I am getting a company issued computer and will not have administrative access. Just looking for suggestions on what programs to have installed. I do mostly construction layout, as-builts, and quantities. I mostly work with Leica robot, but I do have a Topcon RTK in the truck.
Thanks
Some Programs May Not Work
GPS and CAD programs automatically overwrite the previous file as points are manipulated. That requires the program to have admin privileges or you will get no work done.
Paul in PA
> I am getting a company issued computer and will not have administrative access. Just looking for suggestions on what programs to have installed. I do mostly construction layout, as-builts, and quantities. I mostly work with Leica robot, but I do have a Topcon RTK in the truck.
>
> Thanks
I would suggest the following:
- LGO (Leica Geo-Office) for the robot
- Whatever Survey/Civil CAD package you prefer
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
Google Earth
Bluebeam revue
Dwg trueView
Excel
[msg=266875]thread 266945[/msg]
Well, if they are going be strong-armed about not giving you admin rights, then make them decide what programs "they think" you need.
I agree! Just ask them what they expect you to get done and what file formats are needed for data exchange. What you need to give to/get from the office and view in the field will define the minimum requirements.
Then talk to experienced office users of these programs. Ask if the lack of admin rights will limit the programs. If it does ask the office users to explain to your supervisor and IT what is required.
Also if any of the programs suggested are new to you ask the experienced users if training is required. Some of the current programs are less than user friendly to the untrained. If training is required you may be unable to produce anything usable until you get training.
Unfortunately some supervisors have been away from the field long enough to be unfamiliar with the field and some office software. If you are in a large company this is even more likely to be the case.
IMHO it's all God complex I think.
(that was redundant wasn't it)
IT people (in my experience) have been nothing short of a hindrance.
Dilbert has it right
He has a character "Mordac - Preventer of Information Systems"
I just love it when IT get in the way of doing of the job
Can't most programs be set up so the data is in a user space that doesn't require admin, and only the program itself is protected?
> Can't most programs be set up so the data is in a user space that doesn't require admin, and only the program itself is protected?
Yes, that's my experience working in large outfits. Program installed/controlled by IT folks, no issues using them.
Yes, you can set up the data in project folders and work with them. BUT, how does one then configure the software to do all of the things it's supposed to do without administrative privileges?
Tell the IT people that they will need to go to a training session solely on program configuration, because you will not be able to do it.
I just went through this with our IT gurus. I told them that they would have to set everything up. They said they know systems and not individual packages. I told them "Too bad. It's your rule, you come do it". They came over, stuck the Carlson CD in the drive and accepted all the defaults. They looked at me and said, "See, there's nothing to it!".
I asked them why my Field to finish was not working correctly. They did not know. I told them to get the training that I had paid for and then, MAYBE, they could do it, but as it sat it was totally useless. I asked them about the .dwt file and how I could modify it. They did not know. I asked then about the symbol library. They did not know. I asked about the F2F for our standard work and a separate one for our Corps work. They did not know. I asked them about loading Quick Keys into my Carlson Survey with Embedded AutoCAD. They did not know. I told them they needed to learn real quick because we had a BIG Corps job on the horizon and we needed our software to work correctly.
They left. I went and changed the settings for administrative privileges I needed to make Carlson run.
They had also set up the Big Boss's computer in their way. Nothing worked. He was HOT!! He called me in and told me to make his computer work like mine. I told him that IT said that was not allowed. He made a phone call and now it is allowed.
IT wits over rate themselves. Sure, setting up a network is tough. I would not even try. Everyone should be allowed to do only what t hey really know how to do.
If your IT wits will not give you administrative privileges, pack up the computer and software and give it back to them and tell them to send it to someone else to set up. You are not IT, so it is not your job. They either need to snit or get off the pot.
If what you are saying is true, it would be a wise move by Carlson to make sure that the proprietary files & settings can be customized by users without administrative privileges (if sales are targetting large organizations).
I would not expect an IT guy to customize a CAD package. The CAD program should be designed in a way that the user can change settings within the program without Windows administrative privileges. Now within the program, there could be a system as such - similarly to Leica Viva systems where the office can restrict changes in the configurations.
Having IT people know the intricacies of each programs of a company and how to configure and troubleshoot them is a tall order.
As usual, there are two sides to this coin. An employee has administrative privileges on their machine. They load unauthorized software. They leave for whatever reason. They report the unauthorized software. If you do not think that management needs to protect itself, you have never been in management. Of course, good management will let the IT people know that the condition of their continued employment is to facilitate the people who are actually producing revenue for the company. A good survey company will not fall in the trap of becoming an IT, HR or accounting company. Keeping the main thing the main thing requires a continuous effort.
When using Carlson, or any other software that has these limitations (ie. most software), you can reset "permissions". The customizable portions can be reset to where you can modify them. This is not the default settings.
Our policy now is, you can have limited admin privileges, but if you screw up something by abusing those settings, you are gone. No questions asked. The loading of additional software on company machines is strictly monitored. If it is not job related, it is not allowed. That's another line an employee knows not to cross. The penalty is the same as above.
