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CHAPTER 3: MANAGING YOUR MANAGEMENT ■
Figure 3.1 No matter what you do, you can’t succeed without management.Management serves as the filter through which all
resources you require must flow.
Here are some universal truths about senior management that CAD managers
seem to miss given the day-to-day technical environment they operate in:
• Management controls the money, and money makes things happen.
• Management sets priorities and pushes to get things done.
• Management delegates authority, thus enabling you to do your job.
• Management loves having their CAD manager work with them.
Therefore, it should be obvious that if you don’t have a positive working rela-
tionship with your management, it’s going to be much more difficult to do your job.
In this chapter, I’ll pass along some techniques you can use to communicate more effec-
tively with your management and thus manage the relationship to your advantage.
Manage: Not Manipulate
By managing your management, I mean that you should know what you need to do,
what results your management wants from you, and how to work that relationship in
a positive manner. Communication is the key to managing your management staff and
their expectations.
In this chapter, I’ll introduce some methodologies you can use to identify what
management expects from you and how to manage that relationship in the most con-
structive and cost-effective manner possible. Another advantage to you is that the more
you manage your management staff, the less they have to manage you, and the more
freedom you’ll have.
Budgets
Task Completed
Management Involvement
- via Budget Approval
- via Delegated Authority
- via Political Support
Your Tasks

Enabler
Results
Training
Procurement
Processes
Efficiency
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■ DEBUNKING THE MYTHS
Debunking the Myths
I’ve spoken with many senior managers over the years, and I’ve discovered that many
of them believe certain myths about CAD managers. Let me address those myths and
give you some strategies for debunking them.
First, it’s worth pointing out that when management has a perception of you, it’s
immaterial whether you agree with that perception or not. If the perception is erroneous,
you must confront it and demonstrate that it isn’t true. The easiest way to do that with
senior management is to communicate frequently in a purposeful manner that debunks
the myth that senior management has brought into the relationship.
Many senior managers don’t know all the duties that the CAD management
position entails (technical, managerial, process management, software and hardware
administration). If management doesn’t realize the scope of your job responsibilities,
they probably have some misconceptions about CAD managers. Let’s consider some
of these common misconceptions and discuss strategies for getting rid of them:
Myth #1: CAD managers are technical people who don’t understand anything about
management Many times, senior management sees you dealing with complex technical
issues like installing software or debugging machines. Chances are, the only time they
see you in action is when you’re working on a machine or leading a user through a
complex technical problem. It’s easy to see how they get the idea that you’re exclusively
focused on technical aspects of the work: That’s what they see you doing.
To dispel this myth, it’s crucial that management sees you performing managerial

tasks. They probably won’t see you working on a budget or talking to the IT staff
about future hardware or software plans. Therefore, written communication via a
reporting mechanism to senior management is crucial. Over the years, I’ve used a sim-
ple reporting format whereby I tell my management what I’ve done during the previous
week and what I hope to accomplish during the next week. If your management reads
this brief report, they will see the wide variety of tasks that you have to deal with, and
they will gain a new perspective of and respect for the job you do. They’ll also see that
not everything you do is technical. This will go a long way toward debunking that
technical-only myth that I mentioned. For more information about this reporting for-
mat, see the section “Reporting to Your Management,” later in this chapter.
Myth #2: CAD managers are expensive; they’re always asking for high-end software
and hardware The first key to debunking this myth is to admit that it’s partially true.
Your software is more expensive than general office tools, and your hardware is more
expensive than the $399 loss-leader special from the large computer discounters. But
the reason your hardware and software is more expensive isn’t because you have gold-
plated tastes: It’s because your software is more complex and requires more hardware
to run. To debunk this myth, you have to educate management about the complex
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CHAPTER 3: MANAGING YOUR MANAGEMENT ■
nature of the technical tasks that your software performs and why it requires higher-
end hardware. This will help top management understand that you aren’t just asking
for more money—you actually need higher-end resources than staff who just check
their e-mail or occasionally run a spreadsheet.
Every time you ask upper management for something, be it a new piece of soft-
ware or hardware, make sure you justify the cost of that object with some sort of pro-
ductivity offset. Don’t just ask for the new version of CAD software; say why you need
it and what productivity gain you’ll be able to achieve with it. Back up your conclu-
sions and justifications with numbers. By showing your management staff that it costs
money to make money—or, more specifically, that it may cost money in the short term

