In a time long long ago in a place not unfamiliar to many there were nobles who designed the most beautiful structures. They did this all with a simple pen and paper. Alas the translation between their works of art and the building process were often hindered by simple things like scale and consistency.
Then one day the nobles were assisted with the help of a new tool. A tool that helped ensure consistency, accuracy, reliability. Computers and AutoCad brought architecture and engineering out of the dark ages and into a renaissance of new and beautifully built buildings. However our joyous tale remains not so joyous in the end. The nobles despite being graced with tools from beyond now used to make their lives easier and their work product better have consciously chosen to keep the tradesmen from enjoying the same benefits. Computers and AutoCad are for the elite nobles and not for the common riffraff. It is not for a subcontractor to question. It is not for the owner to understand the problems of this practice. It is for the elites to choose their way of business for no one else truly matters.
Paper reintroduces additional error and potential for error and YET and yet…this is what is foisted everyday, bid after bid on subcontractors. They are forced to recreate the work and measurements of these nobles at a great waste of time and a potential for many mistakes due to another layer of human error and imprecise tools/measurement.
There are some who will share their precious cads and to them we salute you. For all others it is time to allow the trades to use something other than just paper. For the owners it is time to understand that you are truly paying for all of this extra duplicated work all while being exposed to longer build times and lower quality.
