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!
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THE$
ENGINEERING$MANAGERS$
SURVIVAL(GUIDE$
PUBLISHED!BY!LIFECYCLE!INSIGHTS!AND!BROUGHT!TO!YOU!BY!KNOVEL.!
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Introduction'
Newly!promoted!engineering!managers!rarely!imagine!the!challenges!that!await!them.!Of!course,!
development!schedules!are!shorter,!products!are!getting!more!complex!and!budgets!are!shrinking.!
However,!those!are!all!simply!constraints.!Engineers!are!used!to!dealing!with!constraints.!Strangely!
enough,!the!biggest!challenges!for!engineering!managers!today!arent!technical.!They!are!managing!
personnel.!They!are!managing!executives.!The!nontechnical!issues!are!often!the!stickiest.!Before!being!promoted,!most!engineering!managers!were!topnotch!engineers.!They!possess!above!
average!technical!skills!to!solve!complicated!design!problems.!They!were!willing!to!put!forth!super
human!effort!to!push!projects!over!the!finish!line.!However,!all!the!characteristics!that!got!them!
promoted!arent!the!ones!that!make!them!good!engineering!managers.!They!need!to!take!action!and!
pursue!initiatives!that!will!keep!the!engineering!organization!productive.!
Ultimately,!that!is!the!purpose!behind!this!book.!It!provides!answers!to!three!simple!yet!difficult!
questions!that!engineering!managers!face!every!day.!
What'are'the'issues?!Improvement!cant!be!achieved!without!identifying!the!problems!first.!Chapter'One'outlines'The'Five'Trends'Shaping'Modern'Engineering!and!the!challenges!that!
occur!as!a!result.!It!identifies!challenges!that!plague!many!organizations!as!well!as!their!root!
causes.!
How'to'address'those'issues?!The!next!step!is!to!develop!a!plan!of!action.!Chapter'Two'defines'Five'Initiatives'for'Todays'Engineering'Manager.!It!provides!options!the!engineering!manager!
can!pursue!in!order!to!address!the!challenges!discussed!in!Chapter!One.!
What'technology'can'help?!Many!different!technologies!can!enable!any!one!initiative.!The!trick!is!figuring!out!which!ones!would!be!most!effective.!Chapter'Three'defines'Six'Technology'
Categories'to'Enable'Initiatives.!Engineering!managers!can!then!plan!out!the!adoption!of!new!
technologies!alongside!any!people!and!process!changes!required.!
Make!no!mistake,!being!an!engineering!manager!today!is!no!easy!task.!However,!the!initiatives!needed!
to!solve!the!problems!of!modern!engineering!organizations!are!there.!It!just!takes!an!engineering!
manager!willing!to!make!the!change.!
!
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Chapter'1:'The'Five'Trends'
Shaping'Modern'Engineering'Like!any!profession,!the!engineering!field!is!dynamic!and!shifting.!Technologies!advance,!forcing!
engineers!to!develop!new!ways!to!design!them!into!products.!The!development!process!evolves,!
transforming!the!tasks!and!procedures!that!engineers!must!follow.!Demographics!shift,!constantly!
changing!the!set!of!skills!and!knowledge!that!new!engineers!bring!to!the!organization.!The!engineering!
culture!can!also!change,!adding!and!modifying!the!responsibilities!of!engineers.!All!of!these!things!and!
far!more!are!changing!the!field.!
While!it!can!be!interesting!to!watch!these!trends,!engineering!managers!need!to!understand!how!they!
are!changing!engineering.!The!purpose!of!this!chapter!is!to!look!at!five!of!those!trends,!including:!
Profitable'Growth'and'Engineering'Staffing' The'Visibility'Mandate'for'Engineering'Operations' The'Expanding'Role'of'the'Modern'Engineer' The'Increasing'Volatility'of'Engineering'Work' The'Coming'War'for'Engineering'Talent'
Profitable'Growth'and'Engineering'Staffing!An!engineering!managers!relationship!with!his!or!her!
CEO!is!important.!It!is!not!just!about!following!orders.!
It's!also!about!alignment.!Once!an!engineering!manager!
and!CEO!are!aligned,!then!few!directives,!mandates,!
strategies!or!initiatives!come!as!a!surprise.!This!first!
trend!is!all!about!how!the!CEOs!top!driver!of!profitable!
growth!trickles!down!to!affect!engineering.!The!
challenges!that!result!from!this!trend!are!the!frank!
realities!that!engineering!managers!must!face.!!
The'Boards'Directive'to'the'CEO'
Unless!a!CEO!owns!the!company,!the!Board!of!Directors!hires!them.!That!means,!just!like!everyone!else!
in!the!company,!CEOs!are!held!accountable!for!their!performance.!They!often!collaborate!with!the!
Board!to!identify!strategies!and!initiatives!to!pursue.!However,!at!the!end!of!the!day,!the!Board!defines!
the!company!goals!that!the!CEO!must!achieve.!Profitable!growth!is!almost!always!highly!prioritized.!
For!private!companies,!the!Board!is!composed!of!primary!investors.!They!drive!profitable!growth!to!get!
a!return!on!their!investment.!For!public!companies,!the!Board!is!composed!of!majority!shareholders.!
They!drive!profitable!growth!in!order!to!make!the!stock!a!more!attractive!investment.!As!more!people!
buy!the!company's!stock,!the!price!goes!up!and!increases!the!value!of!the!Board's!investment.!