to derive long-term productivity gains—you won’t be seen as asking for expensive
tools; you’ll be seen as providing new capabilities. Believe me, management under-
stands how to look at long-term investments to get long-term gain. The key is that
CAD managers need to stop being viewed as employees who always ask for new
toys and to start being viewed instead as achievers who are taking a proactive
approach toward driving productivity improvement.
Myth #3: CAD managers can’t see the big picture In Chapter 2, I discussed in detail
how and why you should address this issue by taking stock of your current situation.
Specifically, in the “Process and Standards Analysis” section, I urged you to examine
your company’s overall work processes and the methodologies and standards you’re
using to achieve your work product. This automatically focuses you on examining how
things are getting done rather than what is getting done. Many of us function in a day-
to-day environment where we’re so engrossed in solving our department’s or CAD
users’ technical problems that we only worry about what’s getting done on any given
day. Rather than thinking about the overall process, we get bogged down in minutia,
and this feeds into Myth #3.
To combat this myth, I propose you do the following:
• Concentrate on the process(es) by which work gets done.
• Draw other people into discussions of the process(es).
• Include your analysis of work process(es) and the comments from others in
your reporting to, and conversations with, senior management.
If you do these things, management will start to see beyond the myths and rec-
ognize the bigger picture of the CAD manager’s job. It’s difficult. I personally had trou-
ble starting to delegate and looking at how other people worked. And yes, it was hard
at first to get away from the technical details and see the bigger picture. But I was able
to make the change relatively quickly once I made a conscious effort to do so. If you
take the time to focus on the bigger picture and look at work processes and how things
are getting done, management will notice.
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■ DEBUNKING THE MYTHS
Figure 3.2 Management’s perception of you controls how they treat you.When management’s
perception is based on myth versus reality,you’ll find it difficult to achieve anything.
No, you won’t debunk Myth #3 overnight. But it will happen over time if you
continue to make these types of changes and look at the bigger picture. I’ve found that
when they start paying attention to their companies’ bigger-picture issues, most CAD
managers can make a radical change in management’s perception within six months to
a year.
No matter what you attempt to achieve in your job, you have to break through
the common myths your management holds about CAD managers. Use the guide-
lines I’ve outlined to take inventory of the myths your management has about CAD
managers and take the time to debunk them. Once you’ve shattered management’s
improper perceptions, you’ll get more done and enjoy more respect from your
management.
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Why Management Is out of the Technology Loop
I frequently speak to groups of CAD managers, and I ask them this question: “How
many of you feel that your management has no idea what you do for a living?” This
question is usually greeted with mild laughter and a show of hands typically represent-
ing 70–80 percent of the room. This tells me that CAD managers are generally frus-
trated that their senior management doesn’t understand the technology challenges they
face day-in and day-out. Or, simply put, management doesn’t understand how hard
your job is. Many times, CAD managers feel under-appreciated and not understood.
I often respond to the audience by asking, “Do you think it’s good that your
management doesn’t understand what you do?” Interestingly, most people say no. They
expect management to have more understanding of what they’re doing as CAD man-
agers. But here is where I tend to buck convention. I think it’s great that upper manage-
ment doesn’t know what we’re doing technically: I think they’re out of the loop for a

reason. They’re out of the technology loop because they hired us to handle that loop.
Between CAD managers and IT management, upper management expects us to handle
the technological challenges on a daily basis. They hired us to take care of it, so why
should they have to understand it? When you think about it that way, it’s a good thing
that management doesn’t understand everything you do.
I believe management is the art of dealing with problems. Take a moment to
think about that statement and appreciate how true it is. If your management staff
doesn’t understand what you do, then they don’t need to. If you’re managing your
tasks and responsibilities effectively, they don’t need to understand everything you do.
I also believe the reverse is true: When your management does understand everything
you do, that indicates there are problems. If management feels that you’re not manag-
ing effectively, they’ll begin micromanaging you or somebody within the management
ranks will start keeping a close eye on you. So, if your management staff doesn’t seem
to understand what you do, they’re most likely not concerned and are giving you the
freedom to move forward and do your job—and that’s a blessing. You should celebrate
rather than be upset.
Meeting Company Needs—Not User Wants
One basic thing you need to understand about your management staff is that they have
their eye on what’s useful for the entire company. They aren’t predisposed to thinking
Note: Remember that management is comfortable delegating and has,accordingly,delegated the
process of CAD management to you.If they don’t understand what you do,it’s because they don’t need to!
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■ MEETING COMPANY NEEDS—NOT USER WANTS
about what the average CAD user in their company wants. They’re not thinking about the
latest technology tool that may make your job easier or about the latest server that may
make the network run faster. Instead, they’re thinking about global business objectives like
how to sell more work, how to get more productivity per person, and other issues. They’re
thinking on a higher business plane than we typically are as CAD managers.
What’s important isn’t whether you agree or disagree with that concept but

rather that you accept it, deal with it, and manage your relationship with management
accordingly. You need to determine management’s expectations for you.
In Chapter 1, I talked about management’s perspective. I outlined the idea of
managerial principles overriding and sometimes being at odds with what CAD users
want. If there are occasions when user needs and user wants come in direct conflict
with management needs or wants, we all know that management has to win. The rea-
son is simple: Management funds your budget requests, and they’re the only people
who can enable you and empower you to do your job.
Therefore, as CAD manager, you need to place an emphasis on understanding
management’s needs and put those company needs above everything else. I would argue
that a truly effective CAD manager does the following:
• Looks at the big picture of overall company needs
• Helps meet company objectives like sales targets and productivity quotas
• Considers CAD users’ wants and needs into the mix
• Focuses on technology solutions for the common good
Figure 3.3 Management’s perceptions of what the company needs represent the critical path of the CAD manager.User wants are
represented as a block in parallel with company needs.You can work to accommodate user wants as much as possible,but never
to the detriment of meeting critical path needs.
If you can find a common denominator by which facilitating CAD users’ wants
and needs meets a management need or objective, then you’ve won on both counts.
Communicate this with your management. Make this an ongoing dialogue, and discuss
Task Assigned
Critical Path
User Wants
Perform
Design
Document
Design
Deliver to
Client

