Scheduling your work

[SuperCAD]

I need some advice on scheduling.

Including myself, I have a total of 4 people to work on CAD projects. Based on a rough estimate of 6-7 hours of productive drafting time per day, I can take on between 24-28 hours of work each day.

My problem is when the project managers submit work requests and, based upon their due dates and the estimates for how long each project will take, I'm having some days where I'd need to get 48-54 hours of work done per day just to stay on track.

How do you, or how should I, handle these kind of situations? We don't (currently) use a project scheduling software (i.e. MS Project Pro) or a Gantt chart so it's hard to show who's currently working on what and how it will affect the company's work flow if something gets shoved in or goes over the allotted time. It also doesn't help that the project managers usually don't play nice so one probably won't give up a slot to help out another one.

Help.

[StykFacE]

Recently left my company due to being overworked, being underpaid, and lack of drafting support from new hires that were promised but never delivered. If it's from time to time I didn't worry about it. If it has become a problem, then look into the hand-off procedures from jobs being awarded, to being handed off to the drafters, and see how much time they are actually taking. One thing I did, was stand my ground. I can only design and draft so fast - beyond my skill it just simply overflows into more time - which I informed I will NOT do, due to some recent complications in me being overworked for 3 months straight with zero compensation (I was salary and already worked 45 hours a week normally).

If it still is a problem, try logging everything and then presenting it to upper management. Hope this helps some.

[Pablo Ferral]

You definately need to come up with a way of reporting to your managment. Weather it's a Gant chart or a single page 'Executive summary' just make sure that it's in a format that they are used to and will read, and dosen't take you to long to compile!

I have always found Robert Green's advice to be very helpful:
http://www.cad-manager.com/

[ReMark]

It's a given that all project managers assume and expect their job to be your #1 priority. When you have several projects being thrown at you all at one time and each manager demanding the top slot (i.e. - the bulk of your time) then it is time to get the boss involved. That's why he gets paid the big bucks. It helps if engineers can come up with realistic time frames but half will claim their job needed to be completed two days ago then once you deliver to them they sit on it for two weeks! If you're lucky there is a least one engineer who tells it like it is. When he says "I need this done by next Tuesday" you know he isn't kidding.

At one place I worked, a small consulting engineering office, there were six engineers and I was the only draftsman. Each engineer claimed his job was the most important one in the office. So I would tell each of them, "Yes, your job is my number one priority." They all would walk away happy. Then I would turn around and dump it on the office manager. She saw right through the B.S. and she then decided the real priorities. All the engineers had to accept her decision.

[Pablo Ferral]

Ha! Lucky old you ;-)

I tend to set them on each other and then try and get my head down and get some work completed will the flack flies over my head!

[wastewater]

I am so happy that we are not the only company that is fighting this battle. I am the Drafting Manager at a 100+ company. We 4 drafters that feed drawings to the sales staff, Engineering staff, Project Mangers, and Shop. The all expect that when they give us a project to do that it will be done in 30 min or so. You know its not that hard to draw lines and circles right. I can totaly understand where you are coming from. I to wish I could come up with a better way of doing scheduling and stuff.

[shirazbj]

Each engineer claimed his job was the most important one in the office.

Just wondering if there is a system to document how many load the engineers have created by their tendcy to change all the time?

[BIGAL]

I just tell them the truth and ask which of the others guys ahead of you will you tell personally that your job must be done first. Very important stand your ground if they go running to the boss thats good at least you can explain, if the boss insists then the other guy gets told the truth why his is not finished, the boss told you not to finish his started job on time.

Time management is not an easy task I have a couple of guns turn around and they ask whats next, another I am currently mentoring code word for checking his work he is on notice. You must be creative in what jobs are given to who rather than he/she needs a job give him the next one.

A good thing to think about is if you have a job that will take say 30minutes then do it ! its done and back to the others. Working out if its better to do 5 tiny jobs versus 1 big one can in the long run can be beneficial. Sometimes its a number game not size.

[qball]

i agree with standing your ground. I work for a small company, in a relatively small town. But I have found that the few times there are hard deadlines, I finish the drawings, print them, then they sit in the office out box for the client to pick up for 2 weeks. They pick them up then 6 months after they got their building permit they decide they are ready to start building. Certain people get a rush rush mentality in their head. It's just undue stress. I almost never work overtime. There is always more work tomorrow so you have to know when to stop.

[CyberAngel]

Including myself, I have a total of 4 people to work on CAD projects. Based on a rough estimate of 6-7 hours of productive drafting time per day, I can take on between 24-28 hours of work each day.

My problem is when the project managers submit work requests and, based upon their due dates and the estimates for how long each project will take, I'm having some days where I'd need to get 48-54 hours of work done per day just to stay on track.

The most important point is that this is not your problem. You didn't create it, and you can't solve it. Charts and software will better define the problem, but they won't solve it. Don't take the blame.

How does it get solved, then? I'd go with the consensus in this thread, you should get management involved. Ultimately, it's their responsibility, even though the project managers are causing the problem. When the work piles up, you need a clear-eyed, well-informed individual to prioritize it. That individual may be you, it may be the boss, it may be the office manager--anybody without a dog in the hunt. If there are two critical projects at the same time, you may have to work overtime. Otherwise, put in your 8 and go home. Don't let them stress you out.