You have made the decision to implement new home design software into your business.
You are excited, the staff is excited, this is going to be great!
But let’s sit back and breathe for just a minute and think what is the best way to implement the software so it becomes a meaningful part of your business and not an overwhelming ordeal for everyone involved.
Follow the planning, training and personalization advice below so you and your team can hit the ground running when you implement any new software into your business.
Planning
The best implementation starts with serious planning.
Adequate training is essential to ensure that everyone is prepared to use the software. Don’t go in with the mindset that you don’t need training – you do, even if it is time set aside to self-teach and practice, you need to allocate training time in your planning.
Know upfront what you can spend on training in both dollars and time. Here are some helpful steps to follow to understand what training you need.
Step 1 – Go through the Quick Start Guide in Envisioneer. You can find it in Envisioneer, Help>Quick Start guide or on our website: https://www.cadsoft.com/quick-start-guide-2/. The Quick start guide will give you a foundation of knowledge in Envisioneer.
Step 2 – Did you feel comfortable with the Quick Start project? Either way do the same exercise again. I always recommend repeating a lesson since the first time you are reading/following and the second time gives you the chance to evaluate if you really understand the material.
Step 3 – Evaluate what areas are important to you and where you may want to concentrate learning.
- Are you using Envisioneer for presentation purposes?
- Make sure you understand well how to build a good model – walls/doors&windows/ceilings/roofs/columns&beams/foundations
- Make sure you understand materials. How to adjust them to make them more ‘reflective’ or ‘transparent’.
- Make sure you understand the rendering process and all the associated settings.
- Make sure you understand how to make VR exports or work with the VR mode in Envisioneer.
- Are you using Envisioneer for estimating purposes?
- Make sure you understand well how to build a good model – walls/doors&windows/ceilings/roofs/columns&beams/foundations
- Make sure you understand formulas and assemblies.
- Make sure you understand framing settings.
- Make sure you understand report templates.
- Are you using Envisioneer for permit drawings?
- Again, make sure you know how to build a model, working drawings are a direct reflection of the model you built.
- Do you understand how to add worksheets?
- Do you understand how to insert a Smartview?
- Do you understand dimensioning and adding text?
- Do you understand lineweights/scales and how to print?
Step 4 – Decision time. Do you have the time to invest in self-teaching or is formal training from an Instructor a better fit for you?
- Self-teaching Methods:
- Watch the online videos that are available on the Cadsoft YouTube There are a variety of different subjects depending on how you want to use the software: design/estimating/working drawings/renderings/presentations. Jot down notes as you watch so you can refer to them when you try yourself.
- Try sample models. Read “sample models”, not production models yet. You don’t want to stress yourself out with working on a model that you need right away. Take your time and test your skills as you make your way through the videos.
- Formal training. Refer to the training options below for the best option for you and your company to make the most of your software investment.
Training Options
You know your schedule so select a training strategy that will work for your team. Whatever you decide to do for training just ensure you stick to it.
- Full Day learning. Get everyone in, focused on only the new software and professionally trained to move forward. Either in your office/at Cadsoft Headquarters or a regional training seminar offered at tradeshow venues. Cadsoft offers specific 1, 2 or 3 day agendas that have been an excellent option for many people or we can customize the agenda to suit your needs. Contact sales for more information on what we can do to make implementation work for you.
- Online training. Doing a couple of hours each day for a few weeks to learn bits and pieces to slowly build your knowledge as you go may be best for those that have busy schedules. There are a variety of topics and agendas to choose from depending on the areas you want to learn, and they can be personalized to work with a model of your choice. Contact sales to find the best online courses for you.
Personalization
Envisioneer comes with a catalog of elements and settings and for some, all your requirements will be fulfilled immediately upon installation, and for others it will need personalization.
Personalization involves adding unique elements into the catalog – wall types that suit your region or furniture and paint colours that match your specifications or ensuring the prices of each element reflect your fees. This adds extra value for those estimating with the software or for those that use specific brands and need them represented correctly in your models.
Personalizing a catalog is an added cost but if it saves time and effort later than it is well worth the upfront spend. Work with the Cadsoft team to develop a personalization plan for your team. The sales team can give you more information on what is involved.
Timing
If I can offer a single piece of advice it would be – don’t try to keep your existing schedule.
Learning is an ongoing process. There is going to be a period of adjustment as everyone learns the new tool so ensure you work that into your project deadlines for the first few projects as you go live.
You are about to change how you do something in your business, so expect a disruption as you get used to the new workflow.
Ensure your implementation time line is realistic and staff are properly trained before you dive in head first. If you make a good implementation plan than Envisioneer will be a great new asset into your business.