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CAD Geeks Inside: Starting, Maintaining and Enabling a Company User Group

CAD Geeks Inside: Starting, Maintaining and Enabling a Company User Group. Image courtesy of Engineering Center LTD, Russia. Kevin Robinson CAD Geek krob1@hotmail.com. Introduction. 15+ years experience with Autodesk technology Over 10 years as a full time CAD geek 12 th AU …. I think…..

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CAD Geeks Inside: Starting, Maintaining and Enabling a Company User Group

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  1. CAD Geeks Inside: Starting, Maintaining and Enabling a Company User Group Image courtesy of Engineering Center LTD, Russia Kevin Robinson CAD Geek krob1@hotmail.com

  2. Introduction • 15+ years experience with Autodesk technology • Over 10 years as a full time CAD geek • 12thAU …. I think….. • 6thyear as a AU speaker • Have used Inventor since day one….. • 9 User Group start ups in the last 7 years • Created a repeatable, managed process for sharing our CAD geek knowledge internally and externally • User Groups • Blog • Etc • Explored and implemented various technologies to keep it all going.

  3. Class Description • Internal CAD tribes and user groups are mission-critical to ensuring your company is able to leverage all the software’s capabilities. This class will cover best practices and technology enablers that will help empower you and your co-workers to get the most out of your CAD investments.

  4. Class Objectives • Discussion on WHY user groups are so important • Learn how easy it is to get a company user group started • Understand the dynamics required to keep it going • Explore different technology enablers that can empower many • In depth review of the “Law of compounding productivity gains” • Open Q and A

  5. Importance of user groups • Ways companies invest in CAD…. • Elements of Success • End User Adoption • Spreads out the knowledge

  6. Ways companies get CAD software…. • Buy • Buy and Hope • Buy and "We got this one guy…..“ • Buy, Basic Training, Install • Invest, Tailored Training and Implementation, A few days on the books left over • Plan, Invest, Custom Everything, On going training plan

  7. Possible Elements of Success • Training • Customer Champion / Change Mgr • Business Goal Alignment • Client and Network Hardware • Templates and Standards • File Sharing / Data Locations • Non-Engineering Impact • Customer Vision / Enablement • Target Metrics / Plan • Helpdesk / Lifeline • New tool Methods / Advanced Workflows

  8. Forced Ranked Elements of Success • Customer Vision / Enablement • Business Goal Alignment • Customer Champion / Change Mgr • New tool Methods / Advanced Workflows • Training

  9. End User Adoption • Open Communication • Understand the hurdles or roadblocks • Share the Influence of change

  10. Spreads out the knowledge • Distributes the load of the support system • Enables future input and direction • Supports common workflows vs. every person for them self

  11. Getting one started - Critical Elements • YOU • Some spare time • Excitement and Passion

  12. Getting one started – the process • Send out a user survey • Get some speakers or create content • Pick a date that works for most people • Find out what type of food people want • Set an agenda and forward 2 days in advance • Run the meeting • Ask the users who wants to present at the next meeting….. WRONG

  13. Getting one started – the process – TAKE TWO • Borrow / Steal some content from your reseller or the internet (I hear those cad geeks have some stuff we can use….) • Pick an upcoming Friday around lunchtime • Tell some co-workers when and where they can find free food • Run the meeting • Have a sign in sheet and a place where they can fill in future topics • Run the same meeting a few more times

  14. Keeping it going….we had a few meetings now what? • Formalize the basics • Content, Content, Content • Steady trickle….. • Knowledge Management planning

  15. Formalize the basics • Set an agenda the users can count on: • Basics review • Intermediate • What's New • Open Discussion • Establish the meeting frequency • Monthly • Duration • Meeting location • Notification process • Feedback Loop

  16. Content, Content, Content • Content Sources: • Common questions and helpdesk issues from your company • AUGI • Existing Local user group • Your reseller • AOTC books from autodesk.com • The internet • Guest Speaker

  17. Steady Trickle….weekly • Forward in Article from AUGI • Send something new YOU learned this week • Send a link to a you tube video (cad related of course) • Forward content you subscribe to, but tailor to the work you do

  18. Getting started with Knowledge Management • Establish a running list of topics that anyone cad add to • Maintain an archive of past content for review • Work with other end users and see “how they do it”, document it • Work with HR on understanding how they track knowledge and skills and look for synergy and or sponsorship

  19. Technology enablers • Autodesk Elements • Stocking Stuffers • Under the radar • IT / Management involvement 

  20. Autodesk Elements • Subscription Center • Log issues with Autodesk • eLearning • Communication Center / CAD Mgr Utility • RSS feeds • CAD Mgr Channel • CAD standards link • discussion.autodesk.com • Autodesk Blogs

  21. Stocking Stuffers • Techsmith Jing – www.jingproject.com • Quick capture of image or video • Create link to share with co-workers • Leverage screencast as backbone for sharing – www.screencast.com • Blogger.com • If you want to share you ideas in thoughts with your co-workers and let them post comments and questions.

  22. Under the radar • Techsmith Jing Pro - $20 per year • Allows more video formats • Smaller files • Plus more • Techsmith Snagit - $40 • Fast and east screen grabs • Also does video capture • Very powerful editing and markup tools • Great for creating user group content • Ning – www.ning.com - $19.95 a month • Affordable web based community building tool • Blogs, photos, discussions, videos, etc • Can be set to private

  23. IT / Management involvement  • www.gotomeeting.com - $500 per year • Great for remote employees • Great for enabling remote guest speakers • Has nice tracking and survey tools • Techsmith Camtasia Studio / Snag it bundle - $350 • Everything from Snagit + Full feature video capture and editing tools • www.myigetit.com - $95 a user + Publishing tool $ • Learning paths • Video, text, PPT and PDF content support • Reporting tools for • Microsoft SharePoint - $$ • Discussion Groups, Lists, Alerts, outlook syncing

  24. Summary • Hopefully you are ready to start a user group at your company • Better understand some speaking points to create some urgency • Seen some technology that might enable you to gain momentum

  25. CAD Geek Resources Tata Technologies CAD Geek Blog – Daily tips about Autodesk Manufacturing technologies. http://askthecadgeek.blogspot.com/ Web based Inventor user group – meetings every month online over the web, its free to anyone with a web connection and a passion for Inventor. http://tatatechnologies.com/autodesk Inventor Users Site – Over 1300 Inventor users in one place sharing tips and tricks http://autodeskinventorusers.ning.com/ Inventor Users Group on LinkedIn.com – Great place to network with over 2000 Inventor users to discuss industry trends and grow your professional network, simply join linkedin.com and search for the group “Autodesk Inventor Users” Become a Fan on Facebook.com – Search for Tata Technologies CAD Geeks on facebook

  26. Open Discussion

  27. Contact Info Kevin Robinson 513-226-6945 Krob1@hotmail.com

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