188 CHAPTER 10: BUILDING CRUCIAL SKILLS ■ Reporting Effectively How do you sell yourself (and your value) to management when you have limited chances to meet with them? Good question. Any good salesperson will tell you that the art of selling hinges on constant contact with the person you’re selling to and that gain- ing that contact is difficult. If you’d like to sell management on your value and educate them about what you’re up to, what should you do? You should educate them with the right types of reports so they understand what you’re doing, and let them draw their own conclu- sions about how valuable you are based on what you accomplish. Find ways to keep management in the loop using the most economical reporting format you can—more on that in the sidebar that follows. Writing a Brief Weekly Report Time consumed per week: 20 minutes—usually two 10-minute sessions evenly spaced throughout the week. Time saved per week: At least an hour. Even if your manager doesn’t require you to write a weekly report, I highly recommend that you write one anyway, if for no other reason than to foster better communication of your value to the organization.I’ve used a brief weekly report format with great success over the years because it affords me the following benefits: • It summarizes what I’ve achieved in the current week. • It summarizes what I hope to achieve in the following week. • It serves as a checklist that I can use to make sure I’m staying on track. • It shows management that I’m on top of the details and have a plan. • It allows me to keep an open dialogue with my management team because they always know what I’m doing and what I’m thinking—even if the only contact they have with me in a given week is reading my report. Get in the habit of writing a weekly report, and it’ll seem easy in just a few weeks.You’ll be amazed how well you can track your job using old reports and how much more on the radar you’ll be with management! Note: Having a body of well-written reports looks great during your performance review! 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 188 189 ■ SELLING YOURSELF Remember, you’re the only person who can report on what’s happening with CAD management—if you don’t do it, who will? The biggest reason CAD management misperceptions exist is precisely because most CAD managers don’t report to their management in a format that is easy for senior management to understand. Not doing so only makes it harder to sell yourself. Documenting ROI Now that you’re speaking better, writing better, and selling your value to management better, how can you use business logic to seal the deal? The answer to this question is to use the return on investment (ROI) metrics I covered in Chapter 7, “Understanding Financial Processes" to quantify your value. Figure 10.6 To really get your management’s attention document all your ideas with ROI driven spreadsheets to drive home the points you speak and write about. The key aspects of any ROI-based approach are to compute the savings you gen- erate and then divide those savings by your cost. For the CAD manager, the approach requires three steps as presented here: Compute savings Begin by asking yourself questions like these: How much productivity did you create by implementing smart new technology solutions? (An hour gained is an hour saved.) How many processes did you streamline? (Saving steps typically saves time.) How much wasted time were you able to cut? (Cutting waste = savings.) 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 189 190 CHAPTER 10: BUILDING CRUCIAL SKILLS ■ How much time did the company save as the result of your analysis of these questions? Now you can begin the work of tabulating all the cost savings you were responsible for based on the time savings computed. Compute costs You can now compute your cost by collecting the following data: Annual salary or total hourly pay per year Amount of any bonuses or profit sharing Value of benefits (typically 25% of salary) Percentage of time you do CAD management on overhead (unbillable time) Percentage of time you spend as an engineer, architect, and so on on billable projects Total your costs, take a percentage equal to your time spent CAD managing on over- head, and you’ll have your final cost number. Compute your ROI Take your savings and divide by your costs to achieve an ROI number. If your return on investment is higher than 1 (or 100%), then you’re more than paying for your time as CAD manager, and you can tout that fact to management. Maximizing Your ROI Now that you’ve got a handle on computing your ROI, the challenge becomes driving your ROI as a CAD manager ever higher. You know that ROI is a matter of achieving maximum cost savings at minimum costs. The following strategies tend to work well: Drive up savings Do this by looking for great savings ideas, implementing them, and taking credit for the savings. This is easier to say than do, but if you don’t focus on savings, you’ll never increase your ROI. Drive down costs Because you can’t lower your salary or benefits, the only way to lower your cost profile is to make CAD management part of job-billable expenses. Rather than doing CAD management as an overhead activity, go to the staff in your company and find out what sort of CAD-management services they view as valuable enough to charge to jobs. Make job-billable CAD management your priority. Once you have a high ROI and low overhead, it’s time to ask your boss for a raise. After all, you’ve not only earned it, you’ve proven it! Note: If you’re not sure how to do this,see Chapter 7,“Using ROI Metrics.” 