ENGINEERING

MANAGEMENT
ES003 – Engineering Management
 OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the session, students are expected to:

▪ Explain the historical evolution of engineering management
and its significance.
▪ Analyze the impact of technological advancements on
engineering management practices.
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
▪ Engineering Management is concerned with the direct supervision
of engineers and the management functions (planning, organizing,
leading and controlling) in a technological organization.
▪ Engineering management refers to the activity combining "technical
knowledge with the ability to organize and coordinate worker power,
materials, machinery, and money.”
▪ The top position 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, he finds that the higher he goes
up, the less technical activities he performs, and the more
management tasks he accepts.
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.
▪ A process consisting of planning, organizing, directing (or leading),
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
tasks to specific persons, motivate them, and provide means to
make sure that the activities are in the right direction.
HOW ONE MAY BECOME A SUCCESSFUL
ENGINEER MANAGER
Kreitner indicates at least three general preconditions for achieving
lasting success as a manager. They are as follows:

1. Ability: Managerial ability refers to the capacity of an engineer

manager to achieve organizational objectives effectively and
efficiently. Effectiveness, according to Higgins, refers to a description
of "whether objectives are accomplished", while efficiency is a
description of the relative amount of resources used in obtaining
effectiveness."
 HOW ONE MAY BECOME A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEER MANAGER

2. 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 so that they may
contribute to the realization of the organization's objectives.
A management researcher, John B. Miner, developed a psychometric instrument to measure
objectively an individual's motivation to manage. The test is anchored to the following
dimensions:
1. Favorable attitude toward those in positions of authority, such as superiors.
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, which includes standing out from the crowd.
7. Sense of responsibility in carrying out the routine duties associated with managerial work.
HOW ONE MAY BECOME A SUCCESSFUL
ENGINEER MANAGER
3. Opportunity: Successful managers become possible only if those
having the ability and motivation are given the opportunity to
manage. The opportunity for successful management has two
requirements:

▪ Obtaining a suitable managerial job, and

▪ Finding a supportive climate once on the job.
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINEER
▪ Since prehistoric times, mankind has benefited from the various tools,
equipment, and projects developed by engineers. Among these are the
following:
▪ the stone bladed axe which was a very useful tool; and the irrigation
system used to promote crop growing - 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 and the spinning and weaving machinery
- 1601 A.D. to 1799 A.D.; and
▪ the manufacture of cars and household appliances - modern times.
Even as engineers are currently producing solutions to many of the
difficulties faced by mankind, much is still expected of them. Their
outputs, new or improvements of old ones, are very much needed in
the following specific problem concerns:
▪ the production of more food for a fast-growing world population;
▪ the elimination of air and water pollution;
▪ solid waste disposal and materials recycling:
▪ the reduction of noise in various forms;
▪ supplying the increasing demand for energy;
▪ supplying the increasing demand for mobility;
▪ preventing and solving crimes; and
▪ meeting the increasing demand for communication facilities.
Specifically, the functions of engineering encompass the following areas:

1. Research – where the engineer is engaged in the process of learning

about nature and codifying this knowledge into usable theories.
2. Design and development – where the engineer undertakes the activity
of turning a product concept to a finished physical item.
3. Testing – where the engineer works in a unit where new products or
parts are tested for work-ability.
4. Manufacturing – where the engineer is directly in charge of production
personnel or assumes responsibility for the product.
5. Construction – this is where the construction engineer (a civil engineer)
is either directly in charge of the construction personnel or may have
responsibility for the quality of the construction process.
6. Sales – where the engineer assists the company’s customers to
meet their needs, especially those that require technical
expertise.
7. Consulting – where the engineer works as consultant of any
individual or organization requiring his services.
8. 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.
9. Teaching – where the engineer gets employment in a school and
is assigned as a teacher of engineering courses.
10.Management – where the engineer is assigned to manage groups
of people performing specific tasks.
THE ENGINEER IN VARIOUS TYPES OF
ORGANIZATION
From the viewpoint of the engineer, organizations may be classified
according to the degree of engineering jobs performed:
▪ Level One – those with minimal engineering jobs like retailing firms.
▪ Level Two - those with a moderate degree of engineering jobs like
transportation companies.
▪ Level Three - those with a high degree of engineering jobs like
construction firms.
LEVEL TYPE
First-line Managers ▪ Directly supervise non-managers.
(Level One) ▪ 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 individual workers.

Middle Management ▪ Manage through other managers.

(Level Two) ▪ 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 managers.
▪ 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.

Top Management ▪ Responsible for defining the character, mission, and objectives of the enterprise.
(Level Three) ▪ Establish criteria for and review long-range plans.
▪ Evaluate the performance of major departments, and they evaluate leading
management personnel to gauge their readiness for promotion to key executive
positions.
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS
ON ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Technological advancements have dramatically transformed engineering management
practices over recent decades. Key impacts include:
▪ Data Analytics: The rise of big data has enabled managers to make informed
decisions based on comprehensive analyses of project metrics and performance
indicators.
▪ Project Management Software: Tools such as Gantt charts and project tracking
software have streamlined project planning and execution, enhancing communication
among team members.
▪ Automation and AI: The integration of automation technologies has improved
operational efficiency while reducing human error in project execution.

As technology continues to evolve, engineering managers must adapt their strategies to

leverage these advancements effectively, ensuring that their teams remain competitive
and innovative in a rapidly changing landscape.