Lizardos has a long tradition of staying ahead of the curve. Yet, in 2003 we encountered significant challenges when we received several projects from architects who used Autodesk's Architectural Desktop software. Although Lizardos was one of the first mechanical and electrical engineering firms to convert completely to CAD, we often had difficulty opening and reading the Architectural Desktop files using AutoCAD LT software. In many cases, we actually had to ask for a hard copy to ensure that our version matched what the architect had provided. This was time-consuming and costly.

In addition, since many of our clients required our designs to include a 3D model, we realized that a change needed to be made. In order to solve the problem and stay at the forefront of new technology, we helped pioneer Autodesk Building Systems (now AutoCAD MEP) and applied it to our workflow process. The improvement with outside architects was immediate. Further, we saw similar results among all disciplines for all of our clients.

By standardizing on AutoCAD MEP, we've increased productivity by 15%, and improved accuracy and design coordination.

Through AutoCAD MEP, we can also:

• Deliver more advanced, higher-quality engineering systems for buildings.
• Reduce risk and minimize inefficiencies in building design, engineering construction and operation.
• Generate accurate construction documentation quickly.
• Save significant time on project revisions with productivity tools that automate much of the revision process, e.g., changes that would have required days can now be made in 15 minutes.
• Maintain a consistent look and feel of drawings.

Since implementing AutoCAD MEP, Lizardos has completed over one hundred projects and continues to explore how we can improve our use of design software to benefit our clients.

© 2007 Lizardos Engineering Associates, P.C. All rights reserved.