ABSTRACT
Traditional Computer-aided design (CAD) vendors include the firms that pioneered the technology. CAD divisions of non-computer firms comprise something of a catch-all category. The more creative the task, the more the CAD system may drain the energy of the user. The CAD vendor will provide initial training for a small group of operators. The selection of operators is crucial to the success of the CAD system. The manager of the facilities group must also become knowledgeable about the selected CAD system. A compelling economic argument can be made for using CAD to shorten the overall planning cycle. Benchmarks are the best way to evaluate the capabilities of a CAD system. These consist of controlled but realistic test cases submitted to each vendor for execution on its CAD system. Benchmarks require a great deal of a vendor’s time.
