Super User to CAD Manager

[mark.kiker]

Discuss the BLAUGI post of the same name

[Mike.Perry]

Discuss the BLAUGI post of the same nameAnd just in case people are unsure of BLAUGI ( AUGI's official blog )...

BLAUGI (http://www.blaugi.com)

Plus, a direct link to the post Mark is referring to above...

Super User to CAD Manager (http://augi.typepad.com/augi_news/2006/02/super_user_to_c.html)

[de-co1]

I'm quite interested in what others perceive as a CAD manager. I would consider myself a CAD Manager in the sense that I was responsible for setting up office CAD standards, the running and implementation of CAD systems, and teaching others what I know about CAD. However, here in the UK, it seems to go further to cover aspects of e-mail, internet, networking, servers and so on.

In every practice I have worked in in SA, there was always an IT manager - usually off-site, and an internal CAD Manager. It worked out more cost effective to do it this way, as the IT aspects generally don't require ongoing attention if the set-up was done correctly and maintained properly.

Does everyone else cover more than just the CAD side of CAD Management?

In reading the BLAUGI post, I was also interested in the following;


Move along:
Once you have decided to move toward the CAD Manager role, stop being the Super User. I am not suggesting that you jettison all of the knowledge (no way). Just keep in mind that you need to stop doing the old job and embrace the new one. This means moving away from the drafting jobs you use to do.

I think there needs to be a large change in the employer's mindset regarding this. My experience has shown me that the employers tend to find it quite difficult to lose one of their Super Users from the design / technical teams for any great length of time, and really do expect you to be able to both. In a report I did for my previous company outlining the importance of creating a CAD Management position, I stipulated that if this was filled with someone in-house (it ended up being me) then the new role would take up as much as 80% of that person's time, rendering them unproductive in the CAD drawing areas.

The bosses refused to see eye to eye on this, and essentially had me working two positions... I eventually left.

Has anyone had the same experience?

If so, how did you get around convincing them?

[Brian Myers]

would consider myself a CAD Manager in the sense that I was responsible for setting up office CAD standards, the running and implementation of CAD systems, and teaching others what I know about CAD. However, here in the UK, it seems to go further to cover aspects of e-mail, internet, networking, servers and so on.


The role of CAD manager varies greatly on the company and the size of that company. For myself I've always worked for small to mid-size firms (anywhere from 3 employees to the mid 40's) since I've never cared for large office environments. In these firms the CAD manager and IT guy are often the same guy. In fact, in most of these offices there wasn't an actual "CAD manager" as much as there was a CAD Guru that essentially kept everything running and perhaps had the "CAD manager" title mostly because they gave it to themselves and it just sort of caught on. :? That was me for a couple firms...

As far as the article and moving to being a CAD manager from a Super User.... I think it again involves "what is a CAD Manager"? For some firms it means you still are a Super User, especially during crunch time and you need to get a project out the door ASAP. Just because you've changed positions doesn't mean the company's bottom line of getting a project out the door and creating happy clients has changed. But I do know guys that do just that by itself... CAD management. It really is a different post. Some people really enjoy it and the level of "freedom" it provides in setting up the network and getting each project to run smoothly. Others get rapidly bored doing it since you (to a certain extent) lose a level of creative control.

Which is better for you? I suppose that depends on what you enjoy doing. Creative types likely wouldn't enjoy it long-term while those that love to facilitate production will likely enjoy it immensely. But you have to enjoy working with the software and keeping up with it or else the job REALLY isn't for you. Also to remember, not all Super Users are really Super Users, they've simply mastered their environment to be a Super User in that office. But a CAD manager really needs to be a true Super User as they not only have to worry about their own environment, but also often the environmental variables brought in by the transfer of data to and from outside sources.

Both positions have their strengths and weaknesses. But one thing of note is that BOTH positions are getting smaller. Of course in bigger firms CAD management will always be a need, but in many firms CAD management is becoming less important as Designers, etc are taking on the role as systems are becoming more stable, easier to manage, etc. In this change, it also means these Designers are also "Super Users"... but so are more and more people as the educational process is training individuals on the computer. In the end, most people will be Super Users... but we'll still need "Super Designers"!!!!

[jaberwok]

Waay back, you would have had both a Chief Draughtsman and a Drawing Office Manager - their positions were complimentary. Then IT started to spread out of the airconditioned, secure room that the mainframe was kept in and became part of all our lives.Now the first two positions and large chunks of the IT Manager position are often rolled into one and the person filling that position also produces drawings! On top of all that, (s)he also produces his/her own correspondence instead of sending their dictation to the (now non-existant) typing pool.

That's life I guess.