Australia here we come!

The fifth Revit Technology Conference takes place on June 18th -20th in Melbourne, and CADsmart will be both a sponsor, and an exhibitor - link. RTC '09 is the premiere event in the region and we look forward to introducing many new companies to our live skills assessment for Revit. RTC '09 has a packed and interesting BIM / Revit agenda and I'm looking forward to being there. If you're going to be at the RTC '09 please stop by at the exhibition and say hello, or feel free to search me out in the bar and get me a beer!

Many thanks to Matt Rumbelow for introducing us to the event - and to return the favour, make sure you visit his informative online newsletter for Revit and BIM users - http://www.revitall.net/

It's our first visit to Australia, and I'll be stopping off en-route to visit customers in Singapore, and also going to Sydney after RTC. Luckily I'll be in Australia before the Ashes cricket series begins so I can't get ribbed over the England performance ( of course I'm confident we'll win.....)

Tony

JTB World

I was chatting with Jimmy Bergmark recently, and it prompted me to jot a few lines about his service which is, in my opinion, an essential element for any CAD & BIM administrators toolkit.

In particular, I wanted to draw your attention to a couple of tools:

First, JTB FlexReport, which makes it easy to track network license usage, presenting detailed lists and charting. With the usage reports firms can optimize how many licenses are needed and also split costs between different profit-centres by grouping users or work stations in the reports. FlexReport helps AEC firms manage their resources and and save money by not purchasing more licenses than needed. (NB Applications that are licensed using the FLEXnet (FLEXlm), IBM LUM or 12D are supported).
http://www.jtbworld.com/jtbflexreport/index.htm

Next, SSMPropEditor (or Sheet Set Manager Properties Editor) is a big time saver for firms working with AutoCAD’s Sheet Set Manager or AutoCAD Architecture’s Project Manager. This clever tool enables administrators to select multiple sheets and edit properties without having to do it sheet by sheet. SSMPropEditor runs outside of AutoCAD making the information accessible for more users, for example those using AutoCAD LT.
http://www.jtbworld.com/SSMPropEditor.htm

Just take a look at JTB World's customer base, to see how popular these applications are across AEC firms of all shapes & sizes: http://www.jtbworld.com/customers.htm.

Jimmy also writes an informative blog: http://blog.jtbworld.com/.

R

Mid Continent MicroStation Community Conference

Here's a date for the diary this year; August 25/26, 2009.

Why? Because those are the dates for this year's Mid Continent MicroStation Community conference - arguably the most enjoyable event in the CAD calendar year!

In a year when the world has gone a bit topsy turvey, and big firm user conferences are being pulled faster than you can say, 'I've reduced my carbon footprint by going virtual', it's refreshing to see that the MCMC team are bringing out the big guns for the 2009 event.

Last year, the event was held in Kansas City's Overland Park Convention Center (www.tmcmcmc.org/meetings/2008/onsite_agenda.pdf), and it was a blast. The networking is first class; we took in a baseball game, rail museum, ate sheboygan hot dogs, ribs, steaks - in fact the red meat consumption was like Elvis heaven! :)

This year, the venue is the same - and CADsmart will be taking one of the Premier Sponsor slots.

The two day in-person conference covers a number of different knowledge tracts, including MicroStation, Civil, BIM, CAD Management, Structural Analysis, Plotting and Publishing and Collaborative working. To continue my food analogy, a veritable smorgasbord of content for users and CAD administrators to get stuck into!

And in light of the BE show being cancelled next month, I predict that the MCMC show will the the must-attend user event for the Bentley community this summer. With over 350 people attending last year, this year is shaping up to be even bigger.

For more details and to register, go to:

Website: http://www.tmcmcmc.org/

Bentley Community:
http://communities.bentley.com/UserGroups/GroupDetail.aspx?GroupID=35

Social Networking: www.twitter.com/tmcmcmc

Last one to book their seats buys the wheat beer!

R

Kalexo - kind of a cross between...

I met a very interesting man recently at the AEC IT-Leaders Roundtable meeting in New York. His name is Hannes Marais and his company is Kalexo (http://www.kalexo.com/).

During the break at the Roundtable, I took a look at the demo tools provided by Kalexo, and I have to say, I was impressed.

How can I describe their main product, Teamwork? It's kind of a cross between Sharepoint, Buzzsaw, Skype and GoToMeeting, with a dash of Projectwise, a sprinkle of Yousendit.com, a hint of Newforma and a splash of YouTube. Confused? For a detailed look, read Paul Wilkinson's recent blog post: http://www.extranetevolution.com/extranet_evolution/2009/04/a-closer-look-at-kalexo.html

Users can share files, manage tasks, hold video conferences, record screen movies, create screenshots, redline documents, send instant messages and teleconference via VoIP, all within one tool which looks pretty straightforward to use. Teamwork offers a framework for communications, creating an electronic environment through which teams collaborate as easily as if they were physically located in one room.

I think as we progress down the road to BIM, that Kalexo might well become another must-have application for smarter, more efficient project working.

