Maintaining a Reputation of Excellence

Since its founding in 1983, Northern California
based structural engineering firm MKM &
Associates has built an impressive reputation for
dedication and expertise. The firm’s team of
engineers and structural technicians has been
entrusted with a wide range of commercial,
residential, and institutional projects throughout
the West Coast.
“At any given time, we might be designing a new
elementary school, planning the expansion of an
inn, engineering a large housing subdivision, or
working on a post tension slab for a four story
senior-assisted care facility,” said Mark Douglas, a
Structural Technician at MKM. “We’re always
working on multiple projects—we have at least
fifty projects in development right now.”
For MKM, continued success requires not just the
right people, but the right tools. “A key ingredient
in MKM’s continuing success has been its
commitment to incorporating state-of-the-art
technology,” explained Douglas. “Our challenge is
to stay abreast of the latest technological
innovations and make sure our people don’t get
pigeon-holed into an old way of doing things.”
The Solution
A Powerful New Release of AutoCAD
It was precisely this professional philosophy that
made upgrading to AutoCAD 2006—the world’s
leading software for 2D drafting, detailing, design
documentation, and basic 3D design—a natural
decision for MKM.
Additionally, the migration to AutoCAD 2006 was
virtually effortless. “Autodesk has done a great job
of making it painless to upgrade from version to
version,” said Douglas. “The built-in migration
tools really simplify the procedure. The whole
process was seamless—just a couple of clicks and
we were ready to start using the new software.”
The Results
Productivity Enhancing Innovations
AutoCAD 2006 provides a host of usability
improvements to everyday drafting and
documentation tools. One of the innovations that
has benefited MKM most has been the Dynamic
Blocks feature. Dynamic Blocks enable users to
reduce the size of their block libraries while giving
them block options that are easier to access,
manipulate, and place.
“The Dynamic Blocks have been great,” stated
Douglas. “In the past, it could be quite a chore to
create a block for every single type of steel shape,
for example, that you’d be working with. Because
the Dynamic Blocks automatically adjust as you’re
working with them, we’ve easily cut down the
amount of time we have to spend manipulating
blocks. Subsequent modifications to details and
plans have cut this block manipulation time
significantly. The way Autodesk has helped us to
automate the process is really quite impressiveyou’d
almost have to go out of your way to make a
mistake.”
Additionally, MKM has gained a productivity boost
by converting its long-standing library of LISP
applications into Dynamic Blocks. “It’s really
advantageous for our users not to have to
remember a series of different LISP routines in
order to run their production drawings,” said
Douglas. “When we were working on our post
tension slab project, we had six or seven
procedures that people had to memorize—now all
we have to remember is the Dynamic Block, or
drag it from a tool pallet, and it’ll accomplish the
same results for us.”
MKM also has seen significant time savings from
the powerful sheet set management features, first
introduced in AutoCAD 2005. “With the Sheet Set
Manager, we can literally hit three clicks and print
a thousand sheets—all collated and with updated
title block information,” said Douglas. “Previously,
that would have taken us two to three hours. If
anything’s the biggest timesaver in our office, it’s
probably that feature alone.”
A Foundation for Success
Overall, AutoCAD 2006 has provided MKM with
the state-of-the-art technology it needs to stay on
the cutting edge. “Upgrading to AutoCAD 2006 is
a win-win for everyone involved,” said Douglas. “It
makes sure our people are continually learning and
are finding new ways to be productive—and that,
in turn, allows us to offer the best possible service
to our clients. It’s just smart business.”
To learn more, visit:
www.autodesk.com/autocad
Try AutoCAD at:
www.autodesk.com/autocad-trial
AutoCAD 2006’s new Dynamic Blocks feature has
reduced the amount of time MKM would have spent
manually adjusting blocks by 75%