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 190 191 ■ SELLING YOURSELF Learning Programming When you make your living supporting users and CAD programs, sometimes it’s useful to be able to program custom solutions to facilitate greater user productivity. That way, you don’t have to live with what a CAD program gives you; you can customize it to do what you need. I’ve worked with some CAD managers who had little programming experience who were great CAD managers. These people typically have such a great range of experience and knowledge of the company they work in that they can head off problems before they happen. Even though they can’t program in AutoLISP or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), they can provide great support for CAD users. I’ve also worked with CAD managers who could program any solution you care to dream up but who were barely passable in their job function. In many cases, the person was so involved with programming that they let everyday concerns like filing systems or work deadlines slip. Another key correlation seems to be that the more you like to program, the less likely you are to be out of your office interacting with CAD users and designers (and believe me, upper management notices). My hunch is that pro- grammers aren’t seen as being particularly outgoing or strong in people skills, which keeps them from being promoted as readily. Figure 10.7 Programming offers you the chance to make the CAD systems you manage do what you want instead of being at the mercy of the software companies.Interested? You should be! 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 191 192 CHAPTER 10: BUILDING CRUCIAL SKILLS ■ I’ve noticed that people who can manage to understand the company’s business, provide solid support, possess people skills, and create programs are seen as gold mines in the CAD-management field. I should point out that the programming skills you can aim for don’t have to be developer level but can include basic menu-file editing and limited amounts of AutoLISP (for customizing AutoCAD environments). A little goes a long way toward programming real time savings into your CAD system. In work environments where you have to do more with less and drive produc- tivity to new levels, what better way to do this than to roll up your sleeves and home cook a solution using your own programming? I continue to believe that the more technical you are, the brighter your future is; and programming literacy is clearly a key component in being more technical. Visual Basic and AutoLISP The question I usually get from a CAD manager goes like this: “Should I be learning Visual Basic?” The answer I give generally goes like this: “Probably, but let me qualify my answer a little.” Most CAD systems today—including SolidWorks, Solid Edge, MicroStation, and even some of Autodesk’s non-AutoCAD solutions such as Revit and Inventor—offer a Visual Basic customization interface. None of these support AutoLISP. I think the sig- nals are clear that Visual Basic is becoming the most universally applicable CAD pro- gramming language. It’s unavoidable that CAD managers who wish to customize their installations should start ramping up on Visual Basic as soon as possible. I don’t see Visual Basic knowledge as an absolute requirement yet, because plenty of effective CAD managers don’t program; but knowing Visual Basic will most definitely be a big plus—so why wait? Note: I’ve never met a CAD manager who knows Visual Basic who isn’t using it to make productivity strides in their CAD installation. Note: As CAD managers continue to handle more software in less time,they’re increasingly taking productivity matters into their own hands.The percentages of CAD managers I talk to who use AutoLISP and/or Visual Basic is at 65 percent and rising slowly but steadily.If you’re not programming,you’re in the minority. 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 192 193 ■ SELLING YOURSELF AutoLISP Resources If you manage an AutoCAD-centric CAD environment with DWG-based products (like Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Land Desktop, Mechanical Desktop, and so on), then the AutoLISP language will give you an easier point of entry into programming than the more complex, event-driven Visual Basic development environment. The question becomes, “What’s the best way to get started learning AutoLISP?” The important conclusion I’ve come to over time is that the method you use to learn should fit your learning preference (which we examined earlier in this chapter) and acknowledge your current level of programming expertise. Here are some recommendations I’ve found to be well received over the years: Those with no programming experience It’s hard to find training in AutoLISP, but the search will be worthwhile. I highly recommend taking training from an experienced programmer, even if it’s an informal tutoring type of arrangement. You may do better working with a tutor a few hours at a time than in a classroom style class anyway. AutoLISP is straightforward as long as you have someone to walk you through the intimidating process of getting started. I’ve seen few people learn AutoLISP without some help. Those who know a programming language You may be able to get started using online AutoLISP resources (search the Internet for various blogs because the list is constantly changing). A search on Amazom.com will show you several available books about AutoLISP that you may find useful as well. I personally used AutoLISP in Plain English by George Head to solidify my AutoLISP knowledge, but the book is out of print. Those with some AutoLISP experience Another learning strategy is to periodically hire a consultant or instructor to provide a few hours of tutelage when you hit plateaus in your learning curve. As you struggle through self-study, you’ll build up a list of ques- tions that a tutor can help you resolve to get you on the way toward more learning. Because you already have some expertise, you should be able to work with a tutor via the Internet or phone to keep costs down. No matter who you are Learning AutoLISP doesn’t happen on its own; it requires work and persistence on your part. No matter what your skill level or learning strategy is, the best thing you can do to facilitate learning is to get started. Starting now means you’ll have a great new skill that much sooner. Note: Sometimes you can find AutoLISP in Plain English under Amazon.com’s used book section or even on eBay. 