R

A little bird told me...

Yes, as Ed alluded to in our e-bulletin last week, we have joined the ranks of 'tweeters' on the rapidly expanding social networking medium, Twitter. :)

I have to say, whilst we still have our training wheels on, it's great fun - and, used appropriately, I can see some big potential for expanding our network of useful contacts across the AEC space.

So, for those of you so inclined, please feel free to 'follow' our daily ramblings at: http://twitter.com/cadsmart.

Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross, Demi Moore - watch out!

R

CADsmart CAD Focus Group, London, May 14th

We've just announced the date for our next customer CAD Focus Group. This gives us a chance to sit with our customers in an informal setting for a half day and receive direct feedback on the best (and worst!) aspects of our service. The meeting will help shape our technology roadmap over the coming 6-12 months. We're pretty much fully booked for this event, but if you'd like more information, or a copy of the minutes, drop us a line.

The date is Thursday 14th May, 9am - 1pm. Venue is RIBA HQ in London; free to attend, working lunch included, etc.

We have quite a bit to cover this year. The agenda hasn't been formalised, but will include some or all of the following:

- BIM Accreditation
- Creating custom content for skills assessments
- Autodesk BIM tools (basic & advanced Architecture, Structure & MEP)
- Bentley BIM tools (basic 3D MicroStation, basic & advanced Architecture, Structural & Mechanical)
- Geo tools (Geopak, Civil 3D)
- Vertical libraries (i.e. Rail, etc.)
- Version specific content (i.e. 2010, v8i)
- Presenting performance data, measuring improvements
- Managing large assessment rollouts
- Training & E-Learning

Rory

CADsmart present to AEC IT leadership in NYC

I've just returned from my first visit to the Big Apple and it was a fascinating experience. Unfortunately, due to a rather hectic meetings schedule, all I managed to see with my tourist hat on was a bit of Grand Central Station and the rear of about a dozen yellow cabs!

However, I did get to spend some time with my brother, who flew in from LA for a couple of days. For those of you who don't know, he's the famous one in the Vance family household!(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888496/).

Anyway, the main reason for my trip was to deliver a presentation to the AEC IT Leaders Round Table meeting (http://aecitleaders.org/). A gathering of IT & CAD principals from AEC firms across the US, and hosted this time around by Holly Schulz at BBG-BBGM, whom I thank for the generous NYC hospitality.

I delivered a session on BIM skills assessments, mainly covering Revit, but also touching on Bentley BIM, which is currently under development, and was pleasantly surprised by the warm response, and interactive discussion which followed.

My list of NYC attractions remains woefully unchecked, so I feel a return visit may well be on the cards this year!

Rory

CADsmart joins Bentley's Be Employable initiative

So, the recession continues to dominate the headlines, and the world's leaders descend on London for 5 courses of Jamie Oliver's finest cuisine and a chat about the best way out of this mess. These are unprecedented times, and our industry is at the heart of the storm. Many firms have no option but to cut costs, and with it comes the very real challenge of layoffs. In a BBC article this week, it was reported that 'the number of architects claiming benefits has risen by 760% in a year'!

And yet, despite the economic chaos, it is refreshing to see that businesses can still display a human side, giving something back to an industry that has served them well in better times. One such example is Bentley's 'Be Employable' initiative. In a nutshell, Be Employable provides free software and training to designers, architects, engineers, and any other infrastructure professional who find themselves temporarily out of work. The reason? To help them improve their technical skills so that they can increase their competitive edge in a highly competitive job market.

As of this week, we're pleased to announce that CADsmart has joined the Be Employable initiative, providing free use of its skills assessment software.

CADsmart enables Bentley Community members to:
- Benchmark MicroStation skills against a recognised industry standard
- Highlight skills gaps for targeted training
- Focus learning using the Bentley Systems suite of training tools
- Measure improvements in personal CAD performance post-training

Each Bentley Community member gets:
- 2 free CAD (MicroStation) skills assessments
- A certificate with breakdown of test scores
- A personal training plan for use with Bentley Learn tools & resources

To register for the scheme, go to: www.bentley.com/beemployable.

This recession will end, albeit maybe not for another year or two. And when it does, I hope that some of the tough lessons we are learning this year can be retained. Perhaps in this way, and by supporting each other in times of difficulty, we can avoid a repeat of the mistakes which created this bubble-bursting maelstrom in the first place.

Rory

CADsmart development update

We are quite regularly asked what we have scheduled in our technical roadmap. The truth is, it can vary, depending on customer feedback, focus group activity, market trends, strategic decisions by the major vendors, and so on.

In spite of the economic backdrop, we remain pretty flat-out on our technical deliveries this year. BIM is clearly a big influencer in our current workload.