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CHAPTER 3: MANAGING YOUR MANAGEMENT ■
it as frequently as you can. The key component is that through your reports and con-
versations with your management staff, you demonstrate to them continually that you
understand your job, which is to facilitate the overall productivity and functionality
of your company, and that this is the foremost goal in your mind. If you communicate
that on a regular basis, you’ll establish a much better relationship with senior manage-
ment and be seen as a more competent, task-oriented manager.
Explaining Standards to Management
The conversation starts innocently enough: Management asks you to explain why you
need CAD standards. To explain a little about what CAD standards are, you launch
into a discussion that includes any number of technical criteria for CAD standards such
as layers, colors, fonts, dimensional standards, sheet set-ups, and so on. In reality, man-
agement wants to know not so much what CAD standards are but why they’re neces-
sary. What good are CAD standards for the company? Why should you expend effort
to manage CAD standards? Why should you worry about whether CAD users are
utilizing CAD standards? These are all good questions from an upper-management
standpoint.
The problem typically is that CAD managers are stuck in the technical while
upper management is thinking about process. This fundamental breakdown in commu-
nication generates problems for the CAD manager. To remedy this situation, I recom-
mend explaining to management exactly why CAD standards make sense. Here are
some tips for communicating the importance of standards to management:
Having standards allows the company to stay consistent When work is consistent,
outcomes become more predictable, less fraught with error, and easier to manage.
When procedures are consistent, they can be automated And when procedures are
automated via programming or customization, they become faster and smoother, the
company gets more work done with the same number of people, error rates drop, and
productivity generally goes up. This is the point in the discussion at which you should

have your management’s full attention. This is where you get on their radar screen and
keep going.
Once procedures are automated, you can revisit the automation to fine-tune
and improve CAD processes even more. Here’s an example: After automating the cre-
ation of correct layers, colors, linetypes, and fonts, you could expand your automation
to set up drawing sheets or plotting assistance, because these functions depend on hav-
ing correct layers and colors in the first place.
Once you’ve automated standard processes and procedures, you’ll realize the
full productivity benefit of getting more work done with the same number of people,
thus achieving lower unit costs for every job you do. When you’ve made this point,
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■ EXPLAINING STANDARDS TO MANAGEMENT
management should fully understand what standards mean to the company: more pro-
ductivity. They mean getting more done with the same number of people—and getting
more done with no more staff will always be popular with management.
As I’ve tried to emphasize throughout this book, by approaching management
from a more process-driven viewpoint, by talking less about technical details and more
about productivity, you’ll get management’s attention. They, in turn, will give you the
authority to make the changes in CAD standards that you need, because they under-
stand the benefit of doing so.
It’s also sometimes useful to have a discussion with management and explain
some of the problems and inconsistencies that have popped up because you haven’t had
CAD standards. These may include jobs that required excessive CAD hours because
plotting wasn’t automated, or contract suppliers or vendors that provided CAD in a
Figure 3.4 Think of CAD standards as a
transmission that allows the efficient flow
of CAD energy.Like the gears pictured here,
each portion of the CAD standards environ-
ment (consistency,automation, and better

processes) links to those before it and after
it to achieve optimal productivity.
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CHAPTER 3: MANAGING YOUR MANAGEMENT ■
nonstandard format, and so on. I find it particularly useful to have a positive conversa-
tion with management about the benefits of standardization and then contrast that
positive conversation with negative examples in which productivity or money was lost
due to of lack of standards. This gives management a view of both sides of CAD stan-
dards and ensures that you’re on the same managerial page.
Managing Management’s Expectations
As I discussed in Chapter 1, management has a perception of what you do on a daily
basis. Management’s expectations of you are largely colored by how difficult they per-
ceive your job to be. If they believe you have a relatively small number of tasks on
your plate, they’re going to think your job is easy, and they’re going to expect you to
do more. On the other hand, if they understand the complexities of what you’re trying
to accomplish—if, as I outlined in Chapter 1, you articulate the real tasks associated
with each perceived task in your job—then management will come to understand what
a multifaceted and complex job CAD management is and will have more realistic
expectations.
A big part of dealing with management is showing them what’s involved and
what you have to do every day. By doing this, you manage their expectations. And by
managing their expectations, you ensure that you’re both on the same page. You won’t
feel overworked, and management won’t feel like you’re under-performing. This is why
I continue to emphasize that you should develop a task list, as detailed in Chapter 1,
and re-evaluate that task list on an ongoing basis.
Don’t be afraid to adjust the real tasks associated with your job on a quarterly
basis, or as often as needed. Be sure you go back and communicate the changes to
your
management staff. Telling them what you’re doing, what you’re up against, and

what you have to deal with daily is the only way to ensure that management’s expecta-
tions of you are realistic. Remember to focus on tasks and goals rather than technical
minutia so that you get your message across clearly.
The burden of communication is on you, the CAD manager. By communicating
effectively, you’ll set management’s expectations realistically. If you don’t tell them,
they can’t know, can they?
Reporting to Your Management
Communicating with your supervisor isn’t easy. Any number of barriers to good com-
munication exist, including scheduling conflicts and travel or other obligations that
take you out of the office, to name a few. But regular communication—ideally
in person—is crucial, and a good CAD manager must establish a reporting process
and stick with it. After all, senior managers won’t know what you’re doing unless
you tell them.
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■ REPORTING TO YOUR MANAGEMENT
Figure 3.5 Reporting your progress represents the final step of perception management because it’s the only formal communica-
tion in the process.Without efficient reporting,management doesn’t know what a great job you’re doing for them.
Here are some reporting techniques I’ve found very valuable over the years,
many of which I still follow today:
Create a weekly report This weekly report is a quick read, typically no more than one
page in a word-processing document or e-mail message. This report allows you to
accomplish two things. First, you delineate what you’ve done in the past week (this
reporting interval) so that management knows what you’ve achieved. Second, you state
what you hope to achieve in the following week (your next reporting interval) so that
management has a look ahead at what you’ll be working on. The following week, you
build on the first report to relay what you accomplished, and you project one more
week into the future.
As you get going, you prepare a nice checklist for yourself so you stay on task.
By looking at what you hope to accomplish next week, you’ll automatically be more