In!summary,!the!purpose!of!a!company!is!to!make!money!for!the!investors.!What!does!that!mean!for!
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the!CEO?!They!need!to!deliver!profitable!growth.!If!they!cannot!deliver,!they!are!replaced!with!
someone!else.!That!fundamental!fact!drives!all!of!a!CEOs!behavior.!
Getting'Costs'in'Line'with'Revenues'
In!businesses,!some!things!can!be!controlled!and!others!cannot.!This!business!reality!carries!some!
serious!implications!for!engineering.!
Fundamentally,!revenue!is+not!something!that!can!be!
controlled.!Executives!predict!it!as!accurately!as!they!can.!
However,!there!are!too!many!unpredictable!variables!that!
affect!buying!behavior.!There!may!be!an!economic!
slowdown!in!a!specific!region!of!the!world.!A!cornerstone!
customer!might!be!acquired.!An!influential!person!that!
championed!a!companys!product!might!change!jobs.!!
Alternatively,!spending!is+something!that!can!be!
controlled.!There!are!some!longterm!cost!commitments!that!cannot!be!rescinded.!Yet!other!costs!can!
be!cut!to!immediately!affect!a!company's!balance!sheet.!One!such!cost!is!staffing.!All!of!this!sets!up!a!scenario!that!occurs!all!too!frequently.!Revenues!fall!short!of!expectations.!To!
maintain!profitability,!the!Board!directs!the!CEO!to!get!costs!in!line!with!revenues.!The!CEO!then!cuts!
spending!in!the!way!that!immediately!affects!profitability:!layoffs.!
Trimming'and'Offshoring'the'Engineering'Organization'
While!layoffs!have!occurred!from!time!to!time,!the!past!recession!cut!engineering!ranks!deeply.!Those!
cuts!didn't!just!remove!low!performers;!good!engineers!were!lost!too.!Many!engineering!organizations!
took!a!serious!productivity!hit.!Executives!often!trot!out!the!old!adage!"do+more+with+less"!during!
tough!times.!However,!this!was!more!of!the!case!of!"do+less+with+less".!
In!addition!to!layoffs,!the!recession!accelerated!another!trend!in!engineering!staffing:!offshoring.!
Numerous!companies!started!up!technical!centers!as!part!of!lowcost!country!sourcing!(LCCS)!
initiatives.!As!a!result,!companies!lowered!their!spending!while!maintaining!staffing!levels.!
The'Challenge'of'Profitable'Growth'and'Engineering'Staffing'
There!will!be!ongoing!volatility!in!engineering!staffing.!Expect!occasional!layoffs!as!CEOs!continue!to!keep!costs!in!line!with!revenues.!Engineering'managers'need'to'minimize'the'
effect'of'staffing'volatility'on'the'throughput'of'the'engineering'organization.!
Engineering!teams!in!scattered!offshored!technical!centers!will!come!from!diverse!cultures!with!varying!norms!of!collaboration,!decisionmaking!and!technical!levels!of!expertise.!Engineering'
managers'must'maintain'a'consistent'quality'of'design'and'throughput'despite'the'variations'
across'global'technical'centers.!
!
This+first+trend+is+all+about+
how+the+top+driver+for+CEOs,+
the+push+for+profitable+
growth,+trickles+down+to+
affect+engineering.++
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The'Visibility'Mandate'for'Engineering'Operations'Making!critical!decisions!is!rarely!easy!for!executives.!
Traditionally,!they!have!relied!on!gut!feeling!and!hard!
experience.!Today,!however,!the!basis!for!decision
making!is!changing.!Executives!are!increasingly!reliant!on!
metrics!to!measure!organizational!performance!and!
business!analytics!to!make!decisions.!
For!many!organizations,!this!trend!has!driven!operations!
in!closer!alignment!with!company!goals.!But!how!has!it!
affected!engineering?!To!answer!that!question,!insight!
into!traditional!engineering!operations!is!needed.!
The'Traditional'Autonomy'of'Engineerings'Black'Box'Operations'
Engineering!has!always!been!highly!technical.!It!requires!expertise!in!highend!mathematics!and!
physics!to!predict!product!form,!fit!and!function.!Because!design!has!been!so!technical,!it!has!been!difficult!for!executives!and!nonengineering!stakeholders!to!gain!insight!into!the!status!of!engineering!
projects.!As!a!result,!few!outside!of!the!organization!knew!what!went!on!inside.!From!an!operational!
perspective,!engineering!has!come!to!be!seen!as!a!black!box.!Requirements!go!in.!Something!highly!
technical!happened!next.!Deliverables!for!product!designs!come!out!later.!
The'Executives'Initiative'to'Drive'Operational'Transparency'
Operational!metrics:!it!seems!as!if!they!rule!todays!business!world.!Procurement!tracks!spend!under!
management!and!savings.!Manufacturing!tracks!defective!parts!per!million!and!return!on!assets.!Sales!
track!the!number!of!prospects!converted!to!closed!sales.!Service!organizations!track!the!percentage!of!
firsttime!issue!resolution.!Metrics!are!present!in!every!nonengineering!organization.!!
The!trend!started!with!lean!initiatives!and!ISO!certifications.!But!regardless!of!its!genesis,!the!driving!
philosophy!behind!it!is!simple:!what!isn't!measured!can't!be!improved.!Todays!executives!rely!on!
statistical!metrics!of!operational!performance!and!business!analytics!to!make!decisions.!This!trend!isnt!
optional.!Its!a!CEO!mandate!for!visibility!from!the!shop!floor!to!the!top!floor.!
