When it comes to upgrading your software, what makes the biggest impact on your decision? Is it financial? Is it training? Is it standards? Is it client requests?

There can be many reasons to upgrade or not to upgrade. I think that the best time to do it is when you have a combination of Push and Pull.

The pushmi—pullyu (pronounced "push–me–pull–you") is a fictional creature in the Doctor Dolittle stories. It is an animal which has two heads at opposite ends of the body. When it tries to move, both heads try to go in opposite directions.

Deciding when to upgrade can be like having two heads. One day you think you might upgrade and the next you think it is not worth the trouble. There may not be a "perfect time" to move forward. Will there be a time when all of the positives draw you forward and none of the negatives are there to slow you down?

I look for a combination of Pushes and Pulls

Pushes
Technology pushes us forward. Staying in one place soon has you falling behind. The developers of our software are making advances all the time. Just when you think that there are no more possible commands or options to add to a tool, they add more. If you don't move forward, then others will—your clients and consultants for example. They will be pushing you to get up to speed.

Bug fixes push you forward. There may be things in the newer tools that address your problems. Moving to another version may answer the problems that you have with your tools.

The CAD Manager is a push. You need to push forward. Your firm may not move fast enough in your opinion with tools. You may need to push them in order to advance. Pushing from you and your team is usually what needs to be done. Your firm may not move forward (until it is too late) without someone pushing from the inside.

Pulls
New tools can pull you toward an upgrade. As with bug fixes, new commands, options, and improvements beckon you to step up a level.

Your colleagues at other companies urge you to upgrade. They tell you about moving to the next release and how it works better and faster. They chide you about being left behind. They coax you into discussions about the newest release. They make you the point of jokes.

Client needs can pull you into a new version of software. The project requirements may call for a specific software version that you have not installed yet. This kind of pull is what you want to be prepared for. Getting caught off guard can make the upgrade even tougher.

Project demands can pull you forward. The mix of project team members from outside the firm can place stress on the team if conflicting versions of software are placed at odds with each other. If everyone else has moved, that makes a strong pull toward moving forward.

User desire can place stress on you to move toward and upgrade before you are ready. Or users could press you to move forward before the average user is ready to make the move. Rolling out new software to a team that is not prepared can cause difficulties.

Staying at the front of the technology curve is a definite pull. Being behind the curve impacts your productivity, your speed, and your ability to draw in top talent. Being behind in technology use eventually puts you behind in other areas. Firms that are too far behind start losing projects, staff and money. They are soon viewed as stuck in the past. No one wants to associate with them. Not clients, consultants, or employees.

If you're contemplating an upgrade
Here are a few things you can ask yourself and your team when you start considering an upgrade.

Pull questions
Are there enough new and improved items in there that we actually will use? Note: New features that you don't need are not a pull.

What advantages are there in the new features? Have they improved the old ones that you depend on? Is there a new feature that is worth the whole upgrade?

What is the cost of not moving forward? Are your clients ahead of you? Are your consultants? Is manufacturing requiring better models that the new software will deliver?

Push questions
Are you convinced that it is time to upgrade? Is the old software just too outdated to keep pace with the design team? Does it interact with new manufacturing equipment?

Who's asking for the upgrade? Clients? Project Managers? Designers? Your users and superusers?

Is it the right time to purchase the software? Are there financial incentives to move now?

Think it through
By looking into some of these issues and questions, you can make a valid case for moving or staying put. Be prepared to defend your decision. You can, if you have done your homework.

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Submitted by Mark W. Kiker, President of AUGI's Board of Directors. Mark is a National CAD Standards Project Team Member and team member of the National BIM Standard. He is the general editor of BLAUGI and also publishes caddmanager.com, the CADD Managers Journal, and the caddmanager.com blog. He is a returning faculty member of Autodesk University. He is currently Chief Information Officer for HMC Architects in Ontario, California, USA.