| Author |
Message |
Kosmo
Guest
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 Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:10 pm Post subject:
Overflow CAD work |
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This is not so much a technical question as it is a solicitation for advice and recommendations, so pardon me if this is out of place.
I work for a design firm that is rapidly outgrowing our in-house CAD capacity. There are currently two of us; myself a senior draftsman and a PE.
We engage in a lot of design-build electrical projects for the construction industry. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah our workload is cyclical, less in the winter months and more in the summer months.
Looking ahead to this summer, we realize we will be grossly undermanned given our current backlog.
What options are available/do you have experience with to help with the work load?
Obviously we could hire a new body, however, we would struggle keeping them busy year round. Perhaps a part time person would be more feasible but that doesn't always accommodate deadlines.
I have heard of some companies off-shoring portions of their work, sending projects to the Philippines and the like. This seems like a cumbersome proposition with the conveyance of redline drawings, communicating changes, etc. Could any one lend their experience, good or bad with such a process? Could you kindly point me in the direction of a company that does this kind of work?
Are there stateside agencies that engage in contract CAD that can take overflow work when it comes up? Again I'll ask, names/recommendations?
Perhaps someone in this group is interested in hiring out their services?
Thanks for any input!
--
Ryan Cowley
Project Manager
Hunt Electric, Inc.
(801) 975-8844
(801) 975-0509 fax
www.rchuntelectric.com
ryan@rchuntelectric.com
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Blue Gem Dragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:09 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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"Kosmo" <kozmo.chaff@flare.xmission.com> wrote in
news:A2SEd.5$IT6.340@news.uswest.net:
| Quote: | Obviously we could hire a new body, however, we would struggle
keeping them busy year round. Perhaps a part time person would be
more feasible but that doesn't always accommodate deadlines.
I have heard of some companies off-shoring portions of their work,
sending projects to the Philippines and the like. This seems like a
cumbersome proposition with the conveyance of redline drawings,
communicating changes, etc. Could any one lend their experience,
good or bad with such a process? Could you kindly point me in the
direction of a company that does this kind of work?
|
You could also just hire a temp for the summer months (four to six
months). Make sure they understand this from the start and aren't hopeing
it will go permanant. Using an agency is probably best, although there a
lots of free-lancers out there.
Much better than sending it off-shore. It will be a bit more expensive but
you have more control and it keeps the money and technical expertise in
THIS country and helps build our economy. Remember that whomever you hire
will most likely have to pay for his own insurance so be prepared to pay
six to ten dollars an hour more than you'd expect, to cover that cost. I
think you'll find that pretty much in line with most resonable insurance
costs.
Blue Gem Dragon |
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longNleft
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:49 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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"Blue Gem Dragon" <BGD@DragonsNest.net> wrote in message
news:Xns95DB901B9CC72BGD@216.196.97.142...
| Quote: | "Kosmo" <kozmo.chaff@flare.xmission.com> wrote in
news:A2SEd.5$IT6.340@news.uswest.net:
Obviously we could hire a new body, however, we would struggle
keeping them busy year round. Perhaps a part time person would be
more feasible but that doesn't always accommodate deadlines.
I have heard of some companies off-shoring portions of their work,
sending projects to the Philippines and the like. This seems like a
cumbersome proposition with the conveyance of redline drawings,
communicating changes, etc. Could any one lend their experience,
good or bad with such a process? Could you kindly point me in the
direction of a company that does this kind of work?
You could also just hire a temp for the summer months (four to six
months). Make sure they understand this from the start and aren't hopeing
it will go permanant. Using an agency is probably best, although there a
lots of free-lancers out there.
Much better than sending it off-shore. It will be a bit more expensive but
you have more control and it keeps the money and technical expertise in
THIS country and helps build our economy. Remember that whomever you hire
will most likely have to pay for his own insurance so be prepared to pay
six to ten dollars an hour more than you'd expect, to cover that cost. I
think you'll find that pretty much in line with most resonable insurance
costs.
Blue Gem Dragon
|
while I agree that it would be nice to not offshore the work, the important
thing is to get the best product for the best cost. If that means going
overseas then so be it. It's not any different than how I work with my
domestic and overseas customers (I'm in the US). Email, ftp, Windows
Messenger, etc have all made the world a small place. Hopefully you can find
someone who is both good with Acad and good in your field. This is generally
a very hard combination to find as those that have these abilities are well
taken care of by their present customers or are well employed.
