Problem:

The Design Firm is a full service Design Group for Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical and Interiors.  They are using both AutoCAD Architectural Desktop and Building Systems to create their designs.  They are currently at 50 users and expect to grow to 80 users in the next year to year and a half.  AutoCAD is not installed and configured the same on all of the computers.  Their current installation of AutoCAD has been customized by someone that is no longer with the firm.  The customization works on some computers and not others.  The users are continuously losing their pull down menus, there is at least four different locations the customization is being stored.  No one at the firm knows how or why the customization works or doesn't work.  The firm wants the users to work to a company standard but doesn't want the user to have to figure out how to get AutoCAD to do what they want it to do, they just want it to work the way they think it should.  The firm is looking to add some additional features to their customization to make it even easier for the users to use.

Review all of the current customization that is located in multiple locations and consolidate it into one location.  Create a installation process to insure that AutoCAD gets installed on all of the computers exactly the same.  Create a startup routine that will check to make sure correct menus etc. are installed or fix any item that is not correct at startup.  Review all of the current customization and fix or make modifications to make it work correctly.  Add additional features that the users have requested.  Make sure that all customization is available from pull down menus, tool bars and shortcuts.

Outcome:

All of the customization was located in one location to manage and make changes.  The customization would repair itself at startup if things were not correct.  A software install using a web page interface was created so the software install would be the same on all the computers it is installed on.  Added additional features that was requested.

Statistics:

There were fifty (50) users of the current customization.  The project took twenty one (21) months to implement all the required and requested items.  The total project development was 850 hours and $51,000.