Sibgiprobiosintez completed replacement of a CAD

On July 16, 2015 the Nanosoft company announced an implementation project of the SPDS NanoCAD system at Sibgiprobiosintez institute. The project participant Infoindastri company - the prime vendor and integrator on products CAD.

Project Tasks

In September, 2014 the management of Sibgiprobiosintez institute decided to bring order to the used software and, using improvement of the applied software, to increase enterprise performance.

Prior to conversions the situation regarding use of a CAD looked so:

• the main used software – AutoCAD 2007-2012 ("zoo" from different versions, partially license).
• GraphiCS * SPDS ("zoo" from different versions, partially license), is installed on parts of the PC. The free SPDS-module of Autodesk is installed on parts of the PC;
• lack of uniform software configurations;
• lack of accurate structure and rules of maintaining archive of the project documentation;
• lack of the standard of the enterprise (STP);
• lack of the development plan for a CAD.

This situation, according to Nanosoft company, is quite typical for many project organizations. Many of them do not consider it necessary to change something, preferring to work "as it developed".

For customer company the choice of actions was represented not to the rich (pluses and minuses):

• Upgrade the operating AutoCAD (not LT) and to buy in addition the places which are not licensed earlier.
  • + the High-quality, stable, proved in work tool.
  • + Any retraining of employees and problems with transition.
  • - Question price of licenses and upgrade.
  • - Need to upgrade or change "iron" for many jobs.

• ZWCAD
  • + it is inexpensive at quite strong functionality.
  • + Support of *.dwg (ODA).
  • - Transition and all related difficulties.
  • - Lack of direct contact with the developer and regional representative office.

• nanoCAD
  • + Support of *.dwg (ODA).
  • + Price.
  • + Presence of the official dealer in Krasnoyarsk.
  • + the Possibility of direct contact with the developer.
  • - Transition and all related difficulties.
  • - Existence in a product of the moments requiring completion.

The given pluses and minuses are quite conditional and do not apply for the broad picture: much more wide range of pluses/minuses and also the nuances connected with possible transition was discussed with heads of institute. Having estimated all pacing factors, the management of institute selected nanoCAD. It was at the same time decided not to do "sharp movements" - process of transition should be smooth.

Project Progress

The first stage: organization of a meeting of complete structure of project departments. At this meeting the representative of vendor held the short presentation of a product, the management in detail explained plans and motives of actions. All employees should represent most clearly why and why everything occurs. At this meeting the representative of vendor sounded the main stages of transition and answered questions (designers "As now we will work?!").

The second stage - test operation. It was carried out that it was possible to remove even prior to transition some questions and to look what difficulties it is necessary to meet.

This stage, according to opinion of the company vendor, passed badly. Despite need to begin to work in nanoCAD - that to all employees was explained, nobody began to do it, excepting units. Many did not believe that AutoCAD will disappear as the instrument of work;

• the current tasks affected
• misunderstanding - that needs to be done in new software,
• just laziness.

The stage proceeded two months.

Product of implementation selected nanoCAD SPDS. The institute purchased a number of "vertical" solutions on the nanoCAD platform. Delivery form: "box" + a subscription (for a possibility of software updatings). The license network with a binding "on iron".

Delivery and registration of software took place in two weeks.

Two more weeks occupied approvals.

The configuration obtained in the project:

• the server of network licenses – one on all products nanoCAD;
• one general SQL server for all products using bases of elements/parts on SQL (nanoCAD SPDS, nanoCAD of the Mechanic, etc.). Not SQL bases (Access) are installed on local PCs (Elektro nanoCAD);
• One general *.dwt-template;
• The additional folder of fonts on the server.

Deployment of a system is carried out using Microsoft Active Directory, on previously configured distribution kit. Setup of a distribution kit took away time and is carried out through nanoCAD developer – Nanosoft Ltd. nanoCAD has no own system of installation as AutoCAD. Installation took half an hour. Distribution kits for single products were not adapted, manually set in several hours.

Implementation defects came to light:

• nCAD.cfg (system settings of the interface, etc.) by default in Program Files, and Program Files at all users is protected from changes;
• the folder of autosave of files appointed by default in AppData/Local/Temp is also closed for editing. It was necessary to recustomize.
• AutoCAD at this stage did not uninstall and people worked as earlier.

After installation once again held a meeting of collective at which announced that:

• in two months of AutoCAD it will be completely deleted with the PC;
• nanoCAD is set and ready for operation. It is strongly recommended to begin to work in it.

At this stage the most part of project collective realized gravity of intentions of the administration on transition to nanoCAD.

Training was provided by forces of specialists of Infoindastri LLC. It was begun right after the software installation. Created groups on 15 people, on each group it is taken away on two hours a week – in a certain day and in advance fixed time. The main objective of the first grade level – to teach to work in nanoCAD SPDS at least with the same speed, as in AutoCAD. In this case advanced AutoCAD technologies (dynamic blocks, filings, external references / joint work, an annotativnost, etc.) were practically not used therefore the task to come for a short time to the former speed of work was quite real.

Process of work in nanoCAD and AutoCAD is almost identical, instruments of work in the majority are identical. People in principle are able to do everything – at the "drawing" level. The training connected with the module SPDS took place quite smoothly as possibilities of this module were familiar only to the few designers.

On each occupation a part of time (15 minutes) was devoted to the solution of the current problems and questions which are not connected with a primary subject of training.

For June, 2015 a basic course of training "the platform + SPDS" is passed.

Project Results

According to representatives of vendor, the Sibgiprobiosintez institute finished transition from AutoCAD to nanoCAD fully.