Good Luck,
Dave
DDP
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Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:01 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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We are based in India and doing all kind of autocad/autoplany work. The
US customer has to deal with our US company in Kansas and can over
night the drawings or ftp the same. They take care of the rest in
communicating with us. We have facilities like ftp, video conferencing
white board etc. It should not pose any problems even if the drawings
are marked with red etc. |
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longshot
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 4:34 pm Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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| what's the going rate for cad work in India (in US dollars) |
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Kosmo
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:58 pm Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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Thanks for the useful insight.
What is your experience with the conveyance of drawings, and redlines
between different locations?
This is the issue I struggle the most with. Communicating changes, making
clarifications, etc. can sometimes be difficult when person is standing
right next to you and you have the drawings to point at.
The way our design process works is we get an architectural drawing, the
engineer or project manager will "redline" (draw by hand) changes,
additions, layout equipment, place devices, draw a one-line diagram, make
notes, etc. Then they hand it of to a draftsman to be "translated" from a
hand drawing into CAD. So how do I get that hand drawing to the company
across the border or across the ocean? Something like FedEx would seem
costly and inefficient after a while and we don't have the ability to scan
any full size plans.
--
Ryan Cowley
Project Manager
Hunt Electric, Inc.
(801) 975-8844
(801) 975-0509 fax
www.rchuntelectric.com
ryan@rchuntelectric.com
<collab@collab-soft.com> wrote in message
news:1105507654.728963.61540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | We are based in India and doing all kind of autocad/autoplany work. The
US customer has to deal with our US company in Kansas and can over
night the drawings or ftp the same. They take care of the rest in
communicating with us. We have facilities like ftp, video conferencing
white board etc. It should not pose any problems even if the drawings
are marked with red etc.
|
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longshot
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 12:17 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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| Quote: | This is the issue I struggle the most with. Communicating changes, making
clarifications, etc. can sometimes be difficult when person is standing
right next to you and you have the drawings to point at.
|
Is it just me or is this issue generally caused by the idiot on the other
end not being able to read my mind? :o)
seriously, you have to work with the same people for quite some time to
understand each other's language, so many things have so many different
names in different parts of one plant, much less across an ocean or 2 |
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Jay Miller
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:23 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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In the Utah area I have used SOS Technical - (801) 621-4006 and AreoTek. SOS
was cheaper.
"Kosmo" <kozmo.chaff@flare.xmission.com> wrote in message
news:A2SEd.5$IT6.340@news.uswest.net...
This is not so much a technical question as it is a solicitation for advice
and recommendations, so pardon me if this is out of place.
I work for a design firm that is rapidly outgrowing our in-house CAD
capacity. There are currently two of us; myself a senior draftsman and a
PE.
We engage in a lot of design-build electrical projects for the construction
industry. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah our workload is cyclical, less in
the winter months and more in the summer months.
Looking ahead to this summer, we realize we will be grossly undermanned
given our current backlog.
What options are available/do you have experience with to help with the work
load?
Obviously we could hire a new body, however, we would struggle keeping them
busy year round. Perhaps a part time person would be more feasible but that
doesn't always accommodate deadlines.
I have heard of some companies off-shoring portions of their work, sending
projects to the Philippines and the like. This seems like a cumbersome
proposition with the conveyance of redline drawings, communicating changes,
etc. Could any one lend their experience, good or bad with such a process?
Could you kindly point me in the direction of a company that does this kind
of work?
Are there stateside agencies that engage in contract CAD that can take
overflow work when it comes up? Again I'll ask, names/recommendations?
Perhaps someone in this group is interested in hiring out their services?
Thanks for any input!
--
Ryan Cowley
Project Manager
Hunt Electric, Inc.
(801) 975-8844
(801) 975-0509 fax
www.rchuntelectric.com
ryan@rchuntelectric.com |
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| Back to top |
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Brian Spillane
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:55 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
|
|
"Kosmo" <kozmo.chaff@flare.xmission.com> wrote in message
news:PzdFd.23$JQ6.1401@news.uswest.net...
| Quote: | Thanks for the useful insight.