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 193 194 CHAPTER 10: BUILDING CRUCIAL SKILLS ■ Visual Basic Resources If you manage non-AutoCAD–based tools, you’ll need to make the leap to Visual Basic. Just as with AutoLISP, the question becomes, “What’s the best way to get started?” Again, as with AutoLISP, the important conclusion I’ve come to is that the method you use to learn should fit your learning preference (which we examined earlier in this chapter) and acknowledge your current level of programming expertise. Here are some recommendations I’ve found to be well received over the years: Those with no programming experience I highly, highly recommend taking a classroom- style course over the period of several weeks or even months so you can learn not only Visual Basic syntax but the general approach to structured programming. I was able to learn AutoLISP and Visual Basic on my own only because I had a good background in the FORTRAN and Pascal languages (anybody out there old enough to remember those?). There may be exceptions, but I can almost guarantee that those with no programming experience won’t be able to pick up a book and learn Visual Basic on their own. Those who know a programming language other than Visual Basic You may be able to get started using one of the wide varieties of books available online or from your local book store. I recommend doing some online research to see which sort of book is targeted to your particular learning style before choosing one. I personally used the Weekend Crash Course series of books by Richard Mansfield to jump-start my Visual Basic knowledge, even though they required thought, debugging skills, and persever- ance to navigate. Those with some VBA experience Another learning strategy is to periodically hire a consultant or instructor to provide a few hours of tutelage when you hit plateaus in your learning curve. As you struggle through self-learning, you’ll build up a list of questions that a tutor can help you resolve to get you on the way toward more learn- ing. Tutors cost money, but they can help you conserve valuable time. No matter who you are Learning Visual Basic is a substantial undertaking, so don’t kid yourself about the amount of time or effort it will require. Be honest about your starting point, identify the resources you’ll need to learn, and then embark on your learning plan. 16531c10.qxd 3/19/07 1:43 PM Page 194 195 ■ PROTECTING YOUR DATA Protecting Your Data It sounds simple enough: Secure your CAD data so your company won’t lose valuable intellectual property. But with dozens of collaborative soft- ware platforms, websites, and file-security tools competing for your attention, it has become devil- ishly complicated to know what to do. Add to the mix the peculiarities of network operating systems, hardware, and security software, and protecting your data becomes a big task. The fact of the matter is, work products are becom- ing more digital all the time, and there’s increasing pressure to share data. And as more of your work is encoded in digital files that can be easily copied, the likelihood that you can lose control of your data increases. How do you deal with these vexing problems? In this chapter, I’ll help you under- stand how valuable your data is and how to pro- tect it using file-security software and legal tools. As a bonus, I’ll also give you extensive coverage of data-management tools in case you want to manage your company’s data more aggressively. 11 16531c11.qxd 3/19/07 1:44 PM Page 195 196 CHAPTER 11 : PROTECTING YOUR DATA ■ Identifying Intellectual Property Before CAD, the design process consisted of thoughts being captured on paper. These paper drawings contained the minimum information required to permit construction or fabrication of the design. Drawings were then released in the form of print sets. The print sets we transmitted facilitated construction but divulged precious little informa- tion about design decisions. In the vernacular of intellectual property, the old paper- based system allowed us to keep most of the intellectual property of our designs in our minds while passing along only the bare minimum information required to fabricate the product or building we designed. In today’s digital domain, however, software is becoming much better at captur- ing the thought that goes into designs. We now have software that performs kinematics constraint modeling, tolerance analysis, land-development computations, architectural visualization, and so on. Digital design files today are a treasure chest of intellectual property that makes yesterday’s prints seem primitive by comparison. And although the technological advancement is great news for design engineers and architects, it’s trou- bling for those charged with protecting that data from theft. Although we’ve always had the security risk of a paper drawing falling into our competitor’s hands, the risk associated with losing a complete digital design database is akin to giving away your company’s designs. If management doesn’t understand how much more information is at risk in electronic design environments, they need a serious wake-up call—and you must be the one to deliver it. Figure 11.1 Because we don’t draw this way anymore, we need new methods to protect our intellectual property. With our data in digital files, we have to look to digital methods to secure our data. 16531c11.qxd 3/19/07 1:44 PM Page 196 197 ■ SECURING FILES Locating Intellectual Property Where is the intellectual property stored in your organization? A lot of the knowledge is still in people’s brains, but as they produce working documents to capture their designs, intellectual property starts to migrate to digital media. The places you’ll find this digital intellectual property, and the type of data found in each location, include the following: CAD files These include any files, be they parts, assemblies, drawings, layouts, 3D renderings, or sketches. When information goes into a CAD file, it’s precise data that could be used to facilitate reverse engineering. Calculation files Spreadsheet files used to compute design parameters are also rich with unique intellectual property. Because spreadsheets contain design equations, they include the method by which something is designed, not just numbers. Building information models or mechanical CAD assemblies These 3D total system models contain all the bits and pieces needed to fabricate a building or mechanical system. Because all the parts and their relationships to