focused on working on the right tasks. That way, you can report in your next commu-
nication to management that you achieved most of your objectives.
What’s important here is that you’re providing a quick status update, easy to
read, in an executive summary format, so your boss can see what you’re doing within
three to four minutes and tell whether you’re on track. This opens all sorts of commu-
nications. Of course, if you can have a personal conversation with your management to
follow up this report, that’s optimal. But if you can’t, having the information in writing
ensures that management gets the message.
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Follow-up your weekly report with brief conversations These don’t have to be rigid
scheduled or long-term meetings with management. They can be quick conversations
at the coffee pot, on the way out to the car at lunch, or whenever you have a chance to
spend three or four minutes with your manager. I find this method of communication
to be more effective than formal meetings. By being conversational, you’ll tend to be
more natural, you’ll focus on how you’re doing and what you’ve worked on, and you’ll
be able to convey a sense of calm and accomplishment rather than feeling you’re on
guard while being cross-examined in a formal meeting.
Remember, the key is communication. At these quick meetings that follow your
written report, management will have in mind the questions they want to ask you, and
you’ll have ready answers. This means your communication will be effective and your
management will appreciate how on-task, focused, and respectful of their time you’re
being. I really believe this method of reporting and communicating with your manage-
ment is more effective than any other approach.
Why Reporting Matters so Much
To close this topic, I’ll point out that communication with management serves two pri-
mary functions. The first is to make sure that management understands what you’re
doing and how you’re working to meet your job objectives. That’s great. But the sec-
ond thing you’re doing is communicating the value of CAD management.

By reporting, you show your senior managers that you’re on top of the details,
that you understand how to apply technology to their specific work environment,
and that you’re providing a unique value to the company. Remember, management
doesn’t know how to manage CAD. That’s why they hired you. You’re the only one
who can articulate what value you add to the organization. When you report to your
management teams, you convey what you’ve accomplished, but you also sell yourself
and your value. If you don’t toot your own horn a little, nobody will.
Avoiding the Technology vs. Management Trap via Clear Communication
The worst scenario I see CAD managers getting into is fixating on technical details,
not communicating with their management staff, and therefore not addressing manage-
ment’s expectations. This is why I’ve gone out of my way in this chapter to explain to
you how to manage your management staff’s expectations and how to report to them.
When you talk to senior managers, remember that you understand far more of
the technical details than they do, so the burden is on you to de-emphasize the techni-
cality of your message. Use the following communication techniques to keep the con-
versation on track:
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■ AVOIDING THE TECHNOLOGY VS. MANAGEMENT TRAP VIA CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Make it all easy to understand Format all your reporting and conversations with man-
agement in such a way that they understand what you’re trying to accomplish rather
than how you’re doing so. Remember, it’s not important that management understand
the technical details of everything you do. What is important is that they know what
you’re trying to accomplish and why.
Keep the communication channels open When you can talk to management, it’s a lot
easier to resolve problems, because you can work through things conversationally. If
you communicate clearly and often, management won’t be surprised by unexpected
issues and can therefore work with you casually rather than in crisis mode.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice If you have an open dialogue with management, it’s
easy to ask for advice if you’re ever puzzled by an issue. And because you’ve already

communicated so much information to management, you never look stupid asking a
defining question. My experience has been that no management staff expects you to
know everything, and most management staffs want you to succeed. If you find yourself
needing help to balance technical and managerial aspects of a challenge you face—ask!
It’s All About Balance
When the CAD manager communicates with management in a goal-oriented, non-
techno-babble manner, both sides benefit. When management and the CAD manager
are in sync, there are fewer misconceptions on both sides.
If you strive to achieve a balance between the technical and managerial aspects
of your CAD management job, you’ll find that technology and management can co-
exist nicely. You may enjoy it once you get the hang of it.
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■ MANAGING STANDARDS
Managing Standards
There’s an old story that says, when the second
person in town bought a car, that’s when the
town figured out that they needed a stoplight.
There’s an analogous situation in CAD that has
to do with CAD standards: You can’t allow all
your users to sit down and draw however they’d
like to, using whatever CAD system they’d like
to, without any sort of operational standards or
guides. If you let everyone proceed in the direc-
tion they wanted to, you’d have anarchy, and
your information would never be in any sort of
standard format. Of course, companies want to
manage consistent information, and they want
to know that they can interchange or share data