Our plans are sometimes subject to change, but to give you an idea of what we're focusing on this year, I've outlined our technical delivery roadmap, as follows;

- Feb 09-Mar 09 - MicroStation Rail x 10, Revit 64-bit compatibility (upgrade to SQL Server) and 2010 compatibility
- Apr 09-May 09 - Revit Structure basic x 10, MicroStation 3D x 10 and Bentley Architecture basic x 10
- Jun 09-Jul 09 - Revit MEP basic x 10 and Revit Architecture basic x 20
- Aug 09-Sept 09 - Revit Architecture & Revit Structure advanced x 10
- Oct 09-Nov 09 - Bentley Structural basic x 10 and quiz wizard module

We're also working on creating a framework for BIM accreditation; more to follow on this item later. Plus a development to compliment Bentley's Be Employable initiative. We also go live with a link to 4D's CADLearning training tools - 'Curriculum Builder' - in the next month or so.

Looking ahead to next year, we'll be continuing work on our existing portfolio, but also plan to create assessment libraries for the following; Geopak, Civil 3D, AutoPlant, Bentley Mechanical and maybe Inventor. Plus the usual Dashboard and reporting developments, not to mention custom library work for existing customers!

Hope that's useful; if there are any items you don't see mentioned here, or if you have any questions about the CADsmart development roadmap, why not give us a call?

Rory

CADsmart presents to AIA CIO LFRT meeting

I've been on the road this week, and it's been an eventful trip. My week started in Exton, PA, for a meeting at Bentley HQ. No sooner had I rented my car from Philly airport, than the local radio announced that Pennsylvania was expecting 10 inches of snow overnight! And so it proved, when I awoke on Monday morning to a scene from the movie 'Winter Wonderland'. I think my GPS had a Machiavellian streak, because the 30 mile drive to Exton took in just about every icy, snow laden side road in the county, studiously avoiding the nicely gritted Interstate!

The meeting at Bentley was very positive; we'll shortly be releasing news about a collaborative program, where CADsmart is contributing to their recently announced 'Be Employable' initiative.

Oh yes, and one other highlight of my visit to Philly; I found the 'Rocky steps' by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and couldn't resist running up to the top (though I stopped short of doing a little dance) ;)

Next stop was Tampa, Florida, a complete contrast in meteorological fortunes! 75 degrees and sunny, I decided to take a walk from my hotel to my morning appointment; some 9 or so blocks. Clearly this wasn't a bright idea, as I forgot just how vast distances are in the US versus the UK. After 20 minutes of walking (the first 5 in the wrong direction!) I soon realised my schoolboy error. Murphy's law of taxis kicked in (when you need one, they're nowhere to be found) and I was creeping towards being late for my meeting. At that moment, I happened to see a battered blue sedan pulling out of a car park in front of me, so I jumped out in front of the mildly traumatised driver and said, 'Ill give you $20 to drive me 1 mile in that direction!' When he realised that I was a mildly harrassed and geographically challenged (lost) corporate executive, rather than a car-jacker with poor taste, he eagerly accepted my offer and the deal was sealed.

The meeting with Axiom was very useful; more news to follow, but we're in discussion to co-promote CADsmart and Axiom's LearningBay training suite for Bentley users.

And so, on to the beautiful city of Charleston, SC, for the AIA CIO LFRT (large firm round table) meeting, where we had been invited to present a session on capturing performance metrics for CAD & BIM teams. My thanks to George Temple, CIO at LS3P and Shawn Foster at Jacobs, for their hospitality during my stay. Charleston is a wonderful place to spend some time, rich in history and southern charm; it also helps that my visit coincides with their annual food & wine festival (http://www.charlestonfoodandwine.com/2009/) :)

The CIO LFRT meeting was an information packed 2 days, covering a host of topical issues facing AEC firms in the current climate. 30 large architectural practices were shown how CADsmart's performance metrics provide a powerful source of business intelligence for firms using Autodesk & Bentley software, particularly in these challenging times.

I think I'll book ahead for my taxi back to the airport.

Rory

CAD & BIM - A Business Critical Resource

What's that noise? It's a delicate, almost musical sound, like a light falling of rain, only slightly more metallic. Could it be the sound of pennies dropping in boardrooms across the AEC industry?

For too long, CAD has been seen as a bit of a pariah within many architectural & engineering firms. The poor cousin; the whinging child in the corner. CAD 'Managers' are dismissed as slightly odd creatures, always working late (unpaid), often crawling around under desks with a pen or mini-screwdriver firmly planted behind one ear, slightly dishevelled, with odd socks and bits of network cable dangling around their necks like ill-conceived costume jewellery. And I use the term 'Manager' lightly, because how many firms actually extend their CAD leaders the courtesy of a senior management position? And yet, they are often the unsung heroes (or heroines) of their firm. Try being without them for a week and see what anarchy ensues!

But lately, it would seem, perhaps as a necessity brought about by the decline in our collective economic fortunes, that things are starting to change. There is a shift in the breeze and senior AEC management are waking up to the idea that CAD (and more likely BIM) might actually be a bit more relevant than they first thought. And furthermore, it might even be the very thing that keeps them in business long enough to enjoy the inevitable upswing in the economy.