Todays'Metrics'for'Engineering'are'DeliverableXBased'
During!design!release,!engineers!hand!off!deliverables!such!as!drawings,!models!and!specifications!to!
those!that!provide!the!hardware!and!software!to!make!the!product,!namely!procurement,!their!
suppliers!and!internal!manufacturing.!Because!conforming!to!the!development!schedule!is!a!key!
component!of!launching!or!delivering!products!on!time,!the!natural!metric!to!measure!is!the!status!of!
these!deliverables!as!they!progress!towards!completion.!But!just!because!it!is!the!natural!metric!
doesnt!mean!it!is!the!right!metric.!
The'Problem'with'DeliverableXBased'Metrics'for'Engineering'
The!problem!with!deliverablebased!metrics!for!engineering!lies!in!an!immutable!fact!about!design.!
Engineers+hand+off+deliverables+at+design+release.+Its+not+how+they+design+products.!
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The!implications!of!those!two!sentences!are!extremely!important.!Fundamentally,!engineering!is!about!
iterating,!exploring!and!solving!problems.!It's!about!varying!a!design!trait!and!understanding!the!
impact!on!product!performance.!It's!about!fully!exploring!the!design!space.!It's!about!trying!something,!
seeing!it!fail,!and!then!trying!something!else!that!succeeds.!In!aggregate,!those!successes!and!failures!
lead!to!great!design.!
In!contrast,!creating!deliverables!adds!the!least!value!to!the!design!of!the!product.!It!doesnt!help!make!
sound!decisions.!It!actually!doesnt!even!communicate!design!intent.!It!merely!defines!what!should!be!procured!or!manufactured.!Engineers!design!great!products!by!making!the!right!decisions,!not!by!
finishing!the!drawing!on!schedule.!
Ultimately,!todays!deliverablebased!metrics!for!engineering!
leads!to!a!serious!issue.!When!progress!on!deliverables!lag,!
executives!reprioritize!deliverable!work!over!design!work.!This!
leads!to!products!with!complete!drawings,!models!and!
specifications!that!havent!been!well!engineered.!In!summary,!
deliverablebased!metrics!in!development!projects!are!
misleading!and!a!risk!to!the!company.!
The'Challenge'of'Engineering'Operational'Transparency'
Executives!want!insight!into!the!progress!of!development!projects.!Obviously!the!progress!of!many!development!projects!is!tightly!wound!up!in!technical!details!that!those!outside!
engineering!would!not!understand.!Engineering'managers'must'find'a'way'to'communicate'
that'progress'with'some'balance'between'not'enough'and'too'much'technical'details.!
The!use!of!deliverablebased!metrics!is!misleading.!Wellengineered!projects!may!lag!in!the!completion!of!deliverables.!While!poorly!engineered!projects!may!be!ahead!of!schedule!with!
their!deliverables.!Using!such!metrics!in!oversight!processes!can!result!in!the!wrong!decisions.!
Engineering'managers'must'derive'new'designXbased'metrics'that'measure'the'progress'of'wellXengineered'products.!
The'Expanding'Role'of'the'Modern'Engineer'At!first!glance,!it!would!seem!like!skills!and!knowledge!
required!of!engineers!hasnt!changed!that!much!over!the!
years.!Yet,!its!easy!to!see!that!product!development!has!
evolved.!Many!nonengineering!stakeholders!need!to!get!
involved.!Design!decisions!are!far!more!democratic!when!
taking!companywide!considerations!into!account.!The!
contrast!between!the!two!prompts!a!serious!question:!
Do!today's!engineers!need!to!evolve!in!terms!of!skills!
and!knowledge?!
To!answer!that!question,!we!need!a!little!context.!A!
good!place!to!start!is!to!look!at!the!traditional!culture!of!engineering.!
Engineers+design+great+
products+by+making+right+
decisions,+not+by+finishing+
a+drawing+on+schedule.++
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The'Traditional'Engineering'Culture'of'Individual'Accountability'
An!engineer's!prime!responsibility!has!traditionally!been!to!design!products!for!the!three!Fs:!form,!fit!
and!function.!But!that!wasnt!a!responsibility!without!consequences.!It!carried!personal!accountability.!
Engineers!placed!their!signature!on!drawings!to!signify!their!personal!approval!of!a!design.!If!products!
failed,!drawing!signatures!identified!responsible!engineers!so!they!could!justify!their!decisions.!In!
summary,!more!so!than!any!other!group,!engineering!has!had!a!strong!culture!of!accountability.!
Mechatronics'Complexity'and'the'Fade'of'the'One'True'Expert'
One!thing!that!has!undermined!engineerings!accountability!
culture!has!been!the!increase!of!electrical!hardware!and!software!
in!traditional!mechanical!products,!even!down!to!its!lowest!levels.!
Few!engineers!have!the!deep!expertise!in!mechanical,!electrical!
and!software!disciplines!necessary!to!make!design!decisions!
autonomously.!Instead,!lead!engineers!work!with!specialized!
engineers!to!look!at!design!alternatives!and!their!associated!
impacts,!but!also!head!an!effort!to!collaborate!and!build!consensus.!The!result!is!a!groupthink!approach!instead!of!placing!
responsibility!and!accountability!on!any!one!engineer.!
Designing'for'the'Enterprise'
Something!else!undermining!engineerings!accountability!culture!is!the!consideration!of!companywide!
factors,!not!just!form,!fit!and!function,!during!design.!A!products!commercial!viability!must!be!verified.!
