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Hi I am trying to setup a users group at my current job. Does anyone have any experience at there current or previous position that could help me get started with ideas on how to set up a users group?
How often do you meet and for how long?
What content works well?
etc..
Any help would be appreciated.
Todd:
We used to have regular Friday morning user group meetings when we first started to use Pro/Engineer "back in the old days", but they tended to be led by our reseller's application engineers, who'd visit frequently (remember those days :-)).
When we started having to do it ourselves it was hard to sustain, particularly as our users spread to other facilities, so it dropped off and we relied on word of mouth and the occasional demo or two from PTC or a VAR to keep the group informed.
Today we have occasional meetings where we tend to do tips and tricks, or demonstrate some new or changes to modeling practices. We always have a webcast for all users when we upgrade to a new version of either Windchill or Creo to go over the important changes.
In order to do this however, someone has to pick up the ball and run with it. It is difficult and time consuming to demo stuff in a manner that gets your point across and it takes a lot of preparation. If you are lucky enough to have a small number of users who are prepared to do that, then you're in good shape: you can keep to a fairly regular schedule. If it's just one of you it's harder to keep to regularly scheduledmeetings.
Ifyou get good interest and engagement from your peers then you (and your bosses) will see the value in it. We've had some really good sessions and keen interest as everyone wants either to learn new things or to make sure that they are keeping up with their peers.
Having said that, it's amazing how different people are in the way they approach 3D modeling: some people are still using techniques from the 90's while others explore the user interface and try new things out. These meetings are good opportunities for the users to compare notes and you can get some really good ideas from them.
An important topic area to cover is company modeling and drafting standards, and these meetings are a great opportunity to keep everyone abreast of changes / improvements to these areas.
Good Luck!
Andrew Mansfield
KI, Green Bay, WI
In Reply to Todd Aldrich:
Hi I am trying to setup a users group at my current job. Does anyone have any experience at there current or previous position that could help me get started with ideas on how to set up a users group?
How often do you meet and for how long?
What content works well?
etc..
Any help would be appreciated.
We try to meet monthly and have an agenda developedby submitting ideas to present.Everyonein the group is expectedpresent at least once during the year.Each meetingtakes 1-2 hours depending on the topic. Topics include:
- Model/Assembly reviews by individuals to show techniques, concepts (Top Down, Master Model)Best Practices.
- Creo Tips and Tricks presented by individuals (specific tools:rounds, draft, blend, surfacing, workflow, PDM etc.)
- Reviewing items found online (tutorials, demonstrations etc.)
-Software Issues: Model problems (failed features, surfacing, etc)Software installation, 3rd party software integration.
After the presentations conclude there is usually a brief discussion and more often than not, someone has had a similar experience and offers a suggestion or it's put on the next agenda for further review.
Overall it has been a good experience with our team and improves communication. Good luck, let us know how it goes.
Eric