Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1449048
48 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2022 What if you must learn a new EDA tool aer mastering another tool and utilizing it very successfully for many years? From your employer's perspective, what is your return on investment (ROI) to them? Before the change to a new PCB design tool, your ROI was likely very high. Now, you're learning a new a tool, which usually leads to a drop in your ROI for a period. e duration of time depends on several factors. How fast can you get up to speed on the new tool? What are the company's expectations for you to be assimilated into "e Collective"? And perhaps most importantly, what is your personal attitude? What is your willingness to adapt to this new soware? If you're early in your design career, you probably wouldn't hesitate to accept this type of change. But what if you have been with a company for 40 years, using the same tool for all that time, and now you are being directed to make this change to a new tool? Every designer is different, so is every tool, and each tool has a learning curve. Do you assimilate into "e Collective" and learn the new tool? Or do you simply find a new employer who uses the tool you have mastered and jump ship to that new company? Aer spending years designing PCBs and integrating into many "collectives" through my career, I can honestly say it's not that simple. Yes, learning a new tool has its advantages, especially in the long run, and especially if your company is willing to pay you to learn a new tool. Learning a new tool opens the door to more opportunities down the road. But again, what if you're 40 years deep with the com- pany? Do you assimilate with the change, find another employer, or if your finances allow it, do you just ride off into retirement? I have witnessed this scenario many times with friends and colleagues. What I have learned over the years is that there is no right or wrong answer, and each of us must make the decision that is best for us and our respective families. Now, what if the change is not with a design tool, but rather a change in company culture? A company's culture can make or break a com- pany. If a company's culture is negative, word will get out and people will not want to work there. But if a company's culture is sound, it will attract great talent. What would you do if your division merges into a larger division and forces you into a new company culture that you find disagree- able? Again, if you have been with a company for a very long time, it's not that simple to just assimilate into "e Collective." As PCB designers and design engineers, most of us are accustomed to dealing with near-constant changes in technology and the electronics industry overall. Many of us would just assimilate as needed and move on. But don't be surprised if you find yourself sitting in your office, where you wielded your previous design tool as a true master, and you hear that familiar, low-pitched, digitized voice: "Resistance Is futile." DESIGN007 Stephen Chavez is chairman of the Printed Circuit Engineers Association. Every designer is different, so is every tool, and each tool has a learning curve. Do you assimilate into "The Collective" and learn the new tool?