An Introduction to the CAD Service Department

The FOCUS CAD Service Department plays a crucial role in the construction process. It is responsible for designing homes and townhomes for production builders, as well as additions and remodels for residential clients. The department collaborates with clients to bring their dream homes to life.

To aid in this process, they utilize various software to render images of these buildings, enabling clients to visualize every element. The software has multiple benefits:

• Chief Architect & REVIT: renders plans in real-time, builds in 3D, designs and prints 2D footprints, covers the full spectrum of architectural design—doors, windows, the look of materials on the face of the home.
• AutoCAD: drafts structural plans for engineers and grades home sites for residential clients.

Christian Broberg, a designer in CAD Services, is a strong advocate for effective communication. He shares his team’s strategies in their daily interactions, which are vital to maintaining a high communication standard.

Q. How does FOCUS’ Core Ideology of Quality Communication come to the fore in CAD Services?

A. Externally, much coordination and communication happens with our clients. They may need help, direction, and knowledge of what works in the design and what doesn’t. They’re looking for suggestions to improve and revise their plans. It takes good questions, good listening, clearly restating what we’ve understood, and identifying our commitments so that we can be held accountable.

Internally, when clients revise their plans, that revision has a ripple effect that spans from engineering to grading, so we must communicate effectively with each of our teams. Additionally, many of our clients, especially our production builders, have tight deadlines and expectations, so they must receive accurate plans promptly. It requires high levels of internal communication with our teams to deliver on time, consistently.

Q. What is your communication strategy for clients?

A. Our goal is to be highly responsive and to aim for clarity and directness in our sharing. We often clarify what our clients have said, send a follow-up email stating what we agreed to, and format our emails so they’re easy to read and follow. We are committed to going the extra mile to ensure our clients feel reassured and confident in our services.

Q. What unique communication challenges does CAD Services often face, and how does the team effectively overcome these challenges?

A. The CAD Services Department faces unique communication challenges, such as explaining complex technical concepts to our valued clients. This task requires patience, understanding, and simplifying complex ideas. Our team has developed effective strategies to overcome these challenges, ensuring our clients are always well-informed and comfortable with the design process.

We have found that visual aids greatly help when communicating with our clients. We schedule meetings to share our computer screens or take a few screenshots images of a rendered image and send those in an email or use red ink to highlight specific areas of particular importance. Additionally, we use terms our clients understand and avoid making assumptions that they are familiar with industry-specific terminology.

Q. What are the key features of excellent communication in your experience?

A. One marker to indicate that communication was successful is that both parties understand one another. It’s important to us that there is consensus, especially when decision-making is about building an individual’s home. At FOCUS, we strive for excellence in customer service. Clear communication is one of the ways we meet that goal. We want to make our clients happy and treat them the way they want to be treated—a Platinum Rule we adhere to. A marker of excellent communication is that our clients leave feeling happy, have had a positive experience, and we have met or exceeded their expectations.

Q. How does responsiveness benefit your projects? 

A. At FOCUS, responsiveness is not just a component of our client communication; it’s a testament to our dedication to client satisfaction. We want our clients to know they are a valued part of our operation, not merely a transactional partner in business. We want them to be assured that choosing FOCUS was the right decision for their project, and we will continue to care for them throughout the remainder of their project and any future projects they entrust to us.

A steadfast commitment to Quality Communication is at the heart of FOCUS’ Core Ideology. This principle is a guide and a promise to our clients and our team. It serves as a pillar of our operations in CAD Services, ensuring that every interaction is clear, effective, and meaningful.