TELECOMMUTING

Telecommuting, in a narrow sense, is the practice of performing computer work at a remote location while connected to your office network, system and resources. In a broader sense we might expand that definition to include activities whereby project files and resources are obtained or downloaded from client sites, work is performed, and revised & new files are transmitted to original and other designated sites electronically. This broader definition would encompass a great deal of the consulting, sub-contracting and AEC discipline work being done today. At CADreps we work with dozens of companies and thousands of client drawings in just this manner. Client files may be obtained via email, FTP sites or delivered on a CD/DVD. Our contribution is added to the design and the revised files are issued in PDF and ZIP format for distribution to an FTP site, emailed to clients and/or their customers, emailed to print houses for production and recorded on CD/DVD’s for archiving – all from the comfort of an office chair.

This topic brings together several subjects from past Cadtales: Etransmit, Drawing Integrity, Drawing Management, Drawing Recovery, Linetypes, Productivity I & II, Redlining and XREFs. For access to these articles go to www.hagerman.com and follow the links to News > Cadtales > Archives. In this article we’ll designate the person or company in the "middle" between designers, clients, printers and recipients as the "telecommuter." This could be a plumbing or electrical engineer adding their design discipline to an architect’s project, a civil engineer applying for a building permit, or CADreps creating record drawings at the end of a project.

Process:

As noted in the Cadtales Productivity article referenced above: There is an important distinction between being efficient (doing the same work in less time) and being more effective – designing a process that:

1. Insures quality
2. Insures on-time delivery
3. Eliminates rework
4. Insures you’re always under budget
5. Insures greater customer satisfaction
6. Delivers greater than average profits for you and your clients.

Here is a check list to help organize telecommuting workflow:

1. Obtain all necessary files & references.
   1. Background files, matching AutoCAD versions, revision levels & date codes.
   2. Images, logos & stamps.
   3. Fonts, AutoCAD shape files and special or custom linetypes.
   4. Other specifications and reference documents.
   5. Permits, approvals & engineering signatures.
2. AutoCAD version.
   1. Use the latest AutoCAD version for sharing & editing drawings internally.
   2. AutoCAD files are upward compatible but not downward compatible.
   3. Use Etransmit to transmit files as earlier AutoCAD versions and file types.
3. Check drawing integrity on all AutoCAD drawing files.
   1. Run Recovery on all DWG and XREF files.
   2. Record & correct error messages when loading and running DWG files.
4. Preserve the legal status.
   1. Retain the original title block, logos, stamps and signatures where applicable.
   2. Sub-contractors add company name & logo to original title block.
   3. Original work: Replace title block with vendor title block, logo and name.
   4. Insert original reference work as XREF’s to preserve another’s contribution.
5. Use Etransmit for all transmittals.
   1. Set the AutoCAD version for all transmittals to this client.
   2. Etransmit converts primary and all XREF files to the selected version.
   3. Set folder structure format for this project.
   4. Bind XREF’s if required.
   5. Include fonts where applicable.
   6. Set default printer to NONE or leave as-is.
6. Redlining
   1. Establish clear redlining symbols and protocols.
   2. Equip and train operators to develop good redlining techniques.
   3. Organize & retain all redline and markup documents, prints, images, PDF’s, etc.
7. File access and storage.
   1. CAD manager or supervisor should control access to all client files.
   2. CAD manager or supervisor should authorize/control all transmittals.
   3. Restrict all file deletions to a qualified supervisor.
   4. Avoid saving everything "down" to older AutoCAD versions.
8. Dispose of client materials responsibly.
   1. Establish a policy for storage and/or disposal of all client materials.
   2. Return client materials to client when requested.
   3. Dispose of client materials when requested by shredding or burning.
   4. Organize & retain originals or copies of work for dispute resolution.

The most common missing elements and problems in a design package are:

1. XREF’s. Missing Xref’s slow or stop meaningful design work due to missing structure or design elements.
2. Fonts. Slows loading and creates unnecessary irritation. The operator must cancel a dialog box for every missing font for every DWG and XREF. Missing fonts may also prevent proper printing of PDF’s and paper prints.
3. Logos & Images. Missing images will be absent from PDF and paper prints. It’s OK for internal check prints but necessary for all other transmittals. Image files are always an external reference in AutoCAD.
4. AutoCAD version. Many contractors are still using older releases of AutoCAD. Such programs will not open later version DWG files. Be more effective – buy an upgrade!

Our business and personal worlds are becoming more virtual everyday. We bank online, buy personal and business products online and communicate via email. Now is a good time to extend those features and more to the daily activities that generate our wealth and provide our living.

Do you see a productivity, time & cost reduction and quality benefit in creating a virtual environment for your design and drafting department? Call your Hagerman sales representative about AutoCAD training and customization.