Because what is the main deliverable of an architectural firm? Designing buildings, you say? No! The chief deliverable for an architect - it's 'product', if you will - is working drawings, production information, models! Ditto for engineers. And what medium do they use to create said products? That's right - CAD (or latterly BIM) software.

So the firms who have had their lightbulb moment, their penny dropping experience if you will, are now involving CAD & BIM not just at the periphery of their offices - but at the very heart of their enterprise. Not just as another costly, balance-sheet-sucking IT resource, but as a business critical investment that can be the difference between bids won and lost.

Take, for example, clients such as ASDA or the Army Corps, who are now specifying BIM tools as part of their project briefs. Without the ability to demonstrate proficiency in these tools, firms won't even make the long-list, let alone the short-list for future work.

CADsmart finds itself at the heart of this technology debate. Consider the following testimonial from one of our large customers (400+ users, multiple offices, mix of Autodesk & Bentley tools);

“CADsmart is fundamental in the assessment of CAD abilities for existing and potential staff. It provides increased business awareness of current skill-sets, records valuable cross office KPIs and enables management to better resource and deliver training within budgets. It improves business efficiency, productivity and profitability, enabling staff to gain skills and confidence to the mutual benefit of all concerned. It enables line managers to better assess their teams’ skills and contributes to annual staff reviews. The business is able to recognise and reward the best staff whilst encouraging them to become mentors to others. It fosters a healthy competitive environment amongst staff and establishes a desire for self improvement. CADsmart drives capital investment in CAD/BIM technologies and has become an important business management, analysis and ROI tool.”

Not surprisingly, this firm has posted some of the highest test scores amongst our large customers. It has a well managed CAD & BIM resource, which sits at the heart of the business - and which has the attention of senior management.

Could this be the model for all firms to follow, as we head down the road to BIM? How seriously does your leadership take their commitment to CAD & BIM?

Rory

Recession - a good time for CAD & BIM training?

As the recessionary typhoon continues unabated, drawing us all into its swirling centre, the question of staff development crops up time and again.

It seems as if everyone is looking at their budgets to see how they can be reduced. In most firms, financial controllers are looking at training budgets and assessing the benefits of immediately using some of the funds elsewhere or removing them all together! It is a difficult situation and one that presents CAD & HR Managers, and others responsible for training staff, with a serious challenge. How can they reach their targets - and keep projects on track - if their workforce is under-developed?

In Britain, the Learning Skills Council is encouraging businesses to take advantage of government funding for training, which may increase motivation and productivity; "Those (businesses) that make the right investment in training and development will be in a much better place when we come out of the recession. Training is one of the cornerstones of any successful business today, as it makes the organisation adaptable to change and therefore more productive. The last thing you should do is cut your training; now is not the time to lose employees to competition."

Research from the Cranfield School of Management shows that it is cheaper and more effective to 'grow your own' employees rather than shop around for talent. Cranfield's 'Nurturing Talent' report, which canvassed the views of 1,200 training and recruitment decision makers, found that three quarters of employers would rather nurture and develop talent in-house than recruit externally.

Almost half of small and medium sized businesses that develop in-house talent noted a cost saving, 20% recorded improved staff motivation and 45% increased employee retention. The report concludes; "For employers, the nurturing talent concept means managing and developing employees to achieve business goals. This could include training, employee coaching, staff mentoring and job enrichment to stretch employees with new tasks."

A leading US business performance coach states simply; "Train intensively in tough times... and less so in good times. In good times you want employees to be working hard, setting new performance records and serving customers; taking advantage of the good times. Prepare for the good times with intense internal training in tough times - you won't get a better opportunity!"

From our experience at CADsmart, we see AEC firms falling into two distinct categories; those who 'get it' and those who don't. The ones who do understand these principles have a rolling, continuous improvement environment for their CAD & BIM teams, including regular assessment, targeted training, buddying & mentoring schemes - and a clear path from basic skills through to advanced CAD & BIM applications for projects.

The ones who don't, seem to be taking more of a head-in-the-sand approach to their planning. They cut skills assessment from their priority list, along with training & development programs. Their rationale? We're not hiring, so we don't need skills evaluations. These same firms, when it comes to the unfortunate position of letting people go, have no real clue who their best - most productive - users are! They slice 5%, 10%, 20% from their payrolls - losing super-users alongside inefficient ones - without thought for the medium-term consequences!

Sensible business leaders are keen to keep staff motivated at all times. Good leadership is critical during times of fear, uncertainty and pessimism such as these. Companies need leaders who can manage their emotions, stay positive and show resolve. Providing development through internal mentoring, using senior users to mentor less experienced colleagues, can be very effective especially if salaries and promotion are temporarily pegged. The best CAD users will stay only if they are receiving development.

So, when faced with that budget challenge from your FD or CFO, make the case as strongly as you can that your training resources should take priority - and your training programs should be tailored and targeted. If you can achieve this - you can guarantee it will be effective.

