I had a very interesting conversation with one of my customers this week who I have known for many years and has recently started at a new company and has worked with AutoCAD for a number of years. He knew after a very short space of time that the majority of the workflows that the company were using were wrong. Not just workflows that could be done more productively if done in a different way, but wrong on all levels. These particular workflows were costing the company time and money. I am a firm believer that if something is wrong then you have to say something.
The company were also using the wrong software too!
Being new to the company he didn't feel it was the right thing to do to walk into a new job and break the news to them that everything they have done for the last 5 years was wrong. He had not been taken on with a job description of "process improvement" or anything along those lines. So, what was he to do? He didn't know and rang me for my advice.
My advice was as follows, you cannot just sit back and let it happen, if you do then 2 or 3 years down the line, the company is doing things in the same way and still using the same software, and it’s all because "that's just the way we have always done it" you may lose the skills you gained in your previous employment, making you unhappy and making it more difficult to leave the job that you don’t actually like doing.
In my experience, and I visit a lot of different companies, Managers who are running design/engineering offices normally fit into 3 different categories.
- They are not aware of any problems. No one sticks their head above the parapet, and voices their concerns, then naturally there is no problem, everything is fantastic, what a great company we are.
- They know that there are problems, but don't know how to fix them, I think this is probably the most common category, hopefully, their teams will shout when they have a problem or think something can be done in a better way. In my experience, many team members know that there is a problem, and many of them will discuss them with their managers/team leads. If however, no one has any ideas on how to actually fix the problem, what do you do?
- They know that there are problems, but don't want to or can't fix the problem, This, again is unfortunately very common. They might be using particular CAD software because that is what the head office states. The manager might know that there is a problem with a particular workflow but doesn't want to change it along with many other reasons.
The problem with point 3 is quite often the same problem that the team member is having. Think of it this way, a company with 4 subsidiaries, the head office has stated that they all most use Software X. They may well have made this decision because that is just the way it always has been. They might not know that software Y would be a lot better for the business. If no one says anything then guess what, it’s never going to change.
We all need to pick the battles that we can win but if we never even step a foot on the battlefield, we will most definitely not win any battles, let alone the war.
So, you may ask, Craig what is the point of this blog! If you believe something is wrong, then find a way to speak out but go with a solution, not just a problem. How do you find the solution? Talking to the experts is the simplest way of doing it.
If your problem is related to AutoCAD or any other Autodesk product then talk to Symetri or the vendors of the software that you are using. It may be simply that with some training you could change that problem workflow and realise that the software you have is more than capable of doing what you want to do.
Please contact Symetri for advice on training or consultancy. Our consultants are here to support your business by resolving business challenges so your team can focus on innovation and business-critical tasks. Please feel free to reach us on 0345 370 1500 or info@symetri.co.uk.
Author
Craig Snell
Craig has been with Symetri for over 25 years, starting his career as an AutoCAD Trainer. He has a lot of experience with the Autodesk Manufacturing portfolio and has used Inventor since its inception. Craig’s philosophy to life is “Every day is a school day” and loves getting others both customers and colleagues involved with learning. Craig manages Symetri's Autodesk Support team for both MFG and AEC alongside managing the manufacturing training division.