What is your experience with the conveyance of drawings, and redlines
between different locations?
|
Take a look at Autodesk composer,
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=4086277
You can e-mail your redlined markups back and forth between you and your
drafter. Small cost for composer ($99 'on special'), viewer (for their end)
is free. How many 'Overnight' packages need to be sent to pay for this?
Plus you can bounce the plans back and fourth several times a day and be
done before 'Overnight' even gets there.
HTH
Brian |
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Sporkman
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:01 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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|
Ryan, I have several suggestions.
1) Use Guru.com to post requirements for the work you need done. You'll
get responses from dozens (or maybe hundreds) of people and firms
wanting to help you out.
2) Consider a freelancer who is an hour or two ahead of you (in Central
or Eastern time). A little such time gives the contractor a little
buffer time to get work to you before COB each day, and also gives them
a little time to polish up work in the morning before you arrive at
work.
3) Presuming you have some bandwidth to the net better than dial-up, you
can use collaborative tools such as Windows Messenger and/or Netmeeting
to show work on-screen.
4) Another collaborative tool called Skype (www.skype.com) gives you
free voice-over-IP (also instant messaging and file transfer) with
absolutely excellent sound quality . . . better than any phone, whether
landline or cell, and much better than other solutions I've tried. You
get much better results with Skype using headphones than with speakers
and separate microphone, and again, good bandwidth is important here.
5) Setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can provide many of the
benefits of sitting in the same office as your contractor, and with
pretty fair security, but of course it also requires good bandwidth.
Mark 'Sporky' Stapleton
Watermark Design, LLC
(freelance mechanical design)
http://www.h2omarkdesign.com
Kosmo wrote:
| Quote: |
Thanks for the useful insight.
What is your experience with the conveyance of drawings, and redlines
between different locations?
This is the issue I struggle the most with. Communicating changes, making
clarifications, etc. can sometimes be difficult when person is standing
right next to you and you have the drawings to point at.
The way our design process works is we get an architectural drawing, the
engineer or project manager will "redline" (draw by hand) changes,
additions, layout equipment, place devices, draw a one-line diagram, make
notes, etc. Then they hand it of to a draftsman to be "translated" from a
hand drawing into CAD. So how do I get that hand drawing to the company
across the border or across the ocean? Something like FedEx would seem
costly and inefficient after a while and we don't have the ability to scan
any full size plans.
--
Ryan Cowley
Project Manager
Hunt Electric, Inc.
(801) 975-8844
(801) 975-0509 fax
www.rchuntelectric.com
ryan@rchuntelectric.com |
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Cadalot
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:01 am Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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|
I've been doing this kind of thing for some time.
1) I now know what the guy I draw for wants because we have built a
relationship over time. We now have ESP!
2) Scan and fax or email and questions and answers
3) Adobe Professional is great, mark up questions with arrows, redline
4) Skype mean FREE telephone calls using the internet connection
I'm in the UK and I talk to people all over the USA.
5) Allow time in the estimate with the client because it does take a
little longer
6) Allow for the fact that the draughtsman will produce what he thinks
you are after if you are not clear with your instructions.
7) Find someone who knows what they are doing (This can take time)
I now have 6 regualr clients, all found by word of mouth that keep me
so busy I don't have time to take on more. If I could take on or find
another me I would expand.
On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 10:58:17 -0700, "Kosmo"
<kozmo.chaff@flare.xmission.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks for the useful insight.
What is your experience with the conveyance of drawings, and redlines
between different locations?
This is the issue I struggle the most with. Communicating changes, making
clarifications, etc. can sometimes be difficult when person is standing
right next to you and you have the drawings to point at.
The way our design process works is we get an architectural drawing, the
engineer or project manager will "redline" (draw by hand) changes,
additions, layout equipment, place devices, draw a one-line diagram, make
notes, etc. Then they hand it of to a draftsman to be "translated" from a
hand drawing into CAD. So how do I get that hand drawing to the company
across the border or across the ocean? Something like FedEx would seem
costly and inefficient after a while and we don't have the ability to scan
any full size plans. |
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| Back to top |
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Modat22
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:30 pm Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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|
On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 06:53:31 +0000, Cadalot <alan@killspam.co.uk>
wrote:
| Quote: | I've been doing this kind of thing for some time.