among different offices or with vendors or clients
with some degree of certainty that the informa-
tion can be shared efficiently. This is where CAD
standards come in.
4
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Over the years, CAD standards have become more and more the domain of the
CAD manager. It’s common now for the CAD manager to author CAD standards, doc-
ument them in written or electronic form, educate users in the proper use of the stan-
dards, and, at the end of the process, verify that standards were followed. Sometimes
CAD managers even have to resort to formal enforcement procedures to make sure CAD
standards are being followed.
Every CAD manager should expect to deal with CAD standards at some point in
their career. Dealing with CAD standards effectively requires a multipronged approach.
Think about how CAD standards will be formulated, how they’ll work within your
environment, how to enforce them, and how to make them as easy as possible to use
for all your users. If a standard is easy to follow, chances are people will follow it.
In this chapter, we’ll examine various viewpoints on the CAD standards issue
and see how you can deal with standards most effectively in a way that makes the
most sense for users and for you.
Formulating and Writing Standards
Many CAD managers find themselves in the position of being responsible for authoring
and creating CAD standards, but they receive little guidance about how to do that. To
tackle the job of writing CAD standards, focus on what good CAD standards are and
how to communicate information most effectively, as opposed to following an equation.
Figure 4.1 To avoid user confusion and wasted effort,standards are required.Therefore, crafting a solid CAD standard document
becomes a key CAD management task.
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■ FORMULATING AND WRITING STANDARDS
Here are some over-arching objectives to keep in mind while putting together a
CAD standards document:
Manage what needs to be managed As an example, if it’s important that your users
draw on certain layers or use certain colors or text fonts or certain dimensional stan-
dards, those standards should be spelled out. On the other hand, if it doesn’t matter
what sort of toolbars or graphical arrangement the operators use on their CAD desk-
top, then don’t control that. CAD standards should control only how the CAD file
is formatted or stored. Don’t waste time trying to control parameters that can’t be
standardized.
Use existing CAD standards as a starting point In a later section, I’ll discuss CAD
standards offered by organizations such as the American Institute of Architects and
the U.S. National CAD Standard. Although these major CAD standards may be over-
involved or exercise more control than you need in your specific environment, they
can serve as a good starting point. The main point to recognize is that you don’t need
to reinvent the wheel. Look for industry examples that you can piggyback on for CAD
standards in your organization.
Brevity is the soul of wit Shakespeare said that, and he was right. The CAD standard that
is best read, best comprehended, and best followed by users is the CAD standard that is
the shortest. Again, by controlling only the parameters that need to be controlled, you’ll
wind up with a succinct, easy-to-read CAD standard. That guarantees more people will
read it and follow it. Even in cases where you use an existing CAD standard as your
starting point, there’s no reason you can’t prune it to the minimum text needed.
Write for the user CAD standards should be written at the appropriate level of techni-
cal expertise for the person using the standard. For example, if a CAD standard is tar-
geted at someone using 2D AutoCAD, then you should restrict the standard to addressing
commands that are familiar to that level of AutoCAD operator. By targeting the standard
at the expertise level of the person who will use it, you’ll guarantee the best possible
accepted comprehension of the standard and therefore the best possible chance that it

will be followed. Use the three bears approach: Not too technical, not too simple; aim
for the middle where it’s just right.
Don’t tell them—show them Consider using CAD-specific tools to make standards uti-
lization and enforcement easier. For example, don’t tell users what AutoCAD layers to
draw on and how to set up their colors. And don’t tell MicroStation users what levels
and line weights they should use. Set up the standards in template files or seed files that
users can load automatically so layers, colors, levels, or line weights are correct in the
first place. Remember: If it’s easier to be standard than to be nonstandard, people will
follow the standard. Make easy-to-use CAD tools that are familiar to people a key
component of your standards plan.
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Tell users why standards matter Rather than making CAD standards a dictatorial
process wherein users are commanded to follow a standard that they don’t understand,
explain where the standard came from and why it matters. As an example, rather than
saying, “Draw on this layer with this color,” spell out to the user that that standard
makes it easier to transfer information into a customer’s business system to be compati-
ble with their needs. Explain that a key reason why your company has obtained the
contract to work on this project is because these standards will be followed. If you put
users in a situation where they become part of the team and understand why standards
matter for the execution of the job, they’re far more likely to follow the standards. It’s
simple psychology: Tell me why I need to do something, and I’m much more likely to
follow your instruction. Use this simple psychological technique, and watch as your
standards implementation goes more smoothly and the amount of standards deviation
you observe dwindles.
Make it official CAD standards must be documented in writing and approved by a
managerial authority higher than you.
Remember that for a standard to be a standard, it must be enforceable. Before it can
be enforceable, it needs to be an official document signed by those in charge. Until the

