Reference Book: Engineering Management by Roberto Medina
What is Engineering?
• The profession in which a knowledge of the
mathematical and natural science gained by study,
experience, and practice is applied with judgement to
develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials
and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind
Engineer: A person applying his mathematical and
science knowledge properly for mankind
What is Management?
A set of activities (including planning and decision
making, organising, leading and control) directed at
an organisation’s resources (human, financial, physical
and informational) with the aim of achieving
organisational goals in an efficient and effective
manner.
• Directing the actions of a group to achieve a goal in
most efficient manner
Getting things done through people
• Process of achieving organizational goals by working
with and through people and organizational resources
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
Engineering Management is concerned with the direct
supervision of engineers and the management
functions (planning, organising, leading and
controlling) in a technological organisation.
Proper Definition of Engineering Manager:
Engineer possessing both abilities to apply engineering
principles and skills in organizing and directing people
and projects.
Aims
Make engineers more effective as technical
contributors (understand managerial points of view,
effect teams coordination, drive to add value)
Ready engineers for managerial positions (managerial
functions, success factors, leadership talents,
business/management perspectives, expectations,
contributions)
Management : Origin
Management in Organizations
Management Process
Planning: Setting goals and deciding how best to achieve
them.
Decision Making: Selecting a course of action from a set
of alternatives.
Organizing: Grouping activities and resources in a logical
fashion.
Leading: Processes to get members of the organization to
work together to further the interests of the organization.
Controlling: Monitoring organizational progress toward
goal attainment and taking corrective action when needed.
Management Process
The field of engineering
management
Engineers are expected to perform a variety of tasks
depending on their specialization and job level. It is
important to the engineer that he knows what is
expected of him to perform his job effectively and
efficiently.
Engineers are not directly trained to deal with people,
it is expected that their weakness will most often be on
people-based skills.
Prehistoric Times
Mankind has benefited from the various tools,
equipment, and projects developed by engineers.
Among these are the following:
the stone bladed axe – 6000 to 3000 B.C
The pyramids of Egypt – 3000 to 600 B.C
Roadbuilding by the Romans – 600 B.C to A.D 400
The Production of paper and gunpowder by the
Chinese – 100 A.D to 1600 A.D
the production of steam engine
Spinning and Weaving Machinery – 1601 A.D to 1799
A.D
The manufacture of cars
Cont….
Major Premises of an Engineer
The production of more food for a fast growing world
population.
supplying the increasing demand for energy;
Solution…..
solid waste disposal and materials recycling;
the reduction of noise in various forms;
`
The elimination of air and water pollutions
supplying the increasing demand for mobility;
preventing and solving crimes; and
meeting the increasing demand for communication
facilities
Functions of Engineering
Research – where the engineer is engaged in the
process of learning about nature and codifying this
knowledge into usable theories.
Design and development – where the engineer
undertakes the activity of turning a product concept to
a finished physical items. Design for manufacturability
and value engineering teams (a feature of some
companies) are charged with improvement of designs
and specifications at the research, development,
design, and production stages of product
development.
Testing – where the engineer works in a unit where new
products or parts are tested for workability.
Manufacturing – where the engineer is directly in charge
of production personnel or assumes responsibility for the
product.
Construction – this is where the construction engineer
(civil engineer usually) is directly in charge of the
construction personnel or may have responsibility for the
quality of the construction process.
Sales - where the engineer assists the company’s customers
to meet their needs, especially those that require technical
expertise.
Consulting – where the engineer works as consultant of
any individual or organization requiring his services.
Government – where the engineer may find
employment in the government performing any of the
various tasks in regulating, monitoring, and
controlling the activities of various institutions, public
or private.
Teaching – where the engineer gets employment in a
school and is assigned as a teacher of engineering
courses. Some of them become deans, vice presidents,
and presidents.
Management – where the engineer is assigned to
mange groups of people performing specific tasks.
The engineer in various types of
organization
Top-level management
LEVEL THREE (president, executive vice president)
Middle managers
LEVEL TWO (chief engineer,
division head etc.)
First-line managers
LEVEL ONE
(foreman, supervisor, section chief)
Level Type of Job
• Directly supervise non-managers.
• Carry out the plans and objectives of higher management using
the personnel and other resources assigned to them.
First-line Managers • Short-range operating plans governing what will be done
(level 1) tomorrow or next week, assign tasks to their workers, supervise
the work that is done, and evaluate the performance of individual
workers.
• Manage through other managers.
• Make plans of intermediate range to achieve the long-range goals
set by top management, establish departmental policies, and
evaluate the performance of subordinate work units and their
Middle Management managers.
(level 2) • Provide and integrating and coordinating function so that the
short-range decisions and activities of first-line supervisory
groups can be orchestrated toward achievement of the long-range
goals of the enterprise.
• Responsible for defining the character, mission, and objectives of
the enterprise.
• Establish criteria for and review long-range plans.
Top Management
• Evaluate the performance of major departments, and they evaluate
(level 3)
leading management personnel to gauge their readiness for
promotion to key executive positions.