ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTING COMPANIES: IN-HOUSE OR OUTSOURCE?

Architectural drafting companies are perfect allies in completing complex projects effectively and on time. Both, in-house staff and outsource providers can help Architects to achieve these goals but what is more beneficial and fast?

Let’s imagine the situation in which an architectural company got a large-scale and complicated project that promises good money. The task includes many architectural drawings of different types. The problem is the studio only has three draftsmen who are specialized in a few drafting areas but don’t cover all necessary CAD views, such as landscape, etc. On top of that, one of the employees got ill and there is nobody to replace him so quickly. How the architectural studio can finish the job on time in such circumstances?

Just look for the alternatives! We analyzed the utility of in-house staff of draftsmen and outsource architectural drafting companies based on several key categories. Learn about the pros and cons of in-house and remote draftsman services in terms of turnaround time, prices, and other conditions to make the best decision.        

#1. Time

Having a staff of draftsmen under the supervision allows an architectural studio to perform work immediately and the lead Architect to control the process from start to finish. But if there are only a few specialists in the staff, large projects take too much time. Sure, big companies can hire more draftsmen to cover every type of task, but smaller businesses do not have such an opportunity. 

Outsource architectural drafting companies usually have a lot of employees that can work on large projects simultaneously, accelerating the progress. Moreover, it is possible to organize a whole team of specialists just for a difficult task with tight deadlines. In addition, remote drafting companies can be in a different time zone, which allows working on the project almost around the clock – Architects finish the tasks while outsource architectural draftsmen only start their day.

#2. Costs

Hiring and adapting a staff of drafting specialists requires a huge budget. Firstly, Architects need to pay for HR services that help to search for professionals. Secondly, the purchase of equipment and software is a must as well as periodical training courses. And last but not least, a standard package of employment that includes a regular salary, social support, and taxes.

As for outsource architectural drafting companies, Architects pay only for the time spent on the project and nothing else. Drawing specialists have their own updated equipment that provides results in any necessary format. On top of that, professional drafting specialists always learn new things in CAD and improve their skills, while clients reap the benefits of it. 

#3. Skills

It is not a problem for big architectural companies to hire dozens of high-class specialists and pay them good money. Medium and small businesses, however, simply cannot afford to have many in-house draftsmen of various specializations. The main reason is first-class core specialists won’t work for average salaries. Such an outcome narrows the possibilities of working on complex projects.

When it comes to prominent architectural drafting companies, they can have about 100+ employees at once. Moreover, these draftsmen specialize in different types of architectural drawings, programs, tools and regularly learn new skills in courses and workshops. In this way, even the most complicated project can be handled without any problems.

#4. Quality

Naturally, having in-house employees allows personally controlling the quality of their work and monitoring the whole process from start to finish. But to achieve such a smooth workflow, an Architect has to firstly adapt draftsmen to the standards of the studio. Besides, only the biggest companies can get the most skilled specialists in their crew, others learn along the way.

Talking about quality standards, there is a risk of unsatisfying results when working with freelancers as they can disappear at any moment or won’t complete corrections on time. On the other hand, drafting studios offer quality guarantees that are checked by Project Managers by default. Sometimes, CAD companies like ArchiCGI even return payments if the result does not meet clients’ requirements.

#5. NDA

Confidentiality agreements are usually signed along with an employment contract, so employers are not afraid of leaking corporate information when hiring in-house staff. However, such legal security is only provided by companies with a strong team of lawyers. In other cases, there is the same risk of ex-workers using projects’ materials for their benefit. 

Outsource architectural drafting companies are not far behind big businesses in terms of reliability and legal protection. CAD studios offer to sign NDA and discuss all the nuances of cooperation beforehand. On top of that, all intellectual property is also secure in the hands of such remote drafting studios as they care a lot for the reputation and image. 

Having your team of draftsmen at hand is undoubtedly a big advantage. However, for the effective implementation of various projects, the in-house team should consist of many specialists of different profiles. It is possible for large companies with huge budgets, but what should small architectural and design companies do? Outsource architectural drafting studios give the same results as a huge staff, only faster and more profitable. No need to spend time hiring employees and providing them with everything necessary – a remote drafting studio will select specialists for each project, and the team of draftsmen will be able to complete the project in no time.

Want to get amazing drawings without the hassle of hiring your own staff? Use ArchiCGI drafting services and get fast and guaranteed results without any risks.