Streamlining the process
Autodesk had an advertising campaign years
ago with the slogan, “It all starts with a
drawing… ”. Of course, they were correct.
Virtually everything manmade has a drawing in
its background, whether it be the paper or
computer screen on which you are reading this
newsletter, or the road you drive to work.
How many people are involved in the creation
of that drawing? When you think about clients,
managers, reviewers, design committees,
engineers and draftspeople – quite a few. And
what happens to that drawing once it is created?
How many people refer to that drawing? How
long do you need to hold onto that drawing for
future reference?
Think about how much time is invested in the
design cycle between the time drawings are
plotted, reviewed, revised, reviewed again,
approved and submitted. One customer recently
told me that one of their biggest bottlenecks is
the time it takes to get their drawings approved
by the client, before they can proceed with
manufacturing. What would happen to the
design (not to mention sales) process if the
customer could have these layout drawings
generated automatically and sent to them on-line
within seconds of completion?
The fact is that a lot of drawings can be
generated with some level of automation, and all
drawings can be transmitted, submitted,
reviewed and even marked-up using today’s
internet-based technologies – all with the goal of
streamlining the design process, reducing cycle
time, and – ultimately – reducing costs. Is your
company taking full advantage of these
technologies?