document is official, it’s only a suggestion. When you get it written down and signed, it
becomes a standard—don’t skip this step.
Existing Standards: AIA, U.S.National CAD Standard, and Others
As CAD software has become more prevalent in the past 20 years, the need for stan-
dards has been recognized throughout various segments of the industry. Whether it’s an
architectural, a mechanical, or a civil engineering environment, there is a need for CAD
standards. And as this need has been met, more and more standards have evolved.
This evolution of standards has in turn brought about a need for a unified CAD
standard that can address all needs. To address this need, some organizations have
devised their own CAD standards. The American Institute of Architects (AIA), for example,
has implemented its AIA CAD standard, with the idea that all architects involved in any
number of subdisciplines in the architecture, engineering, and construction fields can use
these CAD standards. If everybody in the field employed these CAD standards, they
would save time and ensure consistency in the building trades. More recently, the U.S.
National CAD Standard (NCS) has come into prominence as it attempts the same sort
of overarching standardization that everyone could use to save time and money.
Note: Worth noting is the relative lack of mechanical CAD standards.As 3D-capable mechanical CAD has
become more advanced,typically controlled parameters like layers,part numbers,and filenames are more
often controlled by the software applications, leaving far less for the user to control and standardize.
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■ EXISTING STANDARDS: AIA, U.S. NATIONAL CAD STANDARD, AND OTHERS
The problem with this effort to standardize has been, and continues to be, that
these super CAD standards are so large and complex in their reach and scope that
small companies may have difficulty using them. Therefore, I recommend that you
think of these CAD standards as a starting point: a place to begin the discussion. Or,
if you’re having conversations with suppliers or customers and the topic of formulat-
ing a CAD standard comes up, you may find their industry standards useful in devis-
ing your own.
The sidebar “Industry CAD Standards” provides web resources along with costs

and document summary guidelines for the available national CAD standards. You may
want to take some time to look these up, investigate them, or even download them to
see what style of documentation they use. Even if you never use these CAD standards,
you can learn a lot from how they’re written, targeted, and focused, and you can use
their sample language as a mechanism to start your own CAD standards. On the other
hand, if your projects are sufficiently large and complex, you may be able to utilize
these standards out of the box. If so, that’s great.
Industry CAD Standards
U.S. National CAD Standard (www.nationalcadstandard.org).The NCS is the only com-
prehensive U.S.CAD standard for the design,construction, and facility management industries.
The program’s goal is broad voluntary adoption of the NCS by the building design, construction,
and operation sectors,thereby establishing a common language for the building design and doc-
umentation process.Use of NCS eliminates the overhead costs that organizations now incur to
maintain proprietary office standards, train new staff, and coordinate implementation among
design team members.The 2D standard plays a crucial role in easing the transition to new build-
ing information modeling (BIM) software systems and the 3D object–based standards repre-
sented by the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), developed by the International Association for
Interoperability (IAI).
American Institute of Architects (www.aia.org).The AIA publishes a software package called
Contract Documents, a Microsoft Word–based software platform that offers a great starting point
for preparing contract documents. Because contracts are notoriously difficult to develop (and
require legal oversight),using the Contract Documents can assist CAD managers in architecture,
engineering,and construction (AEC) industries immensely.You can access a wealth of information
on the AIA web site using the site’s search engine. For example, by searching on “CAD layering
standards”, you can find several resources that explain sections of the NCS and how it can be
applied in AEC environments.
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CHAPTER 4: MANAGING STANDARDS ■
Most CAD managers create a hybrid CAD standard by borrowing from existing

CAD standards as a starting point, or template, and then adjusting them to cover only
the topics that are necessary. There’s no perfect way to write a CAD standard, and
there’s no such thing as the absolute standard CAD standard. However, by using indus-
try norms, you’re more likely to craft a good standard, make few mistakes, and not
overlook anything.
Now that you have an idea of what CAD standards are available, it’s time to
start writing standards to manage common tasks in your environment.
Information Exchange
It’s worth pointing out that the entire reason to have a CAD standard is to allow infor-
mation to flow better from one person to another or, in the case of companies, from
one department to another, or from a customer to a vendor, and so on. The CAD stan-
dard facilitates proper communication in a particular digital format: CAD files. Just as
you’d want all parties in a conversation to speak the same common language, the CAD
standard facilitates a consistent CAD language.
Figure 4.2 Like a common second language connects those who would otherwise be noncommunicative,CAD standards
facilitate communication between companies that use differing CAD packages or versions.
You can think of CAD standards as a way to allow information to move from
point A to point B with the least possible chance for misinterpretation and the least
possible need for having to rework or revisit those files. By making information flow
smoothly and effortlessly, all sorts of efficiencies become possible. Those that come to
mind immediately are as follows:
Automation When processes are standardized, they become more consistent; therefore,
you can apply programmatic type standards to them. For example, if you wanted to
create an automated routine that would rename layers, it would be a lot easier to do
that if all drawings were set up with properly named layers in the first place.
Other Company
(or department)
DWG version 2005
based standard
2D CAD Work

(MicroStation v8)
2D CAD Work
(AutoCAD 2007)
Your Company
(or one department)
Communication
Barrier
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■ VENDOR CONTROL VIA STANDARDS
Economy of effort and lower unit cost per project When tasks become more standard-
ized, and you can automate them to a greater extent or apply programmatic logic to
them, then it stands to reason that the same number of people can get more work done
than before, or the same project can be accomplished in fewer hours. Either way, the
average cost per project is lower as standards are more uniformly enforced and automa-
tion is employed.
As you start to think about CAD standards as a cost-lowering, efficiency-
improving, information exchange tool rather than a technical document to be main-
tained, you’ll begin to realize the true power of standardization. Focus on making
your CAD standards facilitate seamless movement of data, and you’ll automatically
start to reap the benefits of productive CAD standards.
Vendor Control via Standards
Many CAD managers work for companies that hire external vendors to provide services
to them. In many cases, those vendors provide CAD files as a deliverable commodity in
conjunction with the services they provide. Therefore, when dealing with vendor organ-
izations, it’s sometimes necessary to subject the vendor to control via CAD standards.
When you’re using CAD standards to control project deliverables from vendors, it pays
to recognize what makes working with vendors different from working with your own
in-house personnel. Here are some differences:
Formal contracts Your vendors are contractually bound to provide CAD services to you.