Rory

All things BIM

I just finished reading an interesting offering from McGraw Hill's Construction division; it's a 'SmartMarket' report on Building Information Modeling - and quite an insightful read!

The report has a number of commercial sponsors, notably Autodesk, but in fairness it does try to remain vendor neutral for the most part.

Having spent my $25 USD plus £27 USD postage (!) with ACEC for a hard copy, I noticed this morning that a full PDF copy is now available online.

Worth a look, I'd say.

http://nbims.opengeospatial.org/files/index.php?artifact_id=1692

Rory

The legacy of Empire

Imperial [im-peer-ee-uhl] : Of, like, or pertaining to an empire. Of or belonging to the British Imperial System of weights and measures.

I was disappointed to watch Mr Obama's inaugural speech yesterday to see he had missed something that would be high on my agenda, up there with the world financial crisis (which has its own logo on BBC news) and the war in Iraq (which thankfully doesn't).

I'm calling for the immediate abolishment of Imperial measurements. They are clunky, ugly, unintuitive, awkward, cumbersome and antiquated. Only a few weeks ago I was an opinionated bystander on this subject, but having recently prepared our first set of Imperial models for our Revit test I feel a little more qualified. All I can say is three cheers to France and Europe for the metric system, who dragged us Brits into the modern world by the scruffs of our necks in the 70's and 80's prior to the advent of mass computerisation.

But perhaps it's too late for America? Is it now so ingrained that 'going metric' is near-impossible? May be, but perhaps the White House should consider the origin of Imperial measurements, as implied by the name.

They were established by the British Empire in 1824, a full nine years before the abolition of slavery, and 48 years after American independence. Surely Mr Obama would like to shake off this legacy?

By the way, here's a smiley face in case you think I'm serious :)

Ed

Green shoots? Not yet!

Clearly the economy is at the forefront of everyone's mind these days, which is understandable. We've noticed a number of small trends during the past few months, which indicate that the 'green shoots' mentioned in the British media this week may just be a teensy bit premature!

AEC firms are still at the sharp end of the crunch, with some faring better than others. It seems that those firms with a mix of projects and locations, whilst still feeling the pain, are better geared to cope with the downturn than those with all their eggs in one project sector or country basket. Architects continue to struggle with their business models, more so than their engineering counterparts, it would seem. 'Cost-cutting' is rife, along with downsizing of staff numbers, which is unfortunate, but I suppose necessary.

Another problem appears to be that of simply getting paid for work or services delivered. UK Government guidelines state the importance of paying all invoices within 30 days of receipt, unless a longer payment period has been agreed or the amount billed is in dispute. These days, most UK firms appear to pay on closer to 60 days, and large firms are the worst offenders! This causes a ripple effect throughout the economy, where smaller suppliers have to expend their energies chasing debts, instead of generating new income, and in turn are forced to pay their own creditors late.

It's a vicious circle - and don't expect any help from the banks; I spoke to a 'Relationship Manager' last week at a large British Bank (3rd largest in the UK) and their advice was simple; 'Stretch your creditors as far as you can'(!!) So the banks, in their efforts to make record profits, single handedly wipe out much of the existing world economy as we know it; they go cap-in-hand to their respective Governments for a taxpayer 'bail-out', they take advantage of falling interest rates, at the expense of businesses and home-owners (by not passing on the full rate cuts), and when you ask for their opinion on cash flow their advice is simple - don't pay your bills! Great!

In fairness, I think the picture appears to be different in the US, because every deal we've done in the past year Stateside - every deal - has paid their bill either on time, or ahead of the 30 day terms. What a difference in attitude! Hopefully with the incoming President this week, we'll start to see more of an upward spiral happening in the global economy, led by the US stimulus package currently under discussion. ENR posted an interesting article about a breakdown of the money last week: http://enr.construction.com/business_management/finance/2009/0116-StimulusBillBreakdown.asp.

But receiving an injection of capital is only part of the answer. The former Trade Minister Lord Jones, when describing the efficiency of the British Civil Service, told the Commons Public Administration Committee in the UK this week; "Frankly the job could be done with half as many (people). It could be more productive, more efficient, it could deliver a lot more value for money for the taxpayer."

As well as securing new deals or lines of credit, it is still vitally important for firms to focus on productivity, and delivering more efficiency from less resource; particularly on projects where taxpayers' money is on the line. And let's face it - that's most of the new projects in the pipeline!

My read on the market, for what it's worth, is that we seem to be bottoming out on the worst of the slide, and will soon start the slow climb back up to 'normal' trading conditions, which are still 18 months away. It is my strong belief that by helping each other, we'll all survive this economic downturn in one piece - and hopefully be a little bit wiser than we were before!

Rory

This just gets gooder and gooder!

I managed to have a few days off over the Christmas holidays this time around, which was great. No emails, no phone calls, no spreadsheets, just good company, (too much) good food and drink, time relaxing with family - all good stuff.

