CAD Geeks Inside: Starting, Maintaining and
Enabling a Company User Group
Kevin Robinson
CAD Geek
krob1@hotmail.com
Image courtesy of Engineering Center LTD, Russia
© 2011 Autodesk
Introduction
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15+ years experience with Autodesk technology
Over 10 years as a full time CAD geek
th
12 AU …. I think…..
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6 year 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
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User Groups
 Blog
 Etc
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Explored and implemented various technologies to keep it all going.
© 2011 Autodesk
Class Description
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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 coworkers to get the most out of your CAD investments.
© 2011 Autodesk
Class Objectives
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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
© 2011 Autodesk
Importance of user groups
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Ways companies invest in CAD….
Elements of Success
End User Adoption
Spreads out the knowledge
© 2011 Autodesk
Ways companies get CAD software….
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Buy
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Buy and Hope
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Buy and "We got this one guy…..“
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Buy, Basic Training, Install
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Invest, Tailored Training and Implementation, A few days on the books left over
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Plan, Invest, Custom Everything, On going training plan
© 2011 Autodesk
Possible Elements of Success
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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
© 2011 Autodesk
Forced Ranked Elements of Success
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Customer Vision / Enablement
Business Goal Alignment
Customer Champion / Change Mgr
New tool Methods / Advanced Workflows
Training
© 2011 Autodesk
End User Adoption
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Open Communication
Understand the hurdles or roadblocks
Share the Influence of change
© 2011 Autodesk
Spreads out the knowledge
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Distributes the load of the support system
Enables future input and direction
Supports common workflows vs. every person for them self
© 2011 Autodesk
Getting one started - Critical Elements
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YOU
Some spare time
Excitement and Passion
© 2011 Autodesk
Getting one started – the process
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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…..
© 2011 Autodesk
Getting one started – the process – TAKE TWO
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Borrow / Steal some content from your reseller or the internet
(I hear those cad geeks
have some stuff we can use….)
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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
© 2011 Autodesk
Keeping it going….we had a few meetings now what?
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Formalize the basics
Content, Content, Content
Steady trickle…..
Knowledge Management planning
© 2011 Autodesk
Formalize the basics
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Set an agenda the users can count on:
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Basics review
 Intermediate
 What's New
 Open Discussion
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Establish the meeting frequency
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Monthly
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Meeting location
Notification process
Feedback Loop
© 2011 Autodesk
Content, Content, Content
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Content Sources:
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Common questions and helpdesk issues from your company
AUGI
Existing Local user group
Your reseller
AOTC books from autodesk.com
The internet
Guest Speaker
© 2011 Autodesk
Steady Trickle….weekly
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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
© 2011 Autodesk
Getting started with Knowledge Management
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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
© 2011 Autodesk
Technology enablers
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Autodesk Elements
Stocking Stuffers
Under the radar
IT / Management involvement 
© 2011 Autodesk
Autodesk Elements
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Subscription Center
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Log issues with Autodesk
 eLearning
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Communication Center / CAD Mgr Utility
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RSS feeds
 CAD Mgr Channel
 CAD standards link
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discussion.autodesk.com
Autodesk Blogs
© 2011 Autodesk
Stocking Stuffers
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Techsmith Jing – www.jingproject.com
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Quick capture of image or video
 Create link to share with co-workers
 Leverage screencast as backbone for sharing – www.screencast.com
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Blogger.com
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If you want to share you ideas in thoughts with your co-workers and let them post comments
and questions.
© 2011 Autodesk
Under the radar
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Techsmith Jing Pro - $20 per year
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Allows more video formats
 Smaller files
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Techsmith Snagit - $40
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Fast and east screen grabs
 Also does video capture
 Very powerful editing and markup tools
 Great for creating user group content
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Ning – www.ning.com - $19.95 a month
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Affordable web based community building tool
 Blogs, photos, discussions, videos, etc
 Can be set to private
© 2011 Autodesk
IT / Management involvement 
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www.gotomeeting.com - $500 per year
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Great for remote employees
 Great for enabling remote guest speakers
 Has nice tracking and survey tools
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Techsmith Camtasia Studio / Snag it bundle - $350
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www.myigetit.com - $95 a user + Publishing tool $
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Everything from Snagit + Full feature video capture and editing tools
Learning paths
Video, text, PPT and PDF content support
Reporting tools for
Microsoft SharePoint - $$
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Discussion Groups, Lists, Alerts, outlook syncing
© 2011 Autodesk
Summary
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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
© 2011 Autodesk
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
© 2011 Autodesk
Open Discussion
© 2011 Autodesk
Contact Info
Kevin Robinson
513-226-6945
Krob1@hotmail.com
© 2011 Autodesk