You have made the decision to implement new home design software in your business.

You are excited, the staff is excited, this is going to be great!

But let’s sit back, breathe for just a minute, and think about the best way to implement the software so it becomes a meaningful part of your business and not an overwhelming ordeal for everyone involved.

Follow the planning, training, and personalization advice below so you and your team can hit the ground running when you implement new software in your business.

Planning

The best implementation starts with serious planning.

Adequate training is essential to ensure that everyone is prepared to use the software. Don’t go in with the mindset that you don’t need training – you do, even if it is time set aside to self-teach and practice, you need to allocate training time in your planning.

Know upfront what you can spend on training in both dollars and time. Here are some helpful steps to follow to understand what training you need.

Step 1

Go through the Quick Start Guide in Envisioneer. You can find it in Envisioneer, Help>Quick Start guide or on our website: https://www.cadsoft.com/quick-start-guide-2/. The Quick Start guide will give you a foundation of knowledge in Envisioneer. Don’t dive into a complicated project first – you wouldn’t do that with power tools. Do this simple exercise first. It gives you information about the tools.

Step 2

Did you feel comfortable with the Quick Start project? Either way, do the same exercise again. I always recommend repeating a lesson: the first time you read/follow, the second gives you a chance to evaluate whether you really understand the material.

Step 3

Evaluate what areas are important to you and where you may want to concentrate your learning.

Make sure you understand how to build a good model – walls/ceilings/roofs/columns&beams/foundations

1. Are you using Envisioneer for presentation purposes?
   • Make sure you understand materials. How to adjust them to make them more ‘reflective’ or ‘transparent’.
   • Make sure you understand the rendering process and all the associated settings.
   • Make sure you understand how to create panoramic Views, and VR exports or work with the VR mode in Envisioneer.
2. Are you using Envisioneer for estimating purposes?
   • Make sure you understand formulas and assemblies.
   • Make sure you understand framing settings.
   • Make sure you understand report templates.
3. Are you using Envisioneer for permit drawings?
   • Do you understand how to add worksheets?
   • Do you understand how to insert a Smartview?
   • Do you understand dimensioning and adding text?
   • Do you understand lineweights/scales and how to print?

Step 4

Decision time.

Do you have the time to invest in self-teaching or is formal training from an Instructor a better fit for you?

1. Self-teaching Methods:
   • Watch the online videos that are available on the Cadsoft YouTube. There are a variety of different subjects depending on how you want to use the software: design/estimating/working drawings/renderings/presentations. Jot down notes as you watch so you can refer to them when you try it yourself.
   • Try sample models. Read “sample models”, not production models yet. You don’t want to stress yourself out with working on a model that you need right away. Take your time and test your skills as you work through the videos.
2. Formal training. Refer to the training options below for the best option for you and your company to make the most of your software investment.

Training Options

You know your schedule so select a training strategy that will work for your team. Whatever you decide to do for training, just ensure you stick to it.

• Full Day learning. Get everyone in, focused solely on the new software, and professionally trained to move forward. Either in your office or at Cadsoft Headquarters. Cadsoft offers specific 1-, 2-, or 3-day agendas that have been an excellent option for many people, or we can customize an agenda to suit your needs. Contact sales for more information about how we can make implementation work for you.
• Online training. Doing a couple of hours each day for a few weeks to learn bits and pieces and slowly build your knowledge as you go may be best for those with busy schedules. There are a variety of topics and agendas to choose from, depending on the areas you want to learn, and they can be personalized to work with a model of your choice. Contact sales to find the best online courses for you.

Personalization

Envisioneer comes with a catalogue of elements and settings; for some, all your requirements will be met immediately upon installation, while for others, it will need personalization.

Personalization involves adding unique elements to the catalogue – wall types that suit your region, furniture and paint colours that match your specifications, or ensuring that the prices of each element reflect your fees. This adds extra value for those estimating with the software or for those who use specific brands and need them represented correctly in your models.

Personalizing a catalogue is an added cost, but if it saves time and effort later, it is well worth the upfront spend. Work with the Cadsoft team to develop a personalization plan for your team. The sales team can give you more information on what is involved.

Timing

If I can offer a single piece of advice, it would be – don’t try to keep your existing schedule.

Learning is an ongoing process. There will be a period of adjustment as everyone learns the new tool, so ensure you factor that into your project deadlines for the first few projects as you go live.

You are about to change how you do something in your business, so expect a disruption as you get used to the new workflow.

Ensure your implementation timeline is realistic and that staff are properly trained before you dive in headfirst. If you make a good implementation plan, then Envisioneer will be a great new asset to your business.