My two year old daughter made me smile amidst a tornado of shredded wrapping paper on Christmas morning. When her mum asked her if she had everything she wanted from Santa, she shrieked, 'This gets gooder and gooder!'. Naturally, we fell about, but the phrase stuck.

As with all software products, they're never really finished, as such; there's always more that can be developed, especially with great customer ideas streaming in for each new release. CADsmart is no different in this respect. But during my holiday down-time, I indulged in a bit of reflection about the past 5 years or so, back to the early days of our fledgling attempts to capture reliable metrics on how people use CAD. Things have moved on a bit since then, and everything on our original wishlist of features is now live in the current software - something we could only dream about back in the day.

Just last year, we completed a major upgrade of our core architecture, adopting the latest programming technology and web services functionality, to make our user journey that much smoother. We also undertook and delivered our first Revit release, which was challenging, but extremely rewarding.

During a web demo to leading US-based CAD consultant Robert Green last week, it suddenly dawned on me that, based on the enthusiastic feedback we received, we have actually created a damn fine piece of technology! And not just our software, which is world-class in the skills assessment field.

The lightbulb moment for me was more to do with the feedback we received on the quality and range of performance metrics which are created when the skills assessments are completed and uploaded to our customer 'dashboard' - a secure online login area where customers can access and interrogate their results data. In fact, the comment was made by Robert that the testing software is really just a tiny part of the big picture - and he's absolutely right! The testing phase is just a means to and end - it's the capturing of the CAD performance data for individuals, teams, offices and whole companies, which is the key.

We've been working hard on providing innovative and useful ways for our customers to engage with and apply their CAD metrics to improving performance across their respective organisations. In the next couple of weeks, we go live with even more functionality for CAD Managers and administrators to present CAD skills data in more of a 'management' context. We're excited at some of the new features, particularly when I look back at how some of the data was presented (using Excel and Word!) just a few short years ago.

In addition, our training reports now dovetail neatly into corresponding web-training sessions from Evolve (http://www.evolve-consultancy.com) and E-Learning classes from 4D (http://www.cadlearning.com/) which adds even more value to our user base.

To quote a wise-beyond-her-years toddler, this business 'just keeps getting gooder and gooder!' :)

Rory

Egon Brunswick's 'Lens Model of Perception'

An obscure title for a CAD blog post, you might think!

In 1937 Professor Egon Brunswick conceived of a model of social perception, called the "Lens Model". The essence of the Lens is this, "What we think we see in others will determine, for the most part, how we will treat them and respond to them. The accuracy of what we think we see will dictate the appropriateness of the behaviour we utilize or the actions we take and the resulting productivity of the relationship."

As humans, we demonstrate the same behaviour in all aspects of life, not just in respect of how we see other people, per se, but in just about everything. We tend to develop pre-conceived ideas about all manner of topics (rightly or wrongly) and form opinions on them instantly when the subject is raised. In effect, we view everything in life through our own personal 'lens', based on a combination our experiences up to that point.

OK, enough of the psychology 101 - which brings me to my point! I had a good chuckle last week upon reading a post on Autodesk's discussion forum. The poster asked, 'Has anyone used this (CADsmart software)? If so, can you give me your opinion on it?'

A perfectly valid question, you might point out - which of course it is. The replies, however, demonstrated some interesting facets about the personalities of people who frequent these boards. Of the replies posted, only one had actually read the question fully - 'has anyone used the software?' i.e. can they give me an opinion based on the facts, not personal opinion based on heresay, ego, etc. etc. This person had used the software, and replied with an honest, positive account of their experience.

The remainder simply seemed to want to vent their collective CAD spleen on the virtues (or lack thereof) of testing CAD skills in general, based purely on their own personal biases on the subject (their 'lens' if you will). Not surprisingly, none had anything particularly positive to relay, but were nevertheless happy to share their (ill-researched) opinions with the world - don't they always?!

The most amusing post stated, in apparent horror, '$500 for a 10 minute test ? WOW ! I can't imagine anyone spending thousands of dollars to find out which candidate performed the best on a ten minute test. The money might be better spent hiring an private investigator to check out their resume!'

Which is funny up to a point, but demonstrates only a partial grasp of the facts and a huge (incorrect) assumption, which they were happy to splash all over the discussion boards.

Oh, and for the record, the $497 subscription for our Xpress software, which does indeed take 10-20 minutes to complete, offers unlimited assessments for a whole year - slightly better value, wouldn't you think? And for a more detailed assessment, including training needs analysis on a user's weak areas, the Premier service typically costs $10 - $60 per user per year, depending on the firm size.

Happy New Year!

Rory

Benchmarking - what's it all about?

Benchmarking is the process of comparing the cost, time or quality of what one organization does against what another organization does. The result is often a business case for making changes in order to make improvements. Also referred to as "best practice benchmarking" or "process benchmarking", it is a process used in management where organizations evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to best practice, usually within their own sector. This then allows organizations to develop plans on how to make improvements or adopt best practice, with the aim of increasing performance.

