Don't hold your breath. That's why I suggested the beta program. you get to test out the new software before it's released and provide feedback!Originally Posted by gregb
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Don't hold your breath. That's why I suggested the beta program. you get to test out the new software before it's released and provide feedback!Originally Posted by gregb
Ultimately it's about productivity and your business model. To justify keeping/upgrading software you need to look at the following:Originally Posted by vjdx
1) Employee training. - Will they get the most out of their software or will they use it like every other release? Without proper training getting a new release may not be worth the money.
2) Economics - Not everyone can afford new software. Even if they can afford it, if they've achieved a high level of productivity with their current software they might not be able to justify a "minimal" increase in productivity compaired to the cost of the new software.
3) Employee happiness - Sometimes a happy employee is one that gets to keep their old office standard. Sometimes its an employee that gets the latest and greatest. In this regard you need to weigh your economics along with your employee rentention value to decide if your current software solution is the best for your organization.
4) Growth - Is your company growing and needs more seats of software? Are you getting smaller from efficiency or lack of work? Each case provides an interesting twist to what your future software requirements will be.
5) Job requirements - Has the software changed enough that your current software is not able to work with the data provided by other individuals?
6) ADT 2007 isn't backwards compatible when dealing with AEC objects. If your contractors use older versions of AutoCAD/ADT then perhaps a company that really uses ADT as ADT might not be well served to upgrade to the latest version.
There are other reasons as well, but I'll stop with the top 6. Being a Dinosaur has nothing to do with the software you use, it relates to business direction. Will your business do better with newer software? You are a Dinosaur and eventually will face extension if you don't meet market demand with your deliverables and can't compete with those in other firms. If you are still profitable and producing deliverables you and your customers are happy with then you are pointing your firm in the right direction. If you are overlooking a greater profit margin and happier employees by not upgrading then a Dinosaur or endangered species you may someday become. It's still easy to be profitable using ADT 2005 software... now if you are still on AutoCAD r14 or 2000 and doing architecture I might question your business direction if you've not taken the time to analyze the benefits of an improved package. BUT if you've itemize the benefits of the new software and realize that AutoCAD v.10 will work just as well for you as 2007, then good for you... don't upgrade (but I might still question your decision a bit just so you understand the power you might not be realizing in your day to day business).