Parts!must!be!purchased!at!competitive!prices.!A!products!manufacturability!must!be!validated.!
Service!procedures!must!be!certified.
To!take!such!companywide!factors!into!account,!engineers!must!collaborate!with!many!non
engineering!stakeholders!to!collectively!make!decisions.!Engineers!must!communicate!their!design!
intent!and!provide!access!to!product!information!so!others!can!get!involved.!Nonengineering!
stakeholders!must!be!able!to!assess!and!validate!their!options,!choices!and!procedures!independently.!
Then,!the!engineer!must!assimilate!the!feedback!and!drive!consensus!amongst!the!team.!
The'Profile'of'the'Modern'Engineer'
In!this!trend,!there!has!been!a!shift!from!individual!accountability!in!engineering!to!more!of!a!
collaborative!effort!amongst!specialized!engineers.!Furthermore,!the!consideration!of!companywide!
factors!requires!engineers!to!enable!and!lead!teams!of!nonengineering!stakeholders.!
Todays!engineers!have!new!responsibilities.!They!must!act!with!implicit!authority,!meaning!that!the!engineer!isnt!given!explicit!command!over!other!nonengineering!stakeholders,!to!solve!product!issues!
and!make!the!best!decisions.!As!a!result,!their!role!requires!substantial!soft!skills,!including!social!traits,!
graces,!skills!and!habits!that!effectively!influence!others.!
An+engineer's+prime+
responsibility+has+
traditionally+been+to+
design+products+for+the+
three+Fs:+form,+fit+and+function.+
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The'Challenge'of'Collaborative'Design'
Engineers!need!to!be!able!to!facilitate!collaboration!and!drive!consensus!amongst!teams!of!specialized!engineers!and!nonengineering!stakeholders.!Engineering'managers'must'
modernize'the'soft'skills'of'their'engineers'to'facilitate'collaborative'design.!
The!old!form,!fit!and!function!responsibilities!of!the!engineer!hasnt!gone!away.!The!new!responsibilities!are!in!addition!to!them.!Engineering'managers'must'maintain'their'engineers'existing'technical'skills'while'improving'their'soft'skills.'
The'Increasing'Volatility'of'Engineering'Work!Today,!engineers!are!working!longer!and!harder!than!
ever.!A!simple!afternoon!phone!call!about!a!product!
issue!turns!into!a!fire!drill,!deprioritizing!all!other!work.!
Soon!it!escalates!into!staying!at!the!office!late,!or!worse!
yet,!the!entire!weekend.!
Unfortunately,!this!scenario!is!all!too!familiar!for!
engineers.!For!many,!the!root!cause!might!seem!to!be!
layoffs!sparked!by!the!recession.!To!start!identifying!the!
root!of!the!problem,!the!impact!of!layoffs!on!the!
engineering!organization!is!a!good!place!to!begin.!
The'Incremental'Increase'in'an'Engineers'Workload'
Because!many!engineering!organizations!are!running!lean,!they!have!fewer!people!to!carry!the!same!
workload.!That!translates!into!an!incremental!increase!in!the!amount!of!work!for!every!engineer.!Some!
go!from!eight!to!ten!hours!in!their!workday.!Others!shift!from!ten!to!twelve!hours.!But!that!doesnt!
account!for!the!occasional!fire!drill!that!disrupts!all!other!work.!Where!does!the!spike!come!from?!
The'Inherent'Nature'of'Engineering'a'New'Product'
Designing!new!products!often!involves!the!development!of!new!systems,!hardware!and!many!other!
things.!Anything!that!is!new!in!that!development!effort!will!likely!have!issues!at!some!point.!The!key!
question!is!this:!when!are!they!caught!and!subsequently!fixed?!!
Analysis,!testing,!qualification,!certification!and!other!efforts!are!made!to!catch!any!issues!as!early!as!
possible.!However,!despite!all!those!efforts,!some!of!those!issues!will!proceed!unchecked!past!design!
release.!Later!in!the!development!process,!those!issues!turn!into!fullblown!problems.!No!matter!
whether!they!are!caught!in!sourcing,!production!or!even!after!delivery!or!launch,!problems!return!to!engineering!as!fire!drills!in!the!form!of!design!rework.!
The'Impossibility'of'Planning'for'Design'Rework'
Most!engineering!managers!are!aware!of!this!reality!of!engineering.!There!will!be!some!amount!of!
design!rework!that!needs!to!be!addressed.!The!problem!is!in!planning!for!that!design!rework.!Why?!It!
can!vary!dramatically.!One!week!it!might!total!to!forty!hours!of!work.!The!next!week,!it!might!be!five!
hours.!Engineering!managers!could!allocate!a!certain!amount!of!hours!per!week!to!address!design!
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rework.!But!what!happens!if!the!actual!time!spent!on!design!rework!is!less!than!the!planned!time?!As!a!
result,!most!engineering!organizations!do!the!simplest!thing:!they!don't!plan!for!design!rework.!!
The'Volatile'and'Disruptive'Influence'of'Design'Rework'
Because!engineering!is!running!lean,!there!is!already!an!incremental!increase!in!work.!With!no!time!
allocation!to!design!rework,!any!fire!drill!equates!to!a!long!day.!When!an!engineer!goes!to!work,!they!
often!have!little!idea!of!when!they!are!coming!home.!A!straightforward!tenhour!day!means!they!get!
to!eat!dinner!at!home.!A!catastrophic!eighteenhour!day!translates!to!getting!home!late.!This!dramatic!
volatility!in!workload!is!the!direct!result!of!the!inability!to!plan!for!design!rework.!
