Robert is head of the Robert Green Consulting Group, and an 18 year veteran speaker at Autodesk University. You have likely read his work in Cadalyst magazine, where he authors the CAD Manager; column, or in his bi-monthly CAD Manager's Newsletter. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and gained his CAD skills from 28 years of AutoCAD®, MicroStation®, and various MCAD software systems. Since starting his own company in 1991, Robert has performed consulting and teaching duties for private clients throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

1. CAD/BIM Manager
Tips and Tricks
Robert Green
www.CAD-Manager.com

2. Quick bio …
Mechanical engineer turned CAD manager
Private consultant since 1991
Focus: CAD standards, customization and management
Cadalyst Magazine contributing editor
19 year AU speaker
Facebook: CAD Managers Unite!
Web site: www.CAD-Manager.com
rgreen@CAD-Manager.com

3. Think – Plan – Act!
Think more.
Think differently.
Plan more.
React less.
Save more.
Don’t fight the same fire
over and over! “We can not solve our
problems using the same
thinking we used when we
created them.”

4. Understand the Duties

5. What does management expect?
• Software (and hardware) support
• Provide primary CAD/project support
• CAD standards formulation
• Resource planning and budgeting
• Document/File/Archive management
• Staff management
• Staff training …

6. Excelling as CAD Manager

7. Understand your workload
• Understand you really manage deadlines
• Keeping production on track is #1
• Tie tasks to deadlines to prioritize
• Keep an up to date task list handy at all times
• This method keeps you in the right order …

8. Two Rules
• Manage the things that aren’t working
• Don’t manage the things are working
Sidebar: Do these rules explain why our
bosses don’t understand what we do?

9. More work on the way
• Handle what they give you, they’ll give you
more
• If you over commit you can’t deliver - failure
• New tasks must not compromise deadlines
• Use this logic to manage your workload …

10. Budget for the Tools You
Need

11. You need to budget in advance!
• Don’t wait until you need something!
• Budget ahead of time!
• Here’s my methodology …

12. You need to budget in advance!
• Create a spreadsheet with tabs
• Record items, costs, justifications
• Include everything!
• Prioritize based on need (or somebody else
will)
• Keep a budget folder active at all times
• Don’t budget once a year … keep adjusting …

13. Identify User Problems
Suggest Solutions

14. Where are the Bottlenecks?
• What slows you down?
• What would you do to fix it?
• How can you get the “CAD
traffic” flowing more smoothly?
• This is your REAL value …

15. Find the Bottlenecks
Take a few minutes to capture
as many bottlenecks as you can
think of.
For each bottleneck propose a
quick solution.
More detailed analysis comes
later.
Identify problems and record
them on an ongoing basis.

16. What did you find?
• Better standards
• Better project procedures
• More training
• Faster computers
• Better organization of files …

17. Faster/Cheaper
Now think about which user
problems you can attack that
will generate big time savings.
Focus on making the solutions
to the problems easy so users
get done faster with fewer
errors.
Our focus is now on cost
reduction.

18. Market Your Ideas with
Faster/Cheaper Logic

19. Faster/Cheaper …
• Why would you use anything new?
• Three reasons:
Faster
Cheaper
Both
• There’s really no other reason so don’t fight it …

20. Talk Faster/Cheaper …
• Take your ideas to your boss
• To your users
• To anyone who’ll listen
• Become the faster/cheaper evangelist in your
company …

21. Make Changes Permanent
with Standards

22. If you make things faster for
users
• They will want to use your solution
• Your solution becomes the new standard
• You’ve won the user with productivity
• You never had to be the bad guy …

23. Expand your standards
program
• Bit by bit
• Solution by solution
• Keep at it over the long haul
• Document it as you go …

24. Broaden the Standards
Discussion (with
Management)

25. CAD Management is a
Process
• CAD doesn’t make money
• CAD can save money though
• CAD can improve quality
• CAD can save time
• Time = Money
• Note, not spend but save …

26. Standards Save us Money!
• Standards yield consistency
• Consistency reduces errors
• Consistency saves time
• Consistency allows automation
• All these things save money
• Let me help you save money …

27. To save money I need …
• You to understand the problem
• Empower me to make the changes
• Enforce standards and procedures when
needed
• To send a message to the user community
…

28. Objection Handling

29. Dealing with non-compliers
• Tell them what they’re doing wrong
• Restate the standards
• Ask if they have a better idea
• If they have a better idea – listen
• Otherwise …

30. Using cost logic and authority
• Show them the cost of their non-compliance
• Tell them they need to comply
• If they don’t go to their boss
• Be sure you have data on costs!
• Now violators are simply wasting money …

31. Push for Cost Effective
Training

32. Targeting training
• Target your training to achieve verifiable results.
• Think short/custom when training.
• Make training pay for itself by -
• Lowering labor costs via training
• Sell this approach to your boss (not your users)
…

33. Find the topics
• What questions am I asked most
• Are there any procedures or repetitive tasks
that people have problems with?
• Where do we lose time the most and what
could we do in a training environment to cut our
losses?
• Note – these are standards related …

34. Train the topics
• Whatever saves the most time comes first
• Whatever speeds project execution and
reduces errors gets special consideration
• Training should save money, not cost money …

35. Tell Management What
You’re Doing (Reporting)

36. Why report?
• To communicate better!
• To dispel myths
• To keep a dialog open
• To gain management’s support
• So your value is understood
• Because only you can report on the topic …

37. A reporting format that works …
• Keep a diary of what you work on so you won’t
forget.
• Write down what you did last week
• Write down what you hope to do next week
• Keep it brief … a page will do fine
• Send to your boss at a consistent time each week
…

38. Do Not Be Seen as Overhead

39. Addressing overhead …
• Reporting shows that the work you do is crucial to
the ongoing completion of projects
• By linking CAD management tasks to production
milestones you show that CAD management isn’t
just overhead
• You are a production resource not an expense …

40. Think Like Management

41. Why not?
You’d be amazed how
much better you’ll get
along.
When they see you as a
manager who happens
to be technical they
have a whole new level
of respect for you.

42. Who else will …
• Approve your budgets?
• Give you a raise?
• Promote you?
• Give you the authority to enforce standards or
make changes?
• It literally pays to think like management …

43. Just Think More

44. Your thinking leads to
Greater savings
Better standards
Better training
Better communication
A profitable company
Career success for you!

45. CAD/BIM Manager
Tips and Tricks
Robert Green
www.CAD-Manager.com