one another are included, any- one who intercepts this data will literally know everything about the project. Design or GIS databases Civil engineering systems that contain reams of geospatial data and the computations for moving earth, soil compaction, grading data, and so on can be a huge windfall for anyone who intercepts the data for their own use. The common denominator in all these forms of intellectual property is that the data that allows you to understand a design resides in a digital file format. If you lose track of these files, you don’t just lose a drawing—you lose all the unique intellectual property that your engineers, architects, and designers have been thinking about for months or years. Seems chilling when put in that perspective, doesn’t it? Securing Files If your company’s priceless intellectual property resides in digital files, you’d better pro- tect those files! Although your company could confront an infinite number of scenarios in terms of software, networks, collaborative partners, and so on, I’ve found that secur- ing CAD data can always be described in a simple three-step process: 1. Secure your data in-house. 2. Limit the data you share. 3. Contractually bind those you share data with. Use these three steps as your guiding principles when you secure your data, and you’ll focus on the bigger picture of securing your files and make good decisions. Now I’ll break down these steps in detail. 16531c11.qxd 3/19/07 1:44 PM Page 197 [...]... systems charge additional fees for these types of modules, whereas others include them in the base package cost As a general rule, systems that are targeted at CAD users include these tools, but more generic documentmanagement systems have these tools available as add-ons There is no great mystery to determining the costs: Just ask Collaboration tools Some systems, on the premise that you only pay for... file you send and then uses an object-enabler module to let the recipient decode the DWG Running under AutoCAD’s command and control enables CADVault to secure portions of a drawing—say, just certain layers—while enabling the user to add content to the drawing in unprotected layers Even if you don’t manage an AutoCAD-specific office, CADVault is worth a look in terms of what content -management software... communities: the need to track and manage all the electronic documents and data associated with the design, building, or manufacturing of buildings or products Let’s define the acronyms to get the conversation started: • EDM—Electronic document management • PDM—Product data management • PLM—Product lifecycle management Glossary of Terms • EDM—Electronic document management, or electronic data management. .. annotation and printing support offered varies widely depending on whether the system functions as a multidisciplinary management tool or has a specific file-type structure that it manages In CAD environments, users tend to judge data -management tools by how accurate their printing capabilities are and whether the tools support the latest CAD file formats It’s wise to also evaluate support for Microsoft... formats is that they convey the visual information your customer/supplier needs, but they don’t divulge the complex data that facilitated the design The publishing utility you choose will depend on the software you use and your customer/vendor’s willingness to use these software tools to collaborate with you Unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise, I highly recommend using one of these neutral... much you trust the other parties working with your data, you don’t know that they’ll follow your procedures; so, the issue becomes whether you can enforce your intellectual property rights if/when an infraction occurs To do this, you need to have contracts in place, signed by the upper management of all companies involved, that give you legal recourse in the event of a violation Your job as CAD manager... contain a vast amount of critical information that will become the data vault you’ll use to search for data in the future It’s conceivable that the EDM system you implement this year may become linked to other data -management systems in the future, so your IT staff will care a great deal about the database engine the system uses Some systems can use their own proprietary database technology (like Cyco’s HyperTrieve),... these costs are overlooked until the end of the shopping process, which can be embarrassing Don’t let yourself miss these costs Going Shopping Justifying Costs with Savings After you’ve done some shopping, you’ll no doubt have sticker shock from the costs numbers you collect You’re probably thinking, Management will never fund this technology!” The fact is, management never funds anything unless there... to AutoCAD’s sheet set functionality CHAPTER 11 : P R O T E C T I N G Y O U R D ATA ■ 200 SolidWorks eDrawings Basically has the same pluses and minuses as DWF, but specific to the SolidWorks CAD environment In later releases, eDrawings has embraced supporting the DWG file format, which makes eDrawings a logical choice for mixed SolidWorks and AutoCAD environments The common denominator of all these... Oracle In cases of Internet-enabled solutions, the use of Microsoft’s IIS is becoming the industry standard for database deployment over the Web The database format used is typically decided on or vetoed by the IT department based on how compatible the database engine is with current company systems In the case of smaller companies or workgroup-level solutions, the database format is typically less important . you’re the only person who can report on what’s happening with CAD management if you don’t do it, who will? The biggest reason CAD management misperceptions exist is precisely because most CAD managers. salary or benefits, the only way to lower your cost profile is to make CAD management part of job-billable expenses. Rather than doing CAD management as an overhead activity, go to the staff in your company. productivity strides in their CAD installation. Note: As CAD managers continue to handle more software in less time,they’re increasingly taking productivity matters into their own hands .The percentages of CAD managers