The most prominent methodology is the 12 stage approach by Robert Camp (who literally wrote the book on benchmarking in 1989). It consists of;

1. Select subject 2. Define the process 3. Identify potential partners 4. Identify data sources 5. Collect data and select partners 6. Determine the gap 7. Establish process differences 8. Target future performance 9. Communicate 10. Adjust goal 11. Implement 12. Review / recalibrate.

Benchmarking can take various guises:
Process benchmarking - a firm focuses its observation and investigation of business processes with a goal of identifying and observing the best practices from one or more benchmark firms. Activity analysis will be required where the objective is to benchmark cost and efficiency.

Financial benchmarking - a company performs a financial analysis and compares the results in an effort to assess overall competitiveness.

Performance benchmarking - allows a firm to assess their competitive position by comparing products and services with those of target firms.

Product benchmarking - the process of designing new products or upgrades to current ones. This process can sometimes involve reverse engineering competitors’ products to find strengths and weaknesses.

Strategic benchmarking - involves observing how others compete. This type is usually not industry specific, meaning it is best to look at other industries.

Functional benchmarking - a company will focus its benchmarking on a single function in order to improve the operation of that particular function, i.e. Human Resources, Finance and ICT.

Internal benchmarking - involves benchmarking businesses or operations from within the same organisation (e.g. business units in different countries).

External benchmarking - analysing outside organisations that are known to be best in class provides opportunities of learning from those who are at the ‘leading edge’.

International benchmarking - best practitioners are identified and analysed elsewhere in the world; globalisation and advances in information technology are increasing opportunities for international projects.

Benchmarking involves four key steps:
1) Understand in detail existing business processes
2) Analyse the business processes of others
3) Compare own business performance with that of others
4) Implement the steps necessary to close the performance gap

Benchmarking should not be considered a one-off exercise. To be effective, it must become an ongoing, integral part of an ongoing improvement process with the goal of keeping abreast of ever-improving best practice.

Why Bother?
There are many benefits of benchmarking; the following list summarises the main ones:
· provides realistic and achievable targets
· prevents companies from being industry led
· challenges operational complacency
· encourages continuous improvement
· allows employees to visualise improvement which can be a strong motivator for change
· creates a sense of urgency for improvement
· confirms the belief that there is a need for change
· helps to identify weak areas and indicates what needs to be done to improve.

So how does all this apply to us - what are the benefits of benchmarking CAD performance?
· Gain visibility of core CAD skills
· Identify individuals’ strengths & weaknesses
· Implement better CAD training plans for staff
· Improve CAD recruitment processes
· Share performance data across an organisation
· Promote collaborative working between teams & offices
· Measure the performance of outsourcing or off-shoring partners
· Provide ‘best practice’ for CAD development
· Offer clearer staff inductions and more meaningful staff appraisals
· Enjoy better skills resourcing for projects
· Develop a continuous improvement process for CAD
· Save time and money on construction projects and offer best value for clients

In the end, it all comes down to better visibility of your teams and their real ability to use often complex technology and tools for maximum effect. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

Happy New Year!

Rory

CAD skills testing job applicants in the USA - is it allowed?

Is it OK to test the basic CAD skills of prospective employees in the USA? This is a question which seems to come up quite frequently from our friends in the US. A common conundrum surrounding CAD skills assessments is whether it is legally allowed to screen the CAD ability of prospective employees and contract staff, before they join your team.

The short answer is yes, in our opinion, but only under the right circumstances. Let’s examine some of the evidence.

The most important issue underlying the use of pre-employment assessments is validity. The question we need to ask is this; ‘Is the test valid for this intended purpose; does it support the decisions that are going to be made?’

So what is 'validity'? Validity measures how appropriate a test is for a specific purpose. Simply put, a test may be considered valid for one use and invalid for another. Why do pre-employment tests need to be validated? In 1978, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) created guidelines to ensure that the knowledge gained from testing is applied with impartiality to protect minority applicants from discriminatory employment procedures. What is the best method of validation? The EEOC guidelines do not state that one method is better than another; the method used must fit the needs of the business or organization.

There are three methods of validation set forth by the EEOC:

1) Criterion Validity: If data demonstrates that a test is significantly correlated with a vital measure of job performance, the test is said to demonstrate criterion validity. For example, if all the CAD users that scored highly on a selected test to measure CAD skills completed their projects accurately and on time, the test would demonstrate criterion validity.

2) Construct Validity: The term construct is a technical term for personality traits like intelligence and creativity. Construct validity is demonstrated if a test measures traits that have been found to influence successful performance of a job. A test that measures the interpersonal communication skills of a potential customer service representative would demonstrate construct validity.

3) Content Validity: This is demonstrated if the questions that make up an assessment are representative of content that is required to perform a particular activity or task. A test made up of algebra questions given to an applicant for a maths teacher's position would demonstrate content validity.

