Introduction to Engineering Management

Engineering management refers to the activity combining technical knowledge

with the ability to organize and coordinate worker power, materials, machinery and
money. When an engineer is assigned as a supervisor, His main responsibility is to
lead his group into producing a certain output consistent with the required
specifications. This is the first phase of engineering management. The top position of an
engineer manager may hope to occupy is the general managership or presidency of any
firm, large or small. As he scales the management ladder, the higher he goes up, the
less technical activities he performs, and the more management tasks he accepts.

Management Defined

Management may be defined as the creative problem solving-process of

planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization`s resources to achieve its
mission and objectives

The Process of Management

Management is a process consisting of planning, organizing, directing, and

controlling. Management must seek to find out the objectives of the organization, think
of ways on how to achieve them, decide on the ways to be adapted and the material
resources to be used, determine the human requirements of the total job, assign
specific, motivate them, and provide means to make sure that the activities are in the
right direction.

Requirements for the Engineer Manager`s Job

Depending on the type of products or services a firm produces, the engineer

manager must have the following qualifications:

1. a bachelor`s degree in the engineering from a reputable school. A master`s degree in

engineering or business management is required.

2. a few years experience in a pure engineering jobs.

3. training in supervision.

4. special training in engineering management.

How one may become a successful engineer manager?

There are three general preconditions for achieving lasting success as a

manager. They are as follows.

1. ability

2. motivation to manage.

3. opportunity

Ability

Managerial ability refers to the capacity of an engineer manager to achieve

organizational objectives effectively and efficiently. Effectiveness refers to a description
of whether objectives are accomplished, while efficiency is a description of the relative
amount of resources used in obtaining effectiveness.

Motivation to Manage

Many people have the desire to work and finish specific tasks assigned by
superiors, but not many are motivated to manage other people. John B. Miner,
developed a psychometric instrument to measure objectively and individual`s motivation
to manage. The test is anchored to the following dimensions.

1. favorable attitude toward those in positions of authority.

2. desire to engage in games or sports competition with peers.

3. desire to engage in occupational or work-related competition with peers.

4. desire to assert oneself and take charge.

5. desire to exercise power and authority over others.

6. desire to behave in a distinctive way.

7. sense of responsibility
Opportunity

The opportunity for successful management has two requirements.

1. obtaining a suitable managerial job.

2. finding a supportive climate once on the job.

(supportive climate is characterized by the recognition of managerial talent

through financial and nonfinancial rewards.)

Engineers are known for their great contributions to the development of the
world`s civilization. There are many areas where their presence is necessary like
research, design and development, testing, manufacturing, construction, sales,
consulting, government, teaching, and management.

Management is concerned with planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an

organization`s resources to achieve its mission and objectives. One may become a
successful engineer manager if the preconditions of ability, motivation to manage, and
opportunity to manage are met.
 Decision-Making
Managers of all kinds and types, including the engineer manager, are primarily
tasked to provide leadership in the quest for the attainment of the organization`s
objectives. If he is to become effective, he must learn the intricacies of decision-making.
The engineer manager`s decision-making skills will be very crucial to his success as a
professional. A major blunder in decision-making may be sufficient to cause the
destruction of any organization. Good decisions will provide the right environment for
continuous growth and success of any organized effort.

Decision-Making as a Management Responsibility

Decision-making is a responsibility of the engineer manager. It is understandable

for managers to make wrong decisions at time. The wise manager will correct them as
soon as they are identified. The higher the management level is, the bigger and the
more complicated decision-making becomes.

What is Decision-Making?

It is the process of identifying and choosing alternative courses of action in a

manner appropriate to the demands of the situation. The definition indicates that the
engineer manager must adapt a certain procedure designed to determine the best
option available to solve certain problems.

The Decision-Making Process

Rational decision-making, according to David H. Holt, is a process involving the

following steps:

1. diagnose problem

2. analyze environment

3. articulate problem or opportunity

4. develop viable alternatives.

5. evaluate alternatives.
6. make a choice.

7. implement decision.

8. evaluate and adapt decision results.

Diagnose Problem

If a manger wants to make an intelligent decision, his first move must be to

identify the problem. An expert once said identification of the problem is tantamount to
having the problem half-solved. What is a problem? A problem exists when there is a
difference between an actual situation and a desired situation.

Analyze the Environment

The objective of environmental analysis is the identification of constraints, which

may be spelled out as either internal or external limitations. Example of internal
limitations are as follows:

1. limited funds available for the purchase of equipment.

2. limited training on the part of employees.

3. ill-designed facilities.

Examples of external limitations are as follows:

1. patents are controlled by other organizations.

2. a very limited market for the company`s products and services exists.

3. strict enforcement of local zoning regulations.

When decisions are to be made, the internal and external limitations must be
considered. It may be costly, later on, to alter a decision because of a constraint that
has not been previously identified.
Components of the Environment

The environment consists of two major concerns:

1. internal and

2. external.

The internal environment refers to organizational activities within a firm that

surrounds decision-making.

The external environment refers to variables that are outside the organization
and not typically within the short-run control of top management.

Develop Viable Alternatives

Oftentimes, problems may be solved by any of the solutions offered. This is

made possible by using a procedure with the following steps:

1. prepare a list of alternative solutions.

2. determine the viability of each solutions.

3. revise the list by striking out those which are not viable.

Evaluate Alternatives

Proper evaluation makes choosing the right solution less difficult. How
alternatives will be evaluated will depend on the nature of the problem, the objectives of
the firm, and the nature of alternatives presented. Souder suggest that each alternative
must be analyzed and evaluated in terms of its value, cost, and risk characteristics.

Make a Choice

Choice-making refers to the process of selecting among alternatives representing

potential solution to a problem. Webber advises that, effort should be made to identify
all significant consequences of each choice.
Implement Decision

Implementation refers to carrying out the decision so that the objectives sought
will be achieved. To make implementation effective, a plan must be devised. (The
resources must be made available.)

Evaluate and Adapt Decision Results

Manager must use control and feedback mechanisms to ensure results and to
provide information for future decisions.

Feedback refers to the process which requires checking at each stage of the
process to assure that the alternatives generated, the criteria used in evaluation, and
the solution selected for implementation are in keeping with the goals and objectives.

Controls refers to action made to ensure that activities performed match the
desired activities or goals, that has been set.

Approaches in Solving Problems

1. qualitative evaluation

2. quantitative evaluation

Qualitative Evaluation

This term refers to evaluation of alternatives using intuition and subjective

judgment. Stevenson states that managers tend to use qualitative approach when:

1. the problem is fairly simple.

2. the problem is familiar.

3. the costs involved are not great.

4. immediate decisions are needed.

Quantitative Evaluation

This term refers to the evaluation of alternatives using any technique in a group
classified as rational and analytical.

Decision-making is a very important function of the engineer manager. His

organization will rise or fall depending on the outcomes of his decisions. It is, therefore,
necessary for the engineer manager to develop some skills in decision-making.