Transformation – Part 9 A

In previous posts of the CAD Department Development story, we mentioned several AutoCAD features that were used in our electrical design drafting. We spoke about the tremendous change the CAD Department development brought to our performance as CAD drafters. As was previously mentioned, the effect of the development has expanded beyond the drafting department to contribute to Quad Plus’s overall productivity, time saving, safety, and elimination of frustration and boredom. 

Transformation-Part 9-A

Here is one of the most interesting and beneficial work the CAD Department developed in the year 2014: “Size studies.”

Let’s see how:

As we, CAD team at Quad Plus, work on the development of our project’s schematic drawings, we are usually in constant communication with the project engineers and the shop manager for guidance and support. Engineering, the Shop, and CAD continually work together on all electrical projects to assure the best outcomes of all details from all directions.

Unlike all the CAD features we have developed since the year 2014, “Size studies,” was never a CAD Department responsibility before the year 2014. In fact, it had absolutely nothing to do with CAD, instead, it was a physical work that was performed merely in the Shop, by the Shop manager. Here is a surprise for you: “Size Studies” work is a completely CAD Department work today, and it is strictly accomplished by using the AutoCAD software.

It has always been great to learn about the old versus the new ways of doing the same thing. What makes one search different methods of doing certain things when the same results are accomplished? Most of the time we are looking for more efficient ways of doing those things.

CAD Department hours and the Shop’s working time raised a great concern when Quad Plus got very busy in the year 2014. Working time was never enough to cover all projects’ work in a comfortable and relaxing way. Our thoughts were that we either needed to add more working hours, more workers, or find easier and faster ways to do the work.  

At the time, Quad Plus was getting one project after another where the CAD Department and the Shop were working so hard to meet due dates on all projects. CAD wanted to get the drawings on time for the shop to build. The Shop wanted to build the projects on time to be tested by Engineering. Engineering wanted to make sure the projects were tested and ready to be shipped on time to the customer. Well, at the same time, the CAD team members were enrolled in CAD classes where they learned about various AutoCAD features that could probably help resolve our time problem.

Since “Learning Never Ends,” the CAD team started their way on the search for time saving. We want to always be able to do more work with the least amount of time. It did not take the team long before they discovered a number of different methods that would speed the process of the work in general, and not only make it more efficient, but also a lot more interesting. 

Searching, reading, and taking CAD classes, all helped in implementing the latest and most efficient methods within the CAD software. 

In the end results, this particular development of project size study had the biggest effect on the shop’s work. Before this development, the shop manager did all projects’ size measurements in the shop with no CAD involvement. He did a great job figuring it out, but he did it the very hard way.

In this post, we will be working with Dave, the shop manager, to help us get the most accurate information about the difference between the old way and the current way of project size studies. It also makes sense to know about the shop perspective on this part of the development since it helped save the most time and physical work the shop had to put up with in the past.

Stating the above, we decided to invite you on two different field trips
at no cost to you

We just want you to relax and enjoy learning about our great development. Both field trips will take place mostly in Quad Plus’s Shop. The first field trip takes place in the shop in the year 2014, a couple of months before the development of the “size studies” task. The second field trip takes place mostly in the shop, after the development has taken place in the year 2014 and after.

Ready, Let’s Move On!