Therefore, the burden is on them to meet your needs, but only to the extent that you
specify in contract documents. Realize that the burden is on you completely to make
sure the vendors have all the information they need to perform the work for you. Also
realize that unless you spell out the CAD standards to be followed in written contract
form, you have no legal recourse should the vendor not perform.
Verification When you receive CAD work from a vendor, it’s your responsibility to
make sure that work can be audited and that it complies with standards. Providing a
vendor with your standard means nothing unless you can verify that work was com-
pleted to that standard.
Remedy If a vendor provides you with work that is verifiably not to standard, the bur-
den of communicating this fact to that vendor and indicating what needs to be fixed is
also yours.
As you can see, when you’re working with vendors, the standard must be spe-
cific about how the vendor must perform for you. There must be no questions or gaps.
Remember that when you have a vendor working for you, it’s a legal or contracted
process. Therefore, if your standard is insufficient or ambiguous in any way, you won’t
be able to enforce that standard. The burden falls on you to be thorough and to create
standards that control all behaviors.
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CHAPTER 4: MANAGING STANDARDS ■
Figure 4.3 Managing vendors who submit CAD information to you using your standards removes all variables from the
information-submission process and provides a controlled method to resolve problems using a feedback loop analogy.
What makes a vendor CAD standard different from a standard that’s used inside
your company? Here are several important factors:
Formality/Tone Whereas an in-house CAD standard strives to convey proper work
procedures, it’s typically more loosely written and assumes that everyone on the in-
house team is working for the good of the company. When you’re writing standards
for external vendors, you can’t assume motivation or diligence, so everything must be
specified much more tightly. As you construct vendor standards, keep this heightened

degree of formality in mind, and always ask yourself, “Am I controlling the vendor
tightly enough to guarantee a good working experience?”
Versions and method of delivery must be specified It’s not enough to say what CAD
package the vendor should use; you must also specify the format, software versions,
and delivery media. Will work be submitted on CD or DVD? Will it be e-mailed? Will
it be delivered in a compressed format? Will it be sent to an FTP site or a web site of
your choosing? For AutoCAD, will DWG files be provided in a specific version format?
For SolidWorks, will assemblies include all parts and drawing files in their native direc-
tory structure?
Keep asking yourself these types of detailed questions, and realize that your in-house
staff probably already knows the answers but your vendors don’t. It always seems to be
the question you didn’t ask that causes problems later, so make sure to sweat the details!
Hard copy Will the vendor have to provide hard-copy plots of data to you as well as
electronic files? If so, make sure this detail appears in your standards.
Alternate file formats Will the vendor also supply you with non-native CAD formats
such as DWF, Adobe PDF, or others? If so, which version?
Note: Have a trusted power user review your vendor standards and note anything they find ambiguous;
then,revise accordingly.
Vendor Company
Your Specific
CAD Standard
CAD Work
(any platform)
CAD Work
(any platform)
Your Company File Submittal
Process
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■ VENDOR CONTROL VIA STANDARDS

Conflict resolution If a vendor sees something in the CAD standard that they believe
to be wrong or missing, or if they have a question, you need to have a mechanism set
up within the CAD standard for resolving that issue. Be sure you include contact
names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for anyone on the project management
team who must make decisions about CAD standards.
Allowable deviation In case the vendor encounters a situation in which the CAD stan-
dard can’t be met for some technical reason—usually because of an oversight on some-
one’s part—they need a mechanism to alert you about the problem. As an example,
perhaps a vendor has a network security limitation that won’t allow them to submit
files via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), thus making submittals on CDs a permissible
deviation.
Again, provide all the contact information necessary to bring the situation to your
attention, and specify a process by which a written notification from the vendor can
be sent.
Auditing and Taking Control
At the end of a job, when the vendor submits CAD work to you, it’s your responsibility
to audit the work to make sure it complies with standards. And should you find any-
thing that’s not to standard, you must have a mechanism for informing the vendor. I
suggest that you employ a spot-audit process where you randomly pull a number of
CAD files and audit them for proper standards compliance.
In the event you receive from a vendor CAD files that don’t comply with your
standards, there should be a notification process in your standards document that
explains to vendors how you’ll notify them. Typically, a formal letter of transmittal,
whether it’s delivered by e-mail or hard copy, alerts a vendor that you’ve found difficul-
ties with their file submissions. You should attach enough detail to this letter so the
vendor knows which files and which specific problems you’ve encountered and can
tell what to fix. You should also inform the vendor how long they have to address this
problem and the mechanism by which they can resubmit the work. Also include your
contact information so the CAD person working on the vendor side knows exactly
whom to contact to technically resolve the standards problems.

