While many companies are evaluating technology budgets for design, 2D CAD software remains critically important. Companies rely on 2D CAD software to maintain legacy data, support traditional processes/workflows, develop schematic designs/layouts, and manage and markup drawings.
Your 2D CAD software should continually provide a strong cost/benefit ratio, giving you the capabilities you need while benefiting your bottom line. Having a range of products to choose from helps you find the best software for your needs at the best value.
The Cost/Benefit Ratio of Your 2D CAD Software
Understanding the benefits of your CAD software versus its cost requires an evaluation of the capabilities that are important to your business and then determining whether your existing CAD software meets those requirements more affordably than other available options.
Using the following questions along with our features comparison webpage, you can assess whether you are paying too much for your current CAD software and if your organization has an opportunity to save.
- How well does your CAD software manage your legacy data?
- Can you read in and write out DWG, DXF, and DWT files?
- Can you create, edit, view, and markup any type of 2D drawing?
- Is your CAD software easy to learn and use?
- Are there different, cost-effective options for your business (whether you are looking for single users, multiple users, network licenses, or support)?
- Is your CAD software scalable or tailored to your specific needs?
- Does your CAD software offer a range of products with the options you need (this may include feature sets, licensing options, and software customization via an Application Programming Interface – or API)?
- Do you need a product with 3D design and/or 2D constraints?
- Does your CAD software cost the same or less than other CAD software that offers similar capabilities?
Doing the Math on Your 2D CAD Software
Once you’ve considered all the above variables, and probably others that are unique to your business, it’s time to do a little calculating. ROI is expressed as the ratio that compares the money you’ll save (the Total Savings) from implementing a software solution (the Total Costs). In the end, a positive ROI is better than a negative one. With a positive ROI, the further away it is from zero, the better.
If you’ve done your up-front due diligence, you’ll already have some numbers to plug into the above formula. Obviously, capturing all the different ways the software in question will cost and save you money is important.
Don’t forget about hidden costs, such as installation and implementation, ramp-up time, etc. Build those into your Total Costs number. Total Savings works the same way. How much time will you save with DraftSight? Will you be able to purchase less expensive hardware thanks to our lighter requirements? It all adds up.
Without turning this into a math lesson, suffice it to say that many of our customers have reported calculated ROIs above 300%, which is massive and sure to please upper management.
But what does that all mean in the real world? How does our calculated ROI equate to how long it will take to recoup the cost of switching to DraftSight? All you need is just a little more math. Just take the reciprocal of the equation prior to the x100 step. In our 300% example, the reciprocal of 3.00 is .33.
That number represents the percentage of a given period of time. So, multiply it by 12 (months), and you’ll find that in 4 months, DraftSight will have paid for itself.
Of course, a much friendlier price point is only one of the many reasons that make DraftSight a better professional CAD option for you.
If you’d like to see for yourself what your ROI for DraftSight might look like, you’ll need to give it a try first. Take DraftSight Premium for a spin with the free trial for 30 days, and it’s just a mouse click away: https://www.draftsight.com/freetrial.
Categories: DraftSight Features, ROI