Many employers use employment tests and other selection procedures in making employment decisions. Examples of these tools, many of which can be administered online, include the following:

- Cognitive tests assess reasoning, memory, perceptual speed and accuracy, and skills in arithmetic and reading comprehension, as well as knowledge of a particular function or job;
- Physical ability tests measure the physical ability to perform a particular task or the strength of specific muscle groups, as well as strength and stamina in general;
- Sample job tasks (e.g. performance tests, simulations, work samples, and realistic job previews) assess performance and aptitude on particular tasks. NB CAD skills assessments fall into this category;
- Medical inquiries and physical examinations, including psychological tests, assess physical or mental health;
- Personality tests and integrity tests assess the degree to which a person has certain traits or dispositions (e.g. dependability, cooperativeness, safety) or aim to predict the likelihood that a person will engage in certain conduct (e.g. theft, absenteeism);
- Criminal background checks provide information on arrest and conviction history;
- Credit checks provide information on credit and financial history;
- Performance appraisals reflect a supervisor’s assessment of an individual’s performance; and
- English proficiency tests determine English fluency.

An important item to remember when interpreting CAD assessment scores is to put the results in context, and to compare them to an external performance benchmark. For example, a 58% score does not reflect ‘failure’. If this score is presented by a CAD user against an office average of 60%, it is likely the candidate will comfortably fit in to the team.

Test questions should also have a recognizable skill level; basic, intermediate or advanced. In this way, the benchmark data can be reliably used to compare CAD performance and make sound hiring decisions.

In conclusion, for a CAD skills test to be valid, it must contain content that reflects a representative sample of the target skill. A reliable CAD skills test should comprise sample job tasks (e.g. performance tests, simulations, work samples, and realistic job previews) and assess performance and aptitude on particular tasks.

Skills evaluations should not discriminate according to; race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age (40 or older), or disability.

Lastly, employers should ensure that employment tests and other selection procedures are properly validated for the positions and purposes for which they are used. The test or selection procedure must be job-related and its results appropriate for the employer's purpose.

More information can be found here:
http://www.uniformguidelines.com/uniformguidelines.html and
http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/factemployment_procedures.html

Rory

The View from the Strip...

Well, we're back and just about caught up from our trip to AU2008 in Las Vegas, and I must say, overall we had a great time! This was my first time at AU as both sponsor and speaker - and it certainly made for a busy event!

The logistics of the conference are a sight to behold; even in an economic downturn, there must have been more than 8,000 delegates in attendance. Simply feeding and watering such a horde of enthusiastic CAD aficianado's was an impressive logistical feat!

The venue itself has to be seen to be believed; we stayed at the Venetian Resort, which is enormous! The walk from our suite ('room' doesn't do it justice!) to the exhibition hall took about 15 minutes! And yes, I did forget my laptop and had to make the trek back at least once! The attention to the interior detail was fascinating, with faux tapestries, ceiling montages, and even a frighteningly realistic blue sky above the shopping mall. It took me a moment to realise that I was still inside the building; and when we sat at the bar for a quick afternoon drink, my wife asked the waiter if we could sit 'outside'! :) I could tell from his wry smile we weren't the first! We then sat over a beer, to be entertained by a mini-opera just yards away!

There were a couple of moments which might have detracted from an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable week. When setting up the booth, a rather over-zealous security guard insisted we have our name badges re-printed because they were missing a label (which meant queueing again for 30 mins). And the Autodesk 'help' committee tried to charge me $25 for a replacement badge when I left it in my wife's handbag (she was shopping, naturally!) - even though I tried to explain we were spending $5k on a booth! Ah well, I guess they were just following the rules.

From a business perspective, I'd say the show was a resounding success. This year, CADsmart was involved in a new format for the AUGI Top Daug competition, which went remarkably smoothly. Over 500 assessments taken over two days, on 32 machines, and just two software crashes - a credit to Ed and Martin on our technical tem, for building such a stable app. The results were posted live to a 'Top 10' scoreboard throughout the event, and the eventual winner was determined by a drafting 'shootout'. Great stuff!

We also launched our new Revit skills assessment, which was tremendously well received. Over 100 companies signed up to trial the software, so we're looking forward to receiving their feedback in the coming days and weeks. We'll be creating an Imperial data set in the next few weeks, for those firms who refuse to work in the real world :) (just kidding!) and will be adding Structure and MEP content in the new year.

Tony & I delivered our class on making the move from AutoCAD to Revit to a full room, and received some good scores on our feedback survey, which is nice to hear.

And so to the gambling; we did have a dabble on the last day, just to be polite! Tony, Mel and I started with a 'pot' of $25 each and here's how we did; Tony - lost it all on a spin of the wheel. Myself - ditto (although I went red 18 and it came up red 19 - so near and yet so far - probably 6 words which sum up the history of Vegas!). Mel - hit the craps table, feigning an innocent ignorance, and walked away with $150, to the amusement of the croupier, who knew a hustler when he saw one! :)

And so, we left Vegas as winners, in more than one sense. Next year's event will be at the Mandalay Bay. Think I'll try my hand at Black Jack...

Rory