To!be!clear,!however,!fire!drills!and!design!rework!dont!just!affect!en!engineers!quality!of!life.!If!the!
number!of!fire!drills!becomes!a!barrage,!then!the!engineer!is!constantly!distracted!from!their!dayto
day!new!design!work.!As!a!result,!the!quality!of!design!suffers,!further!feeding!the!cycle!of!product!
issues!proceeding!past!design!release,!where!they!turn!into!fullblown!problems!and!cause!yet!more!
fire!drills.!
The'Challenge'of'Volatility'in'Engineering'Work'
Product!issues!that!proceed!past!design!release!turn!into!fullblown!problems!downstream.!Then!they!return!to!engineering!as!fire!drills!and!design!rework.!This!affects!the!morale!of!the!
organization.!It!also!affects!the!quality!of!new!design!work.!Engineering'managers'must'find'a'
way'to'minimize'disruptive'design'rework.!
The'Coming'War'for'Engineering'Talent'Continuity,!in!terms!of!engineering!staffing,!is!a!rare!
thing.!Many!organizations!struggle!to!find!suitable!
engineering!candidates.!Onboarding!is!a!long!process!with!new!engineers!often!placed!into!semi
apprenticeships!before!taking!on!serious!responsibilities.!
Replacing!key!contributing!engineers!is!often!an!all
hands!emergency.!Engineering!continuity!is!a!rare!thing!
indeed.!Unfortunately,!a!number!of!issues!ranging!from!
generational!issues!to!increased!hyperspecialization!
promise!to!only!make!matters!more!difficult.!
The'Saddle'Generational'Profile'of'Engineering'Organizations'
Engineering,!like!any!other!organization,!is!not!age!homogenous.!It!is!composed!of!Baby!Boomers!getting!ready!to!retire,!Gen!Xers!in!the!middle!of!their!careers!and!Gen!Yers!just!starting!off.!But!as!
generational!cohorts,!they!arent!equally!sized.!In!the!70s!and!80s,!a!massive!amount!of!Baby!Boomer!
engineers!were!hired.!Then!in!the!90s!and!early!00s,!with!Gen!X!being!smaller!and!less!drawn!to!
engineering!careers,!hiring!tailed!off.!Fast!forward!to!late!00s!and!now,!theres!an!upswing!in!hiring!
engineers!out!of!Gen!Y.!The!typical!engineering!organizations!age!distribution!started!high,!sloped!
down!into!a!valley!and!has!come!back!up.!In!that!way,!it!resembles!a!saddle.!
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The'Brain'Drain'Threat'from'Retiring'Boomer'Engineers'
The!implication!of!the!saddle!shaped!age!distribution!means!they!are!front!loaded!with!Baby!Boomer!
engineers.!As!many!of!them!approach!retirement,!the!elephantintheroom!question!is!simple:!who!
will!replace!them?!Most!successors!will!be!GenX!engineers.!However,!because!there!are!fewer!of!
them,!there!arent!enough!in!terms!of!onetoone!replacements.!To!fill!the!gap,!many!organizations!
will!turn!to!GenY!engineers!who!have!far!less!design!experience.!It!all!combines!for!a!perfect!storm!of!organizational!knowledge!loss!and!shortfall!in!decisionmaking!experience.!Not!only!would!many!
engineering!organizations!find!much!of!their!knowledge!walking!out!the!door!but!that!theres!an!
absence!in!the!number!of!experienced!engineers!to!pick!up!the!slack.!
Engineering'Specialization'Narrows'the'Scope'for'Hiring'
Backfilling!retiring!Boomer!engineers!isnt!just!about!finding!anyone!to!step!into!the!gap.!Engineering!
roles!are!becoming!increasingly!specialized.!This!is!in!part!due!to!products!that!are!increasingly!
mechatronic!in!nature,!where!engineering!organizations!need!engineers!with!deep!levels!of!expertise!
in!systems,!mechanical,!electrical!and!software!disciplines!to!keep!up!with!the!rapidly!changing!
technology.!Layoffs!from!the!recessions!flooded!the!market!with!available!engineers.!However,!do!they!have!the!exact!expertise!the!organization!needs?!Its!no!longer!about!any!hire.!Its!about!the!right!hire.!
Recruiting'the'Next'Generation'of'the'Right'Engineers'
If!and!when!the!right!engineer!is!found,!engineering!managers!may!find!it!hard!to!recruit!them!into!the!
organization.!Engineers!from!GenY!have!some!dramatically!different!priorities!than!their!predecessors.!
They!crave!roles!where!they!can!have!an!immediate!impact.!They!want!flexibility!with!their!work!time!
as!they!frequently!intermix!their!professional!and!social!lives.!They!want!to!use!modern!technology!in!
the!workplace,!sometimes!even!their!own!technology.!And!monetary!compensation!isnt!at!the!top!of!
the!list.!When!engineering!organizations!start!competing!for!the!right!engineer,!small!differences!like!
these!might!make!a!big!difference.!
The'Challenge'of'Generational'Differences'and'HyperXspecialization'
When!Boomer!engineers!begin!to!retire!in!large!numbers,!a!huge!amount!of!design!experience!and!knowledge!will!be!walking!out!the!door.!Engineering'managers'must'find'a'way'to'
mitigate'the'brain'drain'threat'of'retiring'Boomer'engineers.!
