CAD Manager ~ Continued

What I found most interesting about the survey is the preponderance of offices that recognize and use CAD-Management/CAD-Managers at all. There are always exceptions, even I have worked (once) in an office that has a "CAD-Manager", true the job is shared by two people and neither has the title "CAD-Manager" as such. But it works. However, in general, my experience is that CAD-Managers are almost nonexistent or, what little work that is done in that area is done by someone with a token title and no real say in how the CAD-Department is run. Or even worse. The following stories illustrate what I mean.

Several years ago – before I gave up on CAD-Management – I had a job interview during which the subject of CAD-Management was raised. When I expressed an interest in the subject, it was explained to me that their office did not have anyone doing that – officially. However, if I were hired and they, the CAD-Operators, liked me better (read “knew more about AutoCAD®?”) then maybe everyone would start going to me for advice. This left me more than a little surprised to say the least. I thought to myself – “No, I want extra money, a title to impress/put fear into the engineers" hearts and the power to say "no" to the engineers/managers when required.” Yet they saw it as a popularity contest, not as a valid, indeed vital, tool in the modern engineering office.

Here's another example. I worked in an engineering office for several years (just as they were starting to introduce computer drafting) and watched in amazement as a glorified file clerk took over, first the computers, then AutoCAD^®, and last the CAD-Operators (almost to the point of taking over even the drafting itself). This was someone who knew nothing about AutoCAD^® or drafting. As was often said “They shouldn"t even be allowed to touch the AutoCAD^® CD, never mind install/configure/purchase CAD-Stations!”. Nor should they have been directly involved in producing CAD standards, leading drafting department meetings etc.. But they were.

The last word however, goes to an engineer, who shall, of course, remain nameless. When the aforementioned office started to get even a minimal amount of proper CAD-Management practices into place, said engineer could often be heard at meetings to arrogantly comment “This is an Engineering Office, not a drafting office!” Needless to say, after a token effort they stopped trying to implement the full CAD-Management scenario and left it at some basic drafting standards. This pretty much sums up the attitude towards CAD-Management around here, which is why, I gave up on CAD-Management!

Eric Bailey Computer Drafting

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Ironically - in 2006 I was hired by a local company for some contract CAD work and part of the job was to include developing "CAD Standards". Not so ironic is the fact that a year later they remain on the "to do" list!

Addendum: Surprise! October 2007 and the first DRAFT of the CAD Standards are done.