If you follow the advice I’ve laid out, you’ll be able to adapt your in-house
CAD standard with additional information so that it becomes a great vendor-control CAD
standard document. And by controlling your vendors’ work products, you’ll be able to
accept information from them without translations or extra labor to fix data problems,
because you can now enforce the standard!
Keep in mind that the burden is on you to properly control the vendor by craft-
ing a comprehensive standard that gives them the information they need to do their job
correctly.
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Working to Client Standards
When working to client standards, you’re in the opposite position of controlling a ven-
dor, because you’re the vendor to your client. That is, you’re providing work to some-
one else’s standards. This is a common scenario in AEC or engineering environments
where you’re providing goods and services to someone else and documenting those
services via CAD drawings. In this case, you should expect to work to a client stan-
dard. The risk in this situation is ambiguous or nonexistent standards—a client that
doesn’t give you the information you need to do your job.
I recommend that you go back to the preceding section, “Vendor Control via
Standards,” and look at it from the opposite standpoint. Will you have all the informa-
tion you need about CAD data, formats, delivery mechanisms, delivery locations, soft-
ware versions, and so on, to provide the customer with everything they want in the
exact format they need?
Figure 4.4 Like vendor standards,client standards control the parameters of submitting information,but from the opposite
perspective.
To evaluate the standard the vendor has sent you, you can employ the following
checks and balances:
Thoroughness Does the standard seem thorough? Do you have the information you
need? Do any questions come to mind immediately? If so, list them so you can commu-

nicate those questions later.
Contact persons Do you have all the contact information you need? Do you know
whom to contact for technical issues, project standard issues, and so on?
Problem resolution Do you have a mechanism for alleviating any problems? Are proce-
dures in place for deviating from standards or resolving ambiguous standards? Do you
know exactly whom to contact?
Client Company
Client Specific
CAD Standard
CAD Work
(any platform)
CAD Work
(any platform)
Your Company File Submittal
Process
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■ WORKING TO CLIENT STANDARDS
Getting Started
If you have any concerns after running through the client CAD standard, you should
inform the contact person in a written format immediately. The key is to try to elimi-
nate any problems, questions, or ambiguities before any CAD work starts moving back
and forth.
If it seems that the standard you’re working to is complete and you don’t have
any questions, take the following preventative actions to make sure things go well later
when you submit CAD data:
Benchmark Take the time to convert some CAD work to your client’s CAD standard
and submit it for a pre-audit check. By taking this step, you perform a dress rehearsal
for job closeout. I’ve found that sending CAD data to clients early in the process
exposes any minor problems and makes the client feel comfortable that they’ll be in

good hands later. The benchmarking phase is a great customer relationship manage-
ment tool as well as a technical proving ground,
Fix If a technical glitch is exposed during benchmarking, move to fix the issue using
the contact personnel spelled out in the client’s standard. As you move to fix the issue,
remember that small technical issues typically aren’t anyone’s fault but are caused by
oversights that are usually easy to fix. Working with the client constructively during
this phase is key to managing the relationship and fixing the problem with minimal
hassle and friction.
Document If you find and fix a technical glitch, make sure to document the discussion
and copy your project staff. If the issue comes up later, you’ll have everything you need
to back yourself up and avoid costly rework or litigation. Always remember that if you
don’t write it down, it didn’t happen!
Figure 4.5 Benchmarking CAD standards provides assurance that the standards will work.Think of benchmarking as a dress
rehearsal for a real project.
Other Company
(or department)
DWG version 2005
based standard
Benchmarking verifies
that standards work
and information flows
2D CAD Work
(MicroStation v8)
2D CAD Work
(AutoCAD 2007)
Your Company
(or one department)
Communication
Barrier
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CHAPTER 4: MANAGING STANDARDS ■
Take some time to be proactive. Make sure you can move data to and from your
vendor and that both of you are happy with the vendor standard that’s controlling the
project. If you do this, you should be able to move forward in a relatively painless
manner with confidence that you’ll be able to meet their needs and avoid problems at
the end of the job.
Outsourcing Control
With outsourcing, as with vendors, you receive CAD drawings from a completely exter-
nal source. What makes outsourcing different from a traditional vendor relationship is
that outsourcing implies you’re getting rid of a job and will exercise minimal, if any,
control over how the work process is performed. If you don’t have a working relation-
ship with the outsourcing vendor, and you’re not communicating on a regular basis,
having a bullet-proof CAD standard becomes absolutely crucial. Also realize that, from
a contracting standpoint, the outsourcing provider only has to supply you with what
you’ve specified. Just as with a vendor control standard, the work you’ll receive can be
only as good as the standard you provide.
An additional wrinkle in the outsourcing picture is that outsourcing firms fre-
quently aren’t located in your country. Common scenarios have countries in North
America and westernized Europe outsourcing to far-eastern countries like India and
China. In this case, outsourcing control becomes not just a CAD issue but a linguistic
issue as well. It’s imperative that outsourcing control standards be written in standard
language and be easy to read, and that you make sure the outsourcing party absolutely
understands the standard that you’ve provided.
Following are some other checkpoints you should consider when entering into
an outsourcing arrangement:
Will software versions be a problem? Many outsourcing firms work with older or out-
dated software. If you’re working with a recent version of AutoCAD or MicroStation,
you can’t assume that the outsourcing firm has that same version. Your CAD standard
should specify exactly what version the outsourcing provider must use and the version

of any CAD deliverables that it provides to you.
Is your data secure? In many cases, outsourcing providers, being far away, must deliver
their work via the Internet. Be aware of this restriction when crafting your outsourcing
CAD standard. Also understand that this can affect your drawing-security mechanism.
If you want your outsourcing provider to upload drawings to your FTP site, for example,
you may want to have a specific FTP folder for that outsourcing provider and that no
other data will be accessible to them when they use that FTP site.
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