Traditional!recruitment!tactics!cant!be!used!to!bring!the!next!generation!of!engineers!into!the!organization.!Recognize!the!fact!that!different!generations!will!have!very!different!priorities!
than!their!predecessors.!Engineering'managers'must'find'ways'to'recruit'GenY'engineers'
using'benefits'other'than'monetary'compensation.!
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Agile'Product'Development'Processes''As!more!electronic!hardware!and!software!are!
incorporated!into!traditional!mechanical!products,!
manufacturers!are!seeking!better!ways!to!integrate!
design!activities!across!engineering!disciplines.!As!a!
result,!many!design!and!development!practices!are!
exchanged.!One!such!initiative,!Agile!Product!
Development,!involves!the!application!of!agile!
methodologies!to!mechanical!design,!electrical!design!
and!broader!product!development.!
Defining'Agile'Product'Development'Processes'
A!good!place!to!begin!to!understand!how!agile!methodologies!apply!to!product!development!is!the!
Wikipedia!entry!on!Agile!Software!Development.!
Agile+software+development+is+a+group+of+software+development+methods+based+on+iterative+and+incremental+development,+where+requirements+and+solutions+evolve+through+collaboration+between+
selfHorganizing,+crossHfunctional+teams.+It+promotes+adaptive+planning,+evolutionary+development+and+
delivery,+a+timeHboxed+iterative+approach,+and+encourages+rapid+and+flexible+response+to+change.+It+is+a+
conceptual+framework+that+promotes+foreseen+interactions+throughout+the+development+cycle.+
Source:!Wikipedia!entry!on!Agile!Software!Development!
Interestingly,!these!characteristics!stand!in!direct!contrast!with!traditional!product!development!
approaches,!as!they!did!with!many!software!development!methods!ten!years!ago.!Product!
requirements!are!often!frozen!early!on.!Engineering!organizations!are!often!rigidly!structured!with!
clear!lines!of!authority.!Development!schedules!are!often!laid!out!far!in!advance.!
Yet,!Agile!Software!Development!has!met!widespread!success.!Today,!most!software!development!
organizations!use!some!variation!of!this!framework.!But!its!applicability!to!product!development!
requires!some!translation.!In!Table!1!below,!the!left!column!shows!core!principles!of!the!Agile!
Manifesto!per!the!Wikipedia!entry!on!Agile!Software!Development.!The!right!column!shows!the!
translation!of!these!principles!into!Agile!Product!Development.!
Table+1:+Translating+Agile+Manifesto+to+Agile+Product+Development+
Agile&Manifesto&Principles&
(source'Wikipedia)'
Equivalent&in&Agile&Product&Development&
Individuals'and'interactions'over'processes'
and'tools.'
Individuals'and'Interactions:!In!agile!
development,!selforganization!and!
motivation!are!important,!as!are!interactions!
like!colocation!and!pair!programming.!
Collaboration!and!problem!solving!are!more!important!
than!following!a!specific!process!or!procedure.!
Because!mechatronic!issues!span!disciplines,!
engineers!will!need!to!organize!into!the!best!teams.!
Furthermore,!these!teams!should!be!empowered!to!
pursue!and!resolve!issues.!
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Working'software'over'comprehensive'
documentation.'
Working'software:!Working!software!will!be!
more!useful!and!welcome!than!just!
presenting!documents!to!clients!in!meetings.!
Working!prototypes,!physical!and!digital,!are!more!
important!than!engineering!deliverables!that!will!
eventually!be!handed!off!at!design!release.!The!focus!
should!be!satisfying!the!requirements!for!performance!
and!other!characteristics.!
Customer'collaboration'over'contract'
negotiation.'
Customer'collaboration:!Requirements!
cannot!be!fully!collected!at!the!beginning!of!
the!software!development!cycle,!therefore!
continuous!customer!or!stakeholder!
involvement!is!very!important.!
A!customer!or!equivalent!internal!representative!
needs!to!be!intimately!involved!in!the!development!
process.!Because!issues!will!arise!time!and!again!
during!the!design!of!mechatronic!products,!there!will!
need!to!be!verification!and!validation!steps!along!the!
way.!This!will!result!in!the!refinement!of!mechatronic!
requirements!during!the!development!process.!
Responding'to'change'over'following'a'plan.'
Responding'to'change:!Agile!development!is!focused!on!quick!responses!to!change!and!
continuous!development.!
Emphasis!should!be!placed!on!the!organizations!
ability!to!respond!to!the!development!issues!over!its!
ability!to!adhere!to!a!specific!process!or!procedure.!It!
should!be!able!to!respond!to!issues!in!mechatronic!
development!in!an!agile!and!flexible!manner.!!
Challenges'addressed'by'Agile'Product'Development'
Obviously,!there!are!some!interesting!implications!of!Agile!Product!Development.!However,!adopting!it!
directly!addresses!two!challenges!mentioned!in!the!previous!chapter.!
Table+2:+Challenges+addressed+by+Agile+Product+Development+
Trend& Challenge&Addressed& Advantage&Provided&
The!Visibility!Mandate!
for!Engineering!
Operations!
Engineering!managers!must!
derive!new!designbased!
metrics!that!measure!the!
progress!of!wellengineered!
products.!
The!emphasis!on!working!prototypes!
over!deliverables!shifts!executives!
thinking!on!deliverablebased!metrics.!It!
sets!the!stage!to!define!new!designbased!
metrics.!
