1. What are the differences in the business models of paradigm IT Pvt. Ltd and paradigm Technologies Pvt. Ltd?.

1. Do you take up detailing work for reinforced concrete and steel structures?
2. In what formats can you deliver engineering documents and drawings
3. What are the formats in which you can accept input data?
4. Can we send drawings and documents to you as email attachments?
5. Where can we get the parameters to access you ftp server?
6. Will you be placing completed documents in the same folder as where the input data is?
7. Can you receive documents by fax?
8. Do you subscribe to a telephone ‘hotline’ service?
9. How do you backup your data?
10. What is your typical turn around time for design and detailing projects?

1. Do you have an ISO Certification?
2. What kind of quality control procedures do you adopt?
3. You cannot take hard copies of geographical and related digitization data. What quality control procedures do you adopt here?

1. Are all your technical staff are qualified engineers?
2. Do you have Architects and Building Service Engineers among your staff?
3. What are the type of structures your engineers have experience in structural design and detailing?
4. Are your engineers familiar with major international building codes?
5. Are technical people easily available for recruitment in your area?
6. How long will it take to mobilize a team for doing short term jobs?

What are the differences in the business models of paradigm IT Pvt. Ltd and paradigm Technologies Pvt. Ltd?.

paradigm IT was originally established as an export oriented unit and all Indian domestic work was handled by paradigm Technologies. As part of our business restructuring process, now all work under the geospatial domain is being done only through paradigm Technologies.

Do you take up detailing work for reinforced concrete and steel structures?

Paradigm is having two separate teams trained and experienced in detailing of both steel and concrete structures.

Structural steel team have been preparing shop drawings initially using basic AutoCAD software. Later in 2007 STRUCAD licenses, and in 2010 TEKLA licences were procured and our engineers and detailers were given training. The team is providing shop drawings for steel structures all over the world.

Reinforcement detailing team powered by STRAKON software customized as per the requirement, as well as ASD (AutoCAD Structural Detailing) could take up reinforcement bar placement drawings and bar bending schedules to all major international codes from the year 2000.

In what formats can you deliver engineering documents and drawings?

We normally try to avoid hand written calculations. Most of our calculations are done through MATHCAD, and such documents can be delivered in MATHCAD’s native *.mcd format. Hand calculations when inevitable are scanned and delivered as *.tif or *.pdf formats.

We will be able to issue the BIM non-editable models of the structures created in STRUCAD, TEKLA or REVIT so that the models can be viewed in viewers of corresponding softwares, which can be freely downloaded from websites . 2D drawings can be automatically extracted from these models. For structures not modeled in BIM, drawings can be prepared using AUTOCAD, BRISCAD, STRAKON or MICROSTATION and issue the drawings in *.dwg, *.kon , *.dgn or as *.pdf formats.

What are the formats in which you can accept input data?

We can accept drawings as *.dwg, *.dgn, *.kon, *.dxf, *.plt, *.dwf, *.pdf, *.tif, files and documents in *.txt, *.doc, *.xls, *.pdf files. Various other formats are also possible, please confirm the format with us should you need to send data in other formats.

Can we send drawings and documents to you as email attachments?

Yes you may. Each of our email boxes can accept up to 10MB of data. Since the emails are constantly checked and downloaded on to our local server, we can accept quite a lot of data as email attachment. However we prefer data uploaded on to our ftp server. The data uploaded on the ftp server can be downloaded fast and it synchronizes with our back up systems.

Where can we get the parameters to access you ftp server?

Please send an email to info@paradigm.in to tell us who you are and elaborate your need to access the ftp server. Our IT personnel will get back to you with the access information. You will then be provided an unique login name and password which will enable you to load files on the server. Except our administrator other users will not be able to view or access your files.

Will you be placing completed documents in the same folder as where the input data is?

Yes. However we have built in a drawing transmittal system with our web server. When we upload drawings, this system will notify you by email. You can then see the list of drawings on the site pertaining to your project with the option to download drawings as and when when you wish.

Can you receive documents by fax?

Yes. We have subscribed to a service which will email us the fax documents. If you have documents to be faxed on a regular basis, our service provider will allot us a telephone number within your country and area code. You will then just have to send faxes to this local number. The fax service will automatically scan your document and send it to us in an email.

Do you subscribe to a telephone ‘hotline’ service?

We do not subscribe to any hotline service. Instead we use IP messaging and telephony. All our lead engineers are available on Skype messenger systems. We have subscribed to ‘Skype-in’ service where you would be able to dial into a telephone number in your country to access our lead engineer’s Skype. (voice or voice mail)

How do you backup your data?

All our computers are on a peer to peer network. Internet access is through a Linux based internet server. A number of our computers run day and night and these act as the hubs for different projects. All computers assigned to work on a specific project are mapped to external hard disks connected to these hubs. We have a backup server which runs a routine to check the ‘file modified’ attribute of each file in the connected hard disks and compare them with the last back up. All modified files are then backed up on another external hard drive connected to the back up server. These latter external hard disks are changed every day of the week. The result is only one day’s work is lost in case of any hard disk crash. One week old data is always available for access. Also since completed documents are all send to clients by ftp. The latest documents are all available on the ftp server also.

What is your typical turn around time for design and detailing projects?

Since we have no shortage of technical staff, it is possible to assign a number of people on a project period of familiarization by the lead engineers. Hence the turn around time depends on the urgency of the work, geographical time zone and on the number of people who can physically work simultaneously on a project.

Do you have an ISO Certification?

Yes. Paradigm is an ISO 9001:2008 certified company.

What kind of quality control procedures do you adopt?

We normally send out only electronic documents. Before dispatching any document from the office, we take a number of hard copies of the documents for different stages of checking. At the first stage, the person who prepared the document checks a hard copy based on checklist, corrects the original, takes a hard copy of the corrected document and hands over the two hard copies along with the check list for checking by a second person. After the second person’s checking, correction is carried out by the first person and gets the correction verified by the second person. A final printout along with checklist then goes to the lead engineer and/or the principal engineer for any review and for final approval before the document is send out to the client. All the printouts are preserved till the project is complete.

You cannot take hard copies of geographical and related digitization data. What quality control procedures do you adopt here?

Our CAD personnel have developed a number of macros and routines to automate many of the procedures for such work to minimize errors. Then there are checking routines which will identify errors and problem areas. Finally all data is checked by a lead engineer on a separate computer before sending to the client.

Are all your technical staff are qualified engineers?

50% of our staff are graduate and post graduate engineers. 40% are technical school (diploma) graduates. 2% are CAD technicians. Balance are administrative and IT support professionals.

Do you have Architects and Building Service Engineers among your staff?

We hire the services of an external architect when required. We do not have any Building Service Engineers.

What are the type of structures your engineers have experience in structural design and detailing?

Buildings.(Reinforced Concrete & Structural steel) Shallow Foundations. Foundations for vibrating machinery, Tall chimneys, tunnels, bridges.

Are you engineers familiar with major international building codes?

We have designed structures with Indian (IS), British (BS), European (Euro), American (ACI & ASCI), German (DIN) and Australian (AS) codes of practice.

Are technical people easily available for recruitment in your area?

Kochi is the business capital of Kerala state. In and around Kochi there are a number of engineering colleges and polytechnic colleges which offer civil engineering degree and diploma courses. We have a regular training program in our office where we train fresh graduates for the additional skills required to perform the tasks in the office.

How long will it take to mobilize a team for doing short term jobs?

If less than five people are required for a short term job, (say a week) then mobilization could be immediate. Normally a team can be mobilized within two weeks of receipt of a work order.