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The CAD Manager is born

From my AU 2007 class – CAD Manager Career Path:

The CAD Manager career path is one of the youngest forms of management in our technically advancing world. With the introduction of CAD in the mid eighties, there came a need for someone specialized technicians to run the computers. With the multiplication of systems, managers were needed to coordinate work efforts and all of the processes that surrounded the electronic drafting functions.

The Drafting Room Supervisor gave way to the computer operators and technical support people involved in learning, using and keeping the CAD equipment working. As users learned to operate this new technology, they began to teach users in the trades. As use expanded, drafting moved from the mundane efforts of drafting and saw the beginnings of design work being done on CAD.

It was quickly seen that the discipline trained users produced more accurate output than the technicians did. These design focused users soon took over the drafting efforts, but still had computer technicians around to maintain the equipment.

Eventually the discipline trained draftsman started coordinating the work of other users. With the introduction of the PC the need for the master technician was reduced and eventually eliminated. The discipline user advanced into managing the efforts and eventually supporting the PC