Need additional drawing-office capacity without handing over your entire engineering project? Word of Mouth Trading & Detailing (WOM) provides project-based outsourced CAD and engineering detailing support for mining, industrial, steel fabrication and plant-project teams. Based in Pretoria, we work remotely with your engineering team or collaborate from your project office or site by arrangement.
Our role is practical: work from your approved design information and standards, coordinate technical interfaces, produce agreed drawings and models, and maintain a controlled handover. We can support a defined backlog, a single workfront, or a longer drawing-production programme, subject to agreed capacity and project requirements.
When an outsourced drawing office makes sense
- Fabrication deadline approaching: steel models are underway but assembly drawings, single parts, fabrication reports or NC/DXF deliverables are falling behind.
- Temporary drawing-office overload: an EPCM, engineering consultant or fabricator needs additional production and checking coordination without recruiting for a permanent post.
- Multidisciplinary project: structural, mechanical, platework and piping drawing packages need aligned revision control and coordination of interfaces.
- Brownfield changes: as-built information, site feedback and vendor revisions need to be incorporated into a controlled model and drawing set.
- Project-office support: on-site or client-office attendance is beneficial during a concentrated review or production period.
The work WOM can take off your drawing-office backlog
Tekla structural steel and fabrication detailing
Steel frames, access platforms, supports, stairs and walkways; model development; assembly and single-part drawings; erection/general arrangements; bills of materials; agreed NC1 and DXF production files. See our structural steel and Tekla detailing service and Boiler House Expansion project.
Mechanical, piping and plant layouts
Mechanical general arrangements, equipment layouts, mine service lines, piping arrangement drawings, support details, orthographic views and specified deliverables from AutoCAD Plant 3D and Autodesk Inventor. See mechanical and piping detailing and the Karowe Underground Pump Station project, delivered in collaboration with TDS Projects Group.
Multidisciplinary SMPP drawing packages
Coordinated structural, mechanical, platework and piping deliverables, drawing registers, drawing revisions, model coordination and production scheduling. See our mining and industrial SMPP detailing service.
Tender and technical documentation support
Drawing reviews, technical deliverable schedules, scope breakdowns, method statements and programme inputs where included in the agreed work package. Tender-stage assumptions and professional engineering responsibilities must be made explicit.
How we work with your engineering and fabrication team
- Define the package: you provide the scope, drawings/models, client standards, required outputs, deliverable register and issue dates.
- Agree responsibilities: identify the engineer of record, client checker, RFI and design-query process, data access and revision control.
- Choose a delivery arrangement: quote by defined drawing package, agreed time-based support or a phased programme. Remote collaboration is the default where practical; project-office or site attendance can be arranged where appropriate.
- Produce and coordinate: work within the agreed Tekla, AutoCAD, Plant 3D or Inventor environment and client drawing standards, raising technical queries where input information is incomplete.
- Issue and hand over: provide the approved set of models, drawings, reports and fabrication files, with document status and revisions controlled in the agreed system.
What remains with your appointed engineer
Outsourced detailing does not automatically include engineering design authority. Structural design verification, calculations, pressure-system design, design approvals and professional sign-off stay with the appropriately appointed qualified professionals unless those services are expressly included and resourced in the contract. We do not silently substitute drafting decisions for engineering instructions.
What to send for an outsourced CAD support quotation
To price the work effectively, please supply:
- Project and workfront description, discipline(s) and location.
- Available approved GAs, reference models, design specifications and drawing register.
- Indicative deliverable quantities or backlog (drawings, models, revisions or fabrication tonnes).
- Software, client drafting/QA standards, file naming and required handover formats.
- Programme dates, required drawing issue sequence, review and RFI response arrangements.
- Whether you need remote support, project-office attendance or a combination.
For steel packages, use our Tekla detailing RFQ checklist. For combined structural/mechanical/piping work, use our SMPP scope checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Can WOM assist our existing engineering team without taking over the project?
Yes. We can work within a defined drawing-production scope using your approved references, title blocks, models and review process. The contracting arrangement, access permissions and drawing ownership are agreed before work starts.
Can drawing-office support be provided on site or at our offices?
Where the project warrants it and resources are available, WOM can arrange attendance at client offices or project sites. Travel, access requirements, safety induction, confidentiality and programme expectations are confirmed during quotation.
Can you provide ongoing support?
Recurring drawing-office support can be considered against project workload, deliverable requirements and available capacity. We agree a clear scope, reporting method and review cycle rather than promising unlimited turnaround.
Request drawing-office capacity
Tell us where your current bottleneck is: steel detailing, piping, mechanical layouts, revisions, drawing registers, or an integrated package.
Request an outsourced drawing-office quotation or send your scope and drawing register to info@wordofmouthtrading.com.