TO OBTAIN THE MOST BENEFIT FROM A CAD SYSTEM, DETAILED PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL. THE PLANNING MUST ADDRESS HOW THE CAD SYSTEM WILL MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMPANY IN DAILY OPERATION AND HOW TO PREPARE ENGINEERS AND DRAFTERS TO USE CAD. BECAUSE SMALLER COMPANIES ARE USUALLY LESS EXPERIENCED IN IMPLEMENTING COMPUTER SYSTEMS, IMPORTANT STEPS MAY BE MISSED IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING AND INSTALLING A SYSTEM THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE FOR THE COMPANY IN LESS TIME. SOME PRACTICAL STEPS AND GUIDELINES ARE OFFERED. THESE STEPS CONSIDER THE OPERATIONAL AND PERSONNEL NEEDS OF A COMPANY WHEN IMPLEMENTING A CAD SYSTEM.