What actually slows down a project?

[HerrTick]

I the past (and, almost certainly, the future), I spoke derisively about users who try way too hard to minimize mouse-clicks and feature count. While these things measure CAD gamesmanship, these things are never what accelerates a project.

CAD acumen is not tested by what you can make, but what you can change. Can your CAD models stand up to the twists and turns of unforeseen changes that inevitably crop up on the path from drunken marketing feverdream to final delivery?

[bnemec]

I the past (and, almost certainly, the future), I spoke derisively about users who try way too hard to minimize mouse-clicks and feature count. While these things measure CAD gamesmanship, these things are never what accelerates a project.

CAD acumen is not tested by what you can make, but what you can change. Can your CAD models stand up to the twists and turns of unforeseen changes that inevitably crop up on the path from drunken marketing feverdream to final delivery?

What you speak of becomes so much more important when all files are part of the "Standard Parts Library" and have an unknown scope.

[matt]

For me, the big slow downs have been in order from biggest to smaller:

- Lost references
- waiting for decisions about the product or process
- getting clarifications on technical details

[jcapriotti]

In my experience:

1. Setting unrealistic deadlines without input from those doing the work.
2. Ignoring those users when they do ask.
3. Undoing those decisions once they realize it isn't going to work.

......now back to year 5 of trying to get this global PLM system implemented.

[Jaylin Hochstetler]

In my experience:

1. Setting unrealistic deadlines without input from those doing the work.
2. Ignoring those users when they do ask.
3. Undoing those decision once they realize it isn't going to work.

......now back to year 5 of trying to get this global PLM system implemented.

I wish I could like that post multiple times.
It is very true.
Makes me think of...

Edit to add: I was kinda surprised when I saw that meme in a SolidEdge blog: https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/solidedge/ ... figurator/

[SolidMuse]

Interruptions by anything, or person.... Stopping a train of thought and restarting again kills productivity.

[zxys001]

I the past (and, almost certainly, the future), I spoke derisively about users who try way too hard to minimize mouse-clicks and feature count. While these things measure CAD gamesmanship, these things are never what accelerates a project.

CAD acumen is not tested by what you can make, but what you can change. Can your CAD models stand up to the twists and turns of unforeseen changes that inevitably crop up on the path from drunken marketing feverdream to final delivery?

Coffee Breaks!

[Frank_Oostendorp]

Superfast SolidWorks operators, creating SolidWorks files in huge numbers in less time. After that, small errors are included in the files, there is no way to change/reuse these files, all parts are made with surfaces, way to complex features and over weighted. And all these files have to be re-created.

[SPerman]

[sarcasm]

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[/sarcasm]

[Lapuo]

Biggest slow down is hurrying up.

[Glenn Schroeder]

Useless meetings.

[bnemec]

Superfast SolidWorks operators, creating SolidWorks files in huge numbers in less time. After that, small errors are included in the files, there is no way to change/reuse these files, all parts are made with surfaces, way to complex features and over weighted. And all these files have to be re-created.

This.

[Tom G]

People.

[jcapriotti]

Meetings to prepared for the Meeting.

[DanPihlaja]

Meetings to prepared for the Meeting.

Ahh, the ol' pre-meeting meeting. Yes....takes me back...

[bradb]

From a mold designer " Here's my widget, go ahead and get started on the mold, I'm not done with the part design yet but I don't think too much will change".

[the_h4mmer]

• One person carrying the responsibility of 3 full time roles: design engineer, PDM/CAD admin, and 3D printing lead (I'm the only engineer)
• Information bottle necks (or just no information)
• Priorities shifting faster than the wind changes directions
• Chasing shiny ideas for development projects
  
  
• A broken PDM library (tons of out-of-context/broken references, out-of-band changes, assemblies released with unreleased parts, terrible check-in practices, little to no notes, etc.)
  - this all was done before I arrived at my current organization, and now I've inherited the mess, and no one wants to commit to the time needed to fix this, because Sales can't stop selling

Me (8 months ago): hey, this is going to be a problem, but I have a plan on what we need to do to fix it
{no one cares}
Sales (2 weeks ago): THIS IS A PROBLEM WE MUST FIX IMMEDIATELY
{now everyone cares, but only enough to figure out convoluted work arounds to have 'sales ready' drawings}

• Too many projects (what's normal here, is 5-6 projects for a single, early career engineer normal?)
• "I need you to update this drawing/design quick, should only take 20 minutes right?"
• Designs without constraints or dimensions and no information (if it exists, no clue where it is) documenting the design

Maybe I'm too much of an idealist, but I've seen so much of the above, I'm starting to worry that I'll see so much more of this no matter where I go next...hopefully someone can tell me it's better some where.

[HerrTick]

Recently been getting a barrage of emails from a certain CAD vendor telling me their software will make projects go faster.

No, honey, It won't.

[HerrTick]

Another project timeline killer--adding or losing people.

Adding people can be worse than losing people.

Manager: "How far behind are we?"
Engineer: "Six weeks."
Manager: "What if we add two more people to the team?"
Engineer: "Sixteen weeks!"

[JSculley]

Another project timeline killer--adding or losing people.

Adding people can be worse than losing people.

Manager: "How far behind are we?"
Engineer: "Six weeks."
Manager: "What if we add two more people to the team?"
Engineer: "Sixteen weeks!"

I've repeatedly told the higher ups here that it would be more cost effective to pay people to sit on their hands for 6 months if we have a slow down. Laying off/letting go people who know what they are doing only to hire people who don't six months later is madness.

[the_h4mmer]

Another project timeline killer--adding or losing people.

Adding people can be worse than losing people.

Manager: "How far behind are we?"
Engineer: "Six weeks."
Manager: "What if we add two more people to the team?"
Engineer: "Sixteen weeks!"

Although I do agree, especially in the context @JSculley brings up, but presently I'm desperate for someone else to join the team. I know it's going to be rough early on, but I need to have someone I can pass off some design work to while I try to repair the PDM vault (all of it).