A drawing office manager runs the team that produces and controls a company’s technical drawings. The job covers people, drawing standards, checking and approval, revision control and getting the right drawing to the right person on time. BOTI’s two-day Managing a Drawing Office course is part of its Graphic Design and CAD training courses, and is built for drawing office and CAD managers who want those systems to work.
The current course runs at your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue. The course page has the up-to-date outline and group prices.
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Course Introduction
Managing a drawing office is not only about managing people. It needs sound working systems, clear procedures and agreed standards, so that every drawing that leaves the office is correct, checked and traceable. This course introduces the main parts of drawing office management and shows how they fit together in a working engineering, design or manufacturing environment.
What does a drawing office manager do?
In most organisations the drawing office sits between design engineers, project teams, production or construction, and clients. The drawing office manager keeps that flow orderly. Typical responsibilities include:
- Setting and enforcing drawing standards: title blocks, layer and naming conventions, line types, dimensioning and symbols, so that every draughtsperson produces drawings that look and read the same way.
- Managing the drawing register: knowing which drawings exist, what revision each one is on, who holds it and where it has been issued.
- Checking and approval: making sure drawings are checked by someone other than the author and signed off before issue.
- Revision and change control: recording what changed, why and when, so that superseded drawings are withdrawn and nobody builds from an old version.
- Planning the workload: allocating work across the team, estimating drafting time and flagging when deadlines are at risk.
- Looking after CAD tools and files: templates, libraries, file storage, backups and access rights.
- Developing the team: coaching junior draughtspeople, sharing technical knowledge and handling performance and conduct issues.
When these tasks are neglected, the cost shows up later as rework, site queries, scrapped parts and disputes about which drawing was the correct one. Good drawing office management prevents this.
Course Outline
Key outcomes of this course include:
- Running a Drawing Office
- Principles of Engineering Drawing
- Importance of Company Standards
- Configuration Management (CM)
Running a drawing office
This topic looks at the drawing office as a system: how work comes in, how it is allocated and tracked, and how finished drawings are checked, approved and issued. Delegates consider roles and responsibilities, workflow, and the records a well-run office keeps.
Principles of engineering drawing
A manager has to judge whether a drawing communicates clearly and completely. This topic revisits the principles behind engineering drawings, such as views, projection, dimensioning and notes, so that managers can set expectations and review work with confidence.
Importance of company standards
Company drawing standards turn individual habits into a consistent output. Delegates discuss why standards matter, what a practical standard covers and how to introduce and maintain one so that the team actually uses it.
Configuration management (CM)
Configuration management keeps drawings, models and related documents consistent with the product or asset they describe. This topic covers identification, revision control, change requests and keeping an accurate record of the current approved configuration.
Customised training for your team. BOTI tailors this course to your organisation and runs it in-house at your premises, at its venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Request a quote or call 011 882 8853.
Course duration
2 days
Who should attend
This course is designed for the following individuals:
- Drawing Office Managers
- CAD Managers
It also suits senior draughtspeople and design technicians who are moving into a supervisory or management role, and project or engineering managers who oversee a drawing office.
Prior learning requirements
None
Building technical leadership in the drawing office
Many drawing office managers are promoted because they are strong technically. The step up to leading the office calls for a different set of skills: planning, delegating, setting standards and holding people to them. Teams that want to build this kind of technical leadership often combine this course with others:
- For the CAD skills of the team, AutoCAD Essentials (2D) and the AutoCAD Advanced Course.
- For drawing fundamentals, the Introduction to Technical Drawing Course.
- For offices using other platforms, MicroStation Fundamentals or Autodesk Revit Architecture Essentials.
- For the people side of the role, Supervisory Skills for Team Leaders.
If you are not sure which combination suits your team, ask BOTI to help you map the skills your drawing office needs against the courses available.
Frequently asked questions
What does a drawing office manager do?
A drawing office manager leads the team that produces technical drawings. The role covers setting drawing standards, managing the drawing register, making sure drawings are checked and approved before issue, controlling revisions, planning the team’s workload and looking after CAD tools and files.
Who should attend the Managing a Drawing Office course?
The course is designed for drawing office managers and CAD managers. It also suits senior draughtspeople moving into a management role and engineering or project managers who oversee a drawing office.
Do I need any prior learning for drawing office manager training?
No prior learning is required. Practical experience in a drawing office or with CAD software will help delegates relate the course topics to their own work.
How long is the Managing a Drawing Office course?
The course runs over 2 days. It covers running a drawing office, the principles of engineering drawing, the importance of company standards and configuration management.
Can the course run online or at our offices?
Yes. BOTI runs the course in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online.
To give your drawing office clear systems, consistent standards and reliable revision control, book Managing a Drawing Office Training for your team or request a quote. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected]. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Book or Obtain a Quote
As well as public courses, we can run this course for your team at your offices, online or at the BOTI venue. Use the button below to book or to request a proposal:
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