Learning Outcome 1 – INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

Learning Objectives:

After reading this information sheet, you are expected to:

1. Define Engineering Management

2. Recognize the key concepts in relation to Engineering Management.
3. Identify Managerial Skills, Managerial Roles and Functions of Managers

Reference: researchgate.net/publication/297136900_introduction_to_enginerring_management

Introduction

What is Engineering Management?

 Is a specialized form of management required to successfully lead engineering or

technical personnel and projects and applies to either functional management or project
management.

What is an Engineer?

 The art of directing the great sources of power in nature, for the use and
convenience of man.
 It is a professional who is involved in inventing, designing and maintaining a
variety of machines, structures and data systems.

Is it an art or profession?

 The profession in which a knowledge of the technical, mathematical and

natural sciences gained by study, experience and practice is applied with
judgment to develop ways economically in order to utilize the materials and
forces of the nature for the benefit of mankind.

It is a discipline not an art.

What is Management?

 Directing the actions of a group to achieve a goal in most efficient manner.

 Getting things done through other people.
  Process of achieving organizational goals by working with and through people
and organizational resources.

Levels of Management:

Top-level management – (e.g President, Executive Vice-President, CEO,

Chairman of the Board)

Middle-level management – ( e.g Chief engineer, division heads, managers)

First-line management – (e.g foreman, supervisor, section head)

First-line management:

 Directly supervise non-managers

 Carry out the plans and objectives of higher management using the personnel and
other resources assigned to them.
- Short-range operating plans governing what will be done tomorrow or
next week, assign tasks to their workers, supervise the work that is
done and evaluate the performance of workers.

Middle-level management:

 Manage through other managers,

 Make plans of intermediate range to achieve the long-range goals set by to
management,
 Establish departmental policies, evaluate the performance of subordinate work
units and their managers,
 Provide; Integrating and coordinating function,
 Orchestrate the decisions and activities of first-line management.

Top-level management:

 Represent the whole enterprise,

 Responsible for defining the character, mission and objectives of the enterprise
 Establish and review criteria’s for long-range plans.
 Evaluate the performance of major departments.
Managerial Skills

Managers need three (3) types of skills:

Technical – specific subject related skills such as engineering, accounting, etc…

Interpersonal – Skills related to dealing with others and leading, motivating or

controlling them.

Conceptual – Ability to realize the critical factors that will determine as

organization’s success or failure. Ability to see the forest in spite of the trees.

Managerial Roles:
(What Managers Do)

 Interpersonal roles
 Informational roles
 Decisional roles

Interpersonal roles:

Figurehead role: Outward relationship

Leader role: Downward relation
Liaison role: Horizontal relation

Informational Roles:

Monitor role: Collects information about internal operations and external events.

Disseminator role: Transforms information internally to everybody in organization (like

a telephone switchboard)

Spokesman role:Public relations

Desional Roles:
 Entrepreneurial Role: Initiates changes, assumes risks, transforms ideas into useful

products.

Disturbance Handler Role: Deals with unforeseen problems and crisis.

Resource Allocator Role: Distributing resources.

Negotiator Role: Bargains with suppliers, customers etc. in favor of the enterprise.

Functions of Managers:

 Planning – Selecting missions and objectives. Requires decision making.

 Organizing – Establishing the structure for the objective.
 Staffing - Keeping filled the organization structure.
 Leading – Influencing people to achieve the objective.
 Controlling – Measuring and correcting the activities.

Functions of Managers:

Management can be classified into one of four categories:

1. An organizational or administrative process,

2. A science, discipline or art,
3. The group of people running an organization,
4. An occupational career.

Management: is it an art or science?

 Management has a body of specialized knowledge.

 This knowledge need not to be obtained in formal disciplined programs.
Somewhere between art and science.

(Engineering + Management = Discipline + Art)

Again somewhere between art and science.

What is Engineering Management?

 Directing supervision of engineers and/or engineering functions.

Definition of Engineering Manager:

An engineer possessing both abilities to apply engineering principles and skills in

organizing and directing people and projects.

Why Engineering Managers?

Competition is global and companies need these people to compete successfully.

The Advantages of having an engineer as a manager;

 Has the ability of thinking systematically,

 Has technical, mathematical and natural sciences talents,
 Seizes the research and development as an opportunity, not a cost.

Advantages of Understanding Technology in Top Management

 Understanding the business thoroughly,

 Understanding technology driving the business today and technology that will change the
business in future,
 Treating research and development as an investment not an expense to be minimized,
 Spending more time on strategic thinking,
 Dedicating a customer’s problem (true marketing via customer relations),
 Place a premium on innovation.