Join us for this fast paced webinar as Cadalyst author Robert Green covers all the parameters organizations need to think about when planning for their CAD future, including: • Licensing policy changes from Autodesk • Hardware technology planning • Work process optimization • Training program integration By examining these key parameters your organization can be sure they’ll get maximum return on total CAD investment while providing a progressive work environment that users will enjoy. If you need to update your company’s CAD plan you’re sure to find some great tips in this session.

1. Planning for Your
CAD Future
Robert Green
Robert Green Consulting
RGreen@GreenConsulting.com

2. Getting the most from your software ecosystem
requires modern tools, great hardware, solid
processes and well trained users.

3. How can I plan and build the
ecosystem my CAD users need?
What should I be worried about?

4. Let’s talk about these key items
Licensing policy changes from Autodesk
Hardware technology
Work process optimization
Quality work products
Training program integration
Each requires planning/budgeting …

5. Licensing Policy Changes
How will you deal with Autodesk’s changes
in how software is purchased?

6. Perpetual + maintenance
Buy it once, keep it forever
Must be on maintenance plan
No maintenance – frozen at current version
AutoCAD - $4195 + $545/year …

7. Perpetual + maintenance
Single license perpetuals ceased 1/31/2016
Suite license perpetuals cease 7/31/2016
The time to buy is NOW!
Current perpetuals should be maintained …

8. Desktop subscription (rental)
Annual/quarterly/monthly rental fee
Stop rental - software stops working
AutoCAD - $1680/year
Best for temporary requirements …

9. Cost comparison example
Perpetual vs Rental
Cost comparison
Single license manager
Delivery mechanisms
ROI computation …

10. There are major financial consequences at stake
when considering perpetual vs. rental and you
only have a few more months to plan!

11. Hardware Technology
What should you specify?

12. Expensive engineers, architects and designers
use old computers to save money?
What’s wrong with this picture?

13. Cheap and powerful …
Processors
Quad-Core Xeon or i7
Bigger cache is better
Support for fastest RAM speeds
Highest clock rate you can afford …

14. Cheap and powerful …
RAM
DDR4 technology emerging
Use 4 cores in most circumstances
At highest clock speed you can afford
At least 16GB (2D) or 32GB (3D) for CAD
All slots with same modules …

15. Cheap and powerful …
Solid State Discs (SSD’s)
New NVMe M.2 technology (4X speed)
500GB configured as boot device
Don’t make processor wait on the disc …

16. Conventional drive with 32GB Ready Boost

17. Cheap and powerful …
Graphics
On board graphics for casual 3D
1-2 GB PCIe board for modelling
4+ GB PCIe board for high-res rendering
Unlike other components you can upgrade later …

18. Prevent obsolescence …
Buy more machine than you need today
Get the right processor
With plenty of RAM
Do not skip the SSD!
You can skimp on graphics to save today …

19. Return on investment (ROI) …
What does an engineering hour cost?
How many hours could a fast machine save?
How many hours in 3 years?
A $2500 machine is actually cheap!
Do the math in your plan …

20. ROI calculation …
Engineering hour - $65
New machine - $2500
Time saved – 1 hour per week (144 in 3 years)
144 hours = $9360 (144*$65)
3 Year ROI = $9360/$2500 = 374%
Payback = 9.6 months …

21. Hardware and disc systems are so much faster
and cheaper now than ever before - there’s simply
no reason to have slow workstations.

22. Work Processes
How can you optimize them?

23. We implement expensive hardware and software yet
simply hope users will utilize it well.
What’s wrong with this picture?

24. Tools ≠ Results
But great tools used WITH
great processes do!

25. An Example: Failure
Lotus Riverside Complex
Shanghai
June 27, 2009
Modern tools, modern
techniques, good old fashioned
failure!
Do modern tools guarantee great
results?

26. An Example: Success
The Sphinx and Great Pyramid
Giza, Egypt
c. 2540 BC
Primitive tools, unknown
construction techniques,
enduring quality!
Do limited tools deter great
results?

27. Pyramids in CAD/BIM
Who knows what they’d have designed?

28. What do software tools do then?
Software can accelerate design
Software allows faster project completion
Only if:
The project is well managed
Software usage is defined
Users are well trained …

29. Piloting Projects
Prove new work processes and tools
with pilot project testing (in a proving ground).

30. The Pilot Project Planning List
Identify test pilots
Identify test projects
Identify proof of concept
Identify project timelines
Define grading rubric …

31. Pilot Project Results
New software identified
New processes tested
Key training points identified
Sample project generated
Confidence factor high …

32. Getting great results doesn’t just happen. Only
by planning, testing and tweaking your software
environment will you arrive at optimal processes.

33. Are you planning to increase quality?
If you aren’t you should be! Why?

34. What Defines Quality from a CAD Standpoint?
Lets discuss – shout out your ideas.

35. The things I hear most …
 Standards
 Blocks/families/parts
 Dimensions/text/details
 File formats
 Tools (Revit/Inventor/AutoCAD)
 Filing procedures
 Note the technicality …

36. What I wish I heard more …
 Smooth project execution
 Lowered costs
 Happy staffers
 Happy customers
 Happy management
 Project flow …

37. Standards are huge part of achieving quality but
until they are part of a smooth working process
standards won’t do much for you.
Three words: Plan The Work!

38. What Quality Tools and Metrics Can We Use?
Here are a few ideas.

39. What does rework cost your company?
Hint: Time is money!

40. The costs are staggering …
 Reformatting drawings
 Finding missed interferences
 Inefficient interdepartmental handoffs
 Not meeting client requirements
 What else …

41. Want management to enable change
in your CAD environment?
Make rework a major focus of your discussions!

42. Achieving Process Control
(W. Edwards) Deming Theory

43. Deming’s theory:
“If you can’t describe what
you’re doing as a process then
you don’t know what you’re
doing.”

44. The Deming Cycle: Constant Improvement

45. Basic Deming in action …
 Know what people do
 Check that they do it right
 Act when they deviate
 Plan corrective action
 Repeat …

46. “You can have it fast or you can have it good.”
What would Deming say about this?

47. Want to plan for an ideal CAD environment?
Plan on making a Deming/Quality process part of
your CAD workflow.

48. Your Training Program
How to integrate it into your business

49. We know what our best practices should be but we
“just don’t have the time” to train people.
What’s wrong with this picture?

50. Plan Your Training

51. Key planning points for training …
Software feature training
Sub it out to your reseller
Train only what’s required
Custom training on standards
Create your own syllabus
Conduct internally
Do not skip training …

52. Train Your Plan

53. Key execution points for training …
Keep it brief but continuous
Short sessions work best
Focus on methods not features
The goal is to work better
More productivity - less rework
Make training pay for itself …

54. Showing people the right way to work via
contextual training is the only way to make
standard processes work.

55. That’s a lot to consider!
So you better have a plan.

56. Do the planning and you WILL succeed …

57. Keep asking questions and planning …
… and things will keep getting better.

58. Planning for Your
CAD Future
Robert Green
Robert Green Consulting
RGreen@GreenConsulting.com