If your draftsman can no longer keep up with the workload, but you’re not yet ready to hire someone, investing in more efficient CAD software is often the fastest and most affordable solution. Smarter software enables a single draftsman to handle more projects in the same amount of time, without compromising quality or accuracy. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about this issue so you can make an informed decision.

What are the most common causes of capacity issues among drafters?

Capacity issues among drafters are usually not caused by a lack of technical expertise, but by inefficient work processes. The most common causes are repetitive manual drafting, slow software, an overwhelming workload due to a growing order volume, and time lost from constantly modifying existing designs.

Specifically, we see the following bottlenecks recurring most frequently in the manufacturing industry:

• Manually modifying existing drawings for each new customer order, even when the changes are minor
• No or limited use of templates and standard components, which means that each design effectively starts from scratch
• Software that responds slowly to changes, causing a designer to spend a lot of time waiting instead of designing
• Manually generating production output such as cutting lists, purchase lists, and NC codes
• Poor coordination between design and production, leading to additional communication and rounds of corrections

If your draftsman consistently has too much work, it makes sense to first analyze how much of that workload stems from processes that can be automated or simplified. Often, a large portion of the time lost isn’t in the design work itself, but in the steps surrounding it.

How can CAD software reduce a draftsman’s workload?

Modern CAD software can significantly reduce a draftsman’s workload by automating repetitive tasks, implementing design changes more quickly, and automatically generating production output. As a result, a draftsman spends more time on the actual design and less on administrative drafting work.

The biggest benefits come from the following features:

• Parametric design: adjust a single dimension, and the rest of the design adjusts automatically. Ideal for custom work in industries such as furniture and interior design.
• Reusable component libraries: Standard parts do not need to be redrawn every time, but are simply reused or slightly modified.
• Automatic generation of production output: cutting lists, purchase lists, sheet metal optimization, and NC codes are generated directly from the 3D model, without the need for manual data entry.
• Flexible adjustments without history limitations: Late-stage changes take seconds instead of hours, because you aren’t dependent on a complex design history.

For companies in the manufacturing industry that handle many similar yet unique orders, this distinction is enormous. With the right software, a single draftsman can handle many times more projects than with a traditional work method.

How much time does a draftsman save by using smarter CAD software?

The time savings a draftsman achieves with smarter CAD software vary by situation, but in the manufacturing industry, companies regularly report that design times are reduced by 30 to 60 percent after switching to more efficient software. This depends heavily on the type of work and how repetitive the current processes are.

The greatest time savings are achieved in the following areas:

• Adapting existing designs to meet new customer specifications
• Generating technical documentation and production files
• Communication with production, as drawings can be used immediately
• Correction rounds due to errors in manually entered measurements

If your draftsman currently spends three hours modifying a design and generating the corresponding production files, the right software can reduce that time to less than an hour. Multiply that by a workweek with multiple projects, and the difference in capacity quickly becomes apparent. In practice, this means more projects for the same draftsman, without overtime or compromising on quality.

What is the difference between hiring a new draftsman and investing in better software?

Hiring a new draftsman increases capacity, but involves high and long-term costs. Investing in better software increases the capacity of the draftsman you already have, at a fraction of the cost and without the challenges of recruitment and training.

Here’s a summary of the differences:

• Costs: An additional draftsman can easily cost more than 40,000 euros per year in salary, employer contributions, and workspace costs. Software is a one-time or annual investment that costs a fraction of that amount.
• Lead time: Finding, selecting, and training a new employee takes an average of three to six months. New software can be up and running within a few weeks.
• Scalability: Once the busy season is over, you’ll have a permanent employee on staff. The software scales with your order volume without any fixed costs.
• Risk: An employee who leaves after six months leaves a gap. The software remains available.

That’s not to say that hiring a new draftsman is never the right choice. But if the problem lies in inefficient processes rather than a structurally excessive workload, software is the more logical first step. Also take a look at the industries for which CAD solutions are available to see if your sector aligns with what modern software has to offer.

How quickly can a draftsman learn to use a new CAD program?

A draftsman with some CAD experience can become productive using a modern, intuitive CAD package within a few days to a few weeks. For basic designs, someone can often get off to a good start on day one after receiving proper training. It typically takes two to four weeks to work completely independently on complex projects.

The learning curve depends on a number of factors:

• The software’s intuitiveness: systems without complex history trees are easier to learn
• The availability of quality training and support
• The artist’s experience with similar 3D environments
• The complexity of the products being designed

For companies concerned about a lengthy transition period, it’s good to know that some CAD packages are specifically designed to be easy to learn, even for drafters accustomed to traditional systems. Targeted training can further shorten the learning curve, so your drafters will be up and running in no time.

When is the right time to hire an additional illustrator?

Hiring an additional draftsman makes sense when the workload remains consistently too high, even after processes have been optimized and the software is being used to its full potential. If a single draftsman, even with efficient tools, still cannot process all orders on time, expanding the team is the logical next step.

Clear signs that the time is right:

• Delivery times are consistently increasing despite process improvements
• The illustrator often has to work overtime or can’t take a vacation without running into problems
• Your order volume has grown steadily, not just seasonally
• More complex projects require specialized knowledge that today’s draftsman does not possess
• There are strategic reasons to embed knowledge internally, such as succession planning or continuity

It’s a good idea to start by upgrading to better software so you can determine your current team’s true capacity. Only then can you make an accurate assessment of whether additional staff is truly necessary, or whether smarter tools alone can make all the difference. Check out the experiences of other manufacturing companies to see how they’ve tackled this issue.

How IronCAD Helps Handle More Projects with the Same Draftsman

IronCAD is the CAD solution we use for companies in the manufacturing industry whose drafters are overwhelmed with work. The software is specifically designed to speed up design processes and eliminate repetitive manual work. Here are the specific benefits for your situation:

• Designing without history constraints: make changes at any point in the design process without having to rebuild the entire model
• Automatic generation of production output: cutting lists, purchase lists, sheet metal optimization, and NC codes are generated directly from the 3D model
• Steep learning curve: illustrators are productive within days, not after months of training
• Seamless integration with production: fewer rounds of revisions and fewer communication issues between design and the shop floor
• Flexible customization: ideal for industries such as furniture and interior design, where every order is unique

Would you like to know if IronCAD is the right solution for your drafters and your production process? Feel free to contact us via our contact form, and we’ll explore the possibilities together.