Role / Responsibility

[Srinivas]

Dear all,

I would like to know what is the Role/Responsibility of CAD Manager in a firm.

I never came across such a kind of Designation in many of the firms i've visited here in India.

Thanks in advance.

Srinivas.

[TomWaltz]

Something I wrote up for a client a while back:

Primary Duties
- Develop and enhance skills of CAD-using staff
- Assist project teams in identifying appropriate technology solutions to support project deliverables
- Identify Architectural Staff needs and coordinate with IT in their delivery and implementation
- Participate in review of project effectiveness and personnel performance at project milestones and completion, reporting to Senior Management
- Develop custom solutions in the absence of off-the-shelf software

Secondary Duties
- Train new hires in CAD software & company standards
- Develop and maintain project template files
- Acquire, develop, and maintain object libraries
- Promote understanding of CAD concepts in non-CAD-using staff
- Develop project collaboration protocols for sharing CAD files between platforms, both inside and outside K&A
- Head up CAD standards evolution, implementation, and enforcement
- Develop and enforce office drafting / production standards
- Supply technical support for all utilized CAD software (Archicad, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Cinema 4D, etc)
- Report to Senior Management on staff performance
- Diagnose non-compliant project files which pose a risk to project success / profitability

Required Skill-set
- Relevant professional experience (architecture, engineering, etc)
- Detailed knowledge of company practices and workflow
- Technical proficiency in software
- Software Programming skills
- Managerial Skills
- Communication skills
- Teaching skills

It's best thought of as an Operations Manager position, who has both architectural and technological skills and can float between the two realms understanding both strategic- and operations-level concepts. It should be someone who could talk to the owners about Return on Investment and staff deployment in the morning and argue with the software manufacturer for a new necessary feature in the afternoon.

[Srinivas]

Thanks Tom. Infact I was looking for your response only.

[TomWaltz]

well I guess it's nice to be wanted 🙂

[Thomas Holm]

TomWaltz wrote:
It's best thought of as an Operations Manager position, who has both architectural and technological skills and can float between the two realms understanding both strategic- and operations-level concepts. It should be someone who could talk to the owners about Return on Investment and staff deployment in the morning and argue with the software manufacturer for a new necessary feature in the afternoon.

Tom (humbly), do you mean such a person really exists?

[TomWaltz]

I like to think I exist.... unless maybe I'm someone else's delusion? Maybe I'm not really here... perhaps I am simply a dream trapped in a computer system....

[Laura Yanoviak]

Thomas wrote:
Tom (humbly), do you mean such a person really exists?

I read about this (somewhere) recently -- it's a new trend, called the "Digital Architect"

[TomWaltz]

Laura wrote:

Thomas wrote:
Tom (humbly), do you mean such a person really exists?

I read about this (somewhere) recently -- it's a new trend, called the "Digital Architect"

Is that your title?

I used to know a guy to flipped any time you used the word "architect" in any context besides the traditional concept of the master builder... like if someone was a network architect or someone was an architect of peace in the Middle East, he took it as a personal insult.

[Laura Yanoviak]

TomWaltz wrote:
Is that your title?

Well, since I technically am an Architect, I guess it could be, although the firm I work for doesn't "believe" in titles.

I really wish I could find that article -- of course, a Google search results in a plethora of ... er... results.

[Anonymous]

I think that while software programming skills is a bonus, it is not a requirement.

The best CAD manager is the one who also puts his ego and any personal issues to one side, and treats his staff with equal respect. He needs to appear on his CAD team's side, not kissing management's butt.

If he relates to his team, all those other attributes will actually be worth having.

Oh and he/she needs to know when and how to hold meetings and keep his staff enthusiastic.

Hunter.

[Laura Yanoviak]

Hunter wrote:
I think that while software programming skills is a bonus, it is not a requirement.

Sure, but what's important is that person has a very good understanding of both the software and the profession (architecture, engineering,...) and of course organization and managerial skills.

[andyro]

IME, this role is, simply stated, 'Let not the deficiencies of the software or the users make fools of the firm' - as the minimum, and maximum 'Enable the delivery of Documents that Excelleth in both quality and completeness, such that consultants, partners and clients are consistently blown away by the results and the efficient and timely manner in which they were delivered.' In otherwords, fix broken projects, and perfect good ones.

Must posess keen troubleshooting knowledge - bordering on supersensibility 😉

[Laura Yanoviak]

andyro wrote:
IME, this role is, simply stated, 'Let not the deficiencies of the software or the users make fools of the firm' - as the minimum, and maximum 'Enable the delivery of Documents that Excelleth in both quality and completeness, such that consultants, partners and clients are consistently blown away by the results and the efficient and timely manner in which they were delivered.' In otherwords, fix broken projects, and perfect good ones.

Must posess keen troubleshooting knowledge - bordering on supersensibility 😉

I think your confusing the "expectations" of a CAD Manager with the "role/responsibility"

[TomWaltz]

I've started wearing tights & a cape to work...

[Djordje]

Laura wrote:

Hunter wrote:
I think that while software programming skills is a bonus, it is not a requirement.

Sure, but what's important is that person has a very good understanding of both the software and the profession (architecture, engineering,...) and of course organization and managerial skills.

The one thing missing from Tom's job brief were the relevant preffesional skills.

I wondered why.

It is essential.

As he so well shows.