The!Coming!War!for!
Engineering!Talent!
Engineering!managers!must!
find!ways!to!recruit!GenY!
engineers!using!benefits!other!than!monetary!compensation.!
GenYers!are!a!collaborative!generational!
cohort!by!nature!and!desire!to!make!an!
immediate!impact.!The!emphasis!on!interactions!appeals!to!their!natural!
tendencies.!The!opportunity!to!
contribute!in!this!framework!lets!them!
make!an!impact!immediately.!
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Steps'to'pursue'Agile'Product'Development'
There!are!published!reports!and!consultants!with!extensive!guidance!on!how!to!deploy!agile!
methodologies.!However,!most!of!these!are!in!the!context!of!a!software!development!organization!
rather!than!an!engineering!organization!developing!mechatronic!products.!Many!of!the!steps!are!
similar,!but!there!are!some!important!differences.!
Involve'More'Stakeholders:!From!a!people!perspective,!the!development!of!a!mechatronic!product!requires!involvement!of!systems,!mechanical,!electrical!and!software!engineers!as!well!
as!manufacturing,!quality,!sourcing,!service!and!the!like.!This!is!a!significantly!more!diverse!
technical!set!of!people!than!those!that!participate!in!Agile!Software!Development,!which!
primarily!consists!of!software!developers,!testing!and!more.!The!engineering!manager!will!need!
to!recognize!this!organizational!complexity!and!assist!teams!as!they!selforganize.!!
SelfXOrganizing'Structure:!At!first!glance,!one!might!assume!that!Agile!Product!Development!is!chaotic!due!to!the!need!to!selforganize!and!deemphasize!formal!processes.!But!just!because!
there!isnt!a!formal!process!doesnt!mean!Agile!Product!Development!isnt!structured.!The!
reality!is!quite!the!contrary.!Despite!the!structure,!however,!there!is!a!transition!away!from!a!
formalized!process.!Engineering!managers!will!need!to!enable!their!engineers!through!that!transition.!
Engineering'Knowledge'Management''Good!engineers!arent!born;!theyre!made.!Over!the!
course!of!their!career,!engineers!make!design!decisions!
and!subsequently!learn!from!them.!As!a!result,!their!
decisionmaking!is!almost!always!improving.!In!contrast,!
an!organizations!collective!decisionmaking!doesnt!
always!improve.!It!rises!as!engineers!learn.!It!degrades!as!engineers!leave.!To!improve!decisionmaking!quality,!
engineering!managers!are!looking!for!ways!to!capture!
and!leverage!past!design!experience.!Therein!lies!the!
genesis!of!Engineering!Knowledge!Management.!!
Defining'Engineering'Knowledge'Management'
Knowledge+management+(KM)+comprises+a+range+of+strategies+and+practices+used+in+an+organization+to+
identify,+create,+represent,+distribute,+and+enable+adoption+of+insights+and+experiences.+Such+insights+
and+experiences+comprise+knowledge,+either+embodied+in+individuals+or+embedded+in+organizations+as+
processes+or+practices.+
Source:!Wikipedia!entry!for!Knowledge!Management!
In!the!context!of!engineering,!there!are!several!specific!applications!of!Knowledge!Management.!
DecisionXMaking'Traceability:!One!such!application!is!the!documentation!of!decisions,!both!in!terms!of!the!sequence!of!events!as!well!as!the!rationale!behind!each!decision.!This!provides!an!
audit!trail!about!the!decision!for!future!use,!even!after!the!responsible!engineer!has!left!the!
organization.!
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Developing'and'Distributing'Design'Guidance:!Another!application!of!Knowledge!Management!in!engineering!is!to!assess!the!basis!for!many!design!decisions,!whether!they!are!internal!or!
external,!and!generalize!them!into!guidance!for!engineers.!To!do!so,!engineers!need!to!
collaborate!to!define!the!guidance.!As!a!result,!future!generations!of!engineers!can!leverage!the!
collective!advice!of!past!engineers.!
Engineering'Specialization:!This!application!focuses!on!the!access!and!exchange!of!information!about!specific!design!domains.!This!type!of!knowledge!has!traditionally!been!provided!through!
engineering!standards!or!technical!references.!Access!to!these!kinds!of!standards!and!
references!have!undergone!a!revolution!in!recent!years,!providing!engineering!organizations!
easier!access!to!validated!information.!Furthermore,!there!is!a!need!to!interact!with!other!
specialized!engineers!on!specific!design!domains!in!specific!groups.!
Challenges'addressed'by'Engineering'Knowledge'Management'
There!are!many!different!facets!of!Engineering!Knowledge!Management,!each!providing!different!
advantages.!The!pursuit!of!Engineering!Knowledge!Management!directly!addresses!a!number!of!the!
challenges!that!are!shaping!modern!engineering.!
Table+3:+Challenges+addressed+by+Engineering+Knowledge+Management+
Trend& Challenge&Addressed& Advantage&Provided&
Profitable!Growth!and!
Engineering!Staffing!
Engineering!managers!must!
maintain!engineering!
consistency!and!throughput!
despite!the!differences!across!
global!technical!centers.!
The!designation!of!internal!and!external!
sources!of!engineering!knowledge!lets!
the!engineering!manager!reference!a!
single!source!of!truth!for!engineering!
decisions!regardless!of!location.!
The!Expanding!Role!of!
the!Modern!Engineer!
