CADsmart Releases Latest Version of CAD Skills Assessment Software

    BRISTOL, UK, October 15, 2008 /24-7PressRelease/ -- After 6 years as the market leader, CADsmart released version 6 of its CAD skills assessment software at the end of September. CADsmart v6 utilises the latest in up to date technology*, including live video recording of candidate assessments, which can be replayed when needed for training and support. This improved application means that companies will find it easier and quicker than ever to assess their employees', and potential employees', AutoCAD and MicroStation abilities and productivity. Existing customers are automatically upgraded to the latest software as part of their subscription, so CADsmart v6 has no sting in the tail!

The easy to install software has two main applications:

1. A 'Premier' assessment, typically an hour long, that can be used once or twice a year to evaluate employees' CAD skills, productivity and speed. 'Premier' pin-points areas which will benefit from training and development.

2. An 'Xpress' exercise of around 10-20 minutes that is perfect for interview situations where a potential employee's CAD expertise needs to be speedily revealed.

CADsmart is a cost-effective and speedy alternative to other long-winded solutions such as using one-to-one interviews with staff to gauge their level of CAD experience, developing an in-house "CAD test", or putting staff through more formal examinations.

In comparison, the CADsmart software package requires minimal supervision and incorporates automated marking to provide instant results once the exercise has been completed.

One long-term customer is WSP Group Plc which provides design, engineering, management and consultancy services. With more than 8,000 staff in over 100 offices world-wide, WSP has been using CADsmart since 2006. David Hoole, UK CAD improvement manager, says,
"CADsmart has proved to be a valuable tool in increasing visibility and understanding of our large and diverse CAD user-base. The individual assessments combine to allow us to develop targeted training programmes, making efficient use of our resources. In addition to training needs analysis, CADsmart assessment also forms part of our recruitment process, helping to provide a more objective view of potential employees."

CADsmart is equally effective in smaller situations. For businesses of any size the ultimate goal is productivity. Research has shown that, by targeting simple performance improvements each year, companies can make significant productivity gains. With an average salary of $40K / 25k p.a. and a 225-day working year, a target of 5 per cent annual improvement in performance is worth $2,000/ 1,250, or 11.25 extra days per person per year.

For a review copy of CADsmart, or a more detailed case study, please contact Tony Brown ([email protected]), or visit http://www.cadsmart.net/ for more information.

* The latest technology features:

- live video capturing of assessment sessions
- improved all-round stability and robustness using a VB.net framework and web services
- improved GUI and clearer question presentation
- option of custom library creation and language versioning
- easier assessment recovery in the event of network loss or CAD system crash

About CADsmart

CADsmart has been assessing CAD skills in the AEC market for over 6 years. We provide the only independent AEC industry CAD skills benchmark. Our software is used by many top Architects and Engineers around the world to help raise CAD standards and productivity. We are authorised developers for both Autodesk and Bentley.

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