1) I now know what the guy I draw for wants because we have built a
relationship over time. We now have ESP!
|
This is so true, I've been working with the same people now for so
long I had to charge more per hour because I get the work done so much
faster.
| Quote: |
2) Scan and fax or email and questions and answers
|
Very important point. I prefer faxes myself
| Quote: |
3) Adobe Professional is great, mark up questions with arrows, redline
|
I also like adobe professional, but I usually have to print it out
anyway to avoid switching back and forth between programs and breaking
out of the drafting zone ruining the flow of work.
| Quote: |
4) Skype mean FREE telephone calls using the internet connection
I'm in the UK and I talk to people all over the USA.
5) Allow time in the estimate with the client because it does take a
little longer
6) Allow for the fact that the draughtsman will produce what he thinks
you are after if you are not clear with your instructions.
|
Even if your clear, its going to take a little time investment before
your draftsman catches on to the way you think and what you really
want shown.
| Quote: |
7) Find someone who knows what they are doing (This can take time)
|
I recommend sending a person a test drawing with the draw time reset,
a sample you want drawn with simple instructions. Then check the draw
time on your drawing to see how well he performed. |
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longshot
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:01 pm Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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| Quote: | This is so true, I've been working with the same people now for so
long I had to charge more per hour because I get the work done so much
faster.
I prefer to keep my rates low & pad the hours a bit.. same money & the |
customer feels he is getting a better deal. |
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Kosmo
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:59 pm Post subject:
Re: Overflow CAD work |
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|
Thanks for the lead on Guru.com.
That's a pretty powerful resources. I have a website project I need done
too, so I'll probably tap one of their professionals.
--
Ryan Cowley
Project Manager
Hunt Electric, Inc.
(801) 975-8844
(801) 975-0509 fax
www.rchuntelectric.com
ryan@rchuntelectric.com
"Sporkman" <sporkedUNDERLINEagainMUNGE@bigfootDOT.com> wrote in message
news:41E6185F.99E4D325@bigfootDOT.com...
| Quote: | Ryan, I have several suggestions.
1) Use Guru.com to post requirements for the work you need done. You'll
get responses from dozens (or maybe hundreds) of people and firms
wanting to help you out.
2) Consider a freelancer who is an hour or two ahead of you (in Central
or Eastern time). A little such time gives the contractor a little
buffer time to get work to you before COB each day, and also gives them
a little time to polish up work in the morning before you arrive at
work.
3) Presuming you have some bandwidth to the net better than dial-up, you
can use collaborative tools such as Windows Messenger and/or Netmeeting
to show work on-screen.
4) Another collaborative tool called Skype (www.skype.com) gives you
free voice-over-IP (also instant messaging and file transfer) with
absolutely excellent sound quality . . . better than any phone, whether
landline or cell, and much better than other solutions I've tried. You
get much better results with Skype using headphones than with speakers
and separate microphone, and again, good bandwidth is important here.
5) Setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can provide many of the
benefits of sitting in the same office as your contractor, and with
pretty fair security, but of course it also requires good bandwidth.
Mark 'Sporky' Stapleton
Watermark Design, LLC
(freelance mechanical design)
http://www.h2omarkdesign.com
Kosmo wrote:
Thanks for the useful insight.
What is your experience with the conveyance of drawings, and redlines
between different locations?
This is the issue I struggle the most with. Communicating changes,
making
clarifications, etc. can sometimes be difficult when person is standing
right next to you and you have the drawings to point at.
The way our design process works is we get an architectural drawing, the
engineer or project manager will "redline" (draw by hand) changes,
additions, layout equipment, place devices, draw a one-line diagram, make
notes, etc. Then they hand it of to a draftsman to be "translated" from
a
hand drawing into CAD. So how do I get that hand drawing to the company
across the border or across the ocean? Something like FedEx would seem
costly and inefficient after a while and we don't have the ability to
scan
any full size plans.
--
Ryan Cowley
Project Manager
Hunt Electric, Inc.
(801) 975-8844
(801) 975-0509 fax
www.rchuntelectric.com
ryan@rchuntelectric.com |
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