to use CAD? Then you should not have hired them.
If they don't already know CAD they should not be learning on the job. Those days are long gone. Training in your standards is a whole different issue.
Tools? Software or hardware related? Either way, make sure somebody who has control of the purse strings is available or will obtain a copy of the meeting minutes. Decisions about these items can't be done without budget approval. It helps if you do your homework on these items first. Don't suggest something that you have no supporting information on. Know what they can do, the alternatives and the price.
Make sure you don't get side tracked by somebody wondering why if such and such cad program sucks why don't we try something else? Those questions normally are not productive unless your meeting is about changing CAD programs.
My guess is you are either the CAD manager, hoping to become the cad manager or guru or something like that. If that's the case, establish your expertise first. Make sure you at least have a decent understanding of what you will be discussing. Either have the answers ready or know where to go for them. Becoming a CAD guru or manager means establishing dominance in CAD knowledge within your user group. Sounds funny but if you don't, they will eat you alive.
That's my two cents. Hope it helps. Good luck.

_________________________________________
Gerard Lee Architects
http://www.gleearchitects.com

[Brian Myers]

Becoming a CAD guru or manager means establishing dominance in CAD knowledge within your user group. Sounds funny but if you don't, they will eat you alive.

That's very much the truth... you need to be prepared. Now, that doesn't mean you need to know everything, but you should be able to talk intelligently and confidently. An example: I run my own CAD user group. Many of the people that attend my meetings I know have more knowledge than I do about customization, networking ,etc... and I happily defer to them when these subjects turn up. But, I'm also recognized for having my own set of strengths including being able to follow most topics/conversations... leadership... organizational skills... and knowing enough to know when I don't know the answer (and being able to figure out an answer afterwords if no one is sure of it).

In an office environment this plays a bigger part as you don't want the office "CAD expert" to go against you and influence others in improper ways of doing things. A good repore should be established with everyone and be sure they understand why you are doing this, it is for the greater good of the organization and for the employees themselves (and they are not just in a dull meeting arranged by management to criticize the way they've been doing things). You're here to help them and hopefully they believe that too. The best CAD managers, while tech savy, are dedicated to doing their job and personable enough that people like to learn and listen to them... in short, they are good leaders and lead by hands on work and example.

[glee.94356]

Agreed. You don't need to know everything. Autocad keeps on growing new features all the time. My first experience was R10 on these huge machines that took up space the size of a closet. I'm at a cross roads because many of the new features of Autocad 2005 & 2006 are not things I am familiar with. I still prefer typing in shortcuts, creating my own toolbars, modifying my outdated lisp routines and getting the job done fast.
However I am teaching myself Revit and watching the forums. It is strange to go from having decent knowledge of a program to knowing next to nothing. Plus a different way of looking at how drafting is done. I appreciate this forum, the people who contribute as well as the Revitcity forum. Actually all knowledge based forums are a great boon.
A CAD manager need not know everything but having decent general knowledge goes a long ways. Being able to get along with everybody helps too and knowing how to work within peoples' comfort levels goes a long way in building up trust and decent working relationships. I was not trying to impart that the CAD manager becomes a dictator but should have enough influence to get things done. An overbearing CAD manager doesn't stay as CAD manager for long. But I hold to the adage of not showing fear. They'll still eat you alive. : )
Are there others out there trying to make the switch to Revit and wondering how you went from being somewhat decent to clueless. Trying to use autocad and Max knowledge in Revit seems to be more frustrating than a boon. But I rather keep on learning than become a dinosaur.

[jgratton]

A CAD manager need not know everything but having decent general knowledge goes a long ways. Being able to get along with everybody helps too and knowing how to work within peoples' comfort levels goes a long way in building up trust and decent working relationships. I was not trying to impart that the CAD manager becomes a dictator but should have enough influence to get things done. An overbearing CAD manager doesn't stay as CAD manager for long. But I hold to the adage of not showing fear. They'll still eat you alive. : )
.... But I rather keep on learning than become a dinosaur.

Wise words. A few more points I would like to add:

Put the drafter's (your customer) needs above you own or IT's.

You need not be fearful if you are willing to INDIVIDUALLY & PRIVATELY them know where your weaknesses lie. That way you can ask help from others. Keep their confidences as well, so they can INDIVIDUALLY & PRIVATELY let you know where their weaknesses are. That helps you to plan training that works. It builds trust and that is important.

Don't build an empire that only you can control. Don't set things up more complicated than they need to be. Document what you do and make it available to others. Sooner or later you will have to upgrade and justify your methodology. Be fearless and train your replacement. That way if and when you leave they will say good things about you.