Engineering!managers!must!
maintain!their!engineers!
technical!skills!while!improving!
their!soft!skills.!
Building!out!a!centrally!accessible!source!
of!engineering!knowledge!allows!
engineers!to!improve!as!well!as!
continually!refresh!their!skills!and!
knowledge.!
The!Coming!War!for!
Engineering!Talent!
Engineering!managers!must!
find!a!way!to!mitigate!the!brain!
drain!threat!from!retiring!
Boomer!engineers.!
Engineering!managers!can!procedurally!
capture!knowledge!of!the!most!
experienced!engineers.!When!those!
engineers!leave,!the!organization!has!a!
centrally!accessible!knowledge!base.!
Steps'to'pursue'Engineering'Knowledge'Management'
If!the!focus!is!on!standards'and'technical'references,!then!the!best!means!to!access!such!information!must!be!determined.!Furthermore,!the!engineering!organization!will!need!to!adopt!
new!practices!to!reference!such!information.!!
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If!the!focus!is!on!documenting'an'audit'trail'for'decisionXmaking,!then!the!technology!used!for!documentation!must!be!identified!and!the!procedural!process!must!be!rolled!out.!!
If!the!focus!is!on!the!creation'of'generalized'design'decision'guidance,!then!some!means!of!collaboration!must!be!designated!and!used!to!build!consensus.!Once!the!guidance!is!
formalized,!the!organization!must!embed!those!practices!into!their!processes.!
Just'in'Time'Engineering'(JIT)'When!engineers!are!placed!on!a!tight!deadline,!the!
reaction!is!fairly!common:!rush!to!complete!work!as!
quickly!as!possible.!However,!a!new!philosophy!
regarding!design!has!recently!emerged!that!actually!
takes!the!opposite!position:!make!no!design!decision!
before!it!is!absolutely!necessary.!!
Defining'Just'in'Time'Engineering'
The+philosophy+of+JIT+is+simple:+inventory+is+waste.+JIT+
inventory+systems+expose+hidden+cost+of+keeping+
inventory,+and+are+therefore+not+a+simple+solution+for+a+company+to+adopt.+The+company+must+follow+an+
array+of+new+methods+to+manage+the+consequences+of+the+change.+The+ideas+in+this+way+of+working+
come+from+many+different+disciplines+including+statistics,+industrial+engineering,+production+
management,+and+behavioral+science.+
Source:!Wikipedia!entry!for!Just!in!Time!(JIT)!
In!contrast!to!the!application!of!JIT!principles!in!manufacturing,!its!use!in!engineering!is!about!the!
timing!of!making!decisions!rather!than!something!physical!like!inventory.!The!idea!is!to!commit!to!a!
decision!at!the!last!possible!moment.!The!advantage!of!such!a!philosophy!lies!in!an!immutable!fact!of!engineering:!more!knowledge!enables!more!informed!and,!hence,!better!decisions.!With!more!time,!
engineers!can!explore!more!iterations!and!variations!of!a!design.!As!some!succeed!and!some!fail,!
engineers!gain!insight!into!the!impact!of!those!differences!on!a!product's!performance!and!
characteristics.!!
However,!lets!be!frank:!no!engineer!has!an!infinite!amount!of!time!to!design!a!product.!The!emphasis!
on!timetomarket!drives!the!timing!of!development!schedules.!Engineers!need!to!hit!deadlines!such!
that!development!can!progress!and!products!can!be!manufactured!and!launched.!Therein!lies!the!
counterbalance!to!exploring!iterations!and!variations!on!the!design!for!too!long.!
With!a!JIT!engineering!philosophy,!engineers!have!the!maximum!amount!of!time!to!gain!knowledge!
about!the!design!and!make!better!decisions.!Yet,!compliance!to!the!schedule!is!maintained.!!
Challenges'addressed'by'Just'in'Time'Engineering'
Pursuing!JIT!engineering!represents!a!significant!change!from!the!traditional!operations!of!an!
engineering!organization.!However,!this!change!directly!addresses!some!of!the!challenges!that!come!
with!the!trends!shaping!modern!engineering.!
!
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Table+4:+Challenges+addressed+by+Just+in+Time+Engineering+
Trend& Challenge&Addressed& Advantage&Provided&
The!Visibility!Mandate!
for!Engineering!
Operations!
Engineering!managers!must!
derive!new!designbased!
metrics!that!measures!the!progress!of!wellengineered!
products.!
Just!in!Time!Engineering!adds!decision!
making!deadlines!to!the!schedule,!
removing!the!exclusive!reliance!on!deliverablebased!metrics.!
The!Increasing!Volatility!
of!Engineering!Work!
Engineering!managers!must!
find!a!way!to!minimize!
disruptive!design!rework.!
Just!in!Time!Engineering!enables!
engineers!to!make!better!decisions,!
reducing!the!chances!that!errors!get!past!
design!release.!
Steps'to'pursue'Just'in'Time'Engineering'
The!engineering!manager!needs!to!start!with!the!release'dates'and'backup'to'the'points'where'design'decisions'must'be'completed.!This!will!depend!on!time!needed!to!complete!
design!deliverables,!pass!testing!and!build!out!prototypes.!The!new!deadlines!for!design!
decisions!become!part!of!the!schedule,!like!the!completion!of!any!other!activity.!
In!addition!to!integrating!design!decisions!into!the!schedule,!engineering!managers!will!have!to!change'the'mindsets'of'their'engineers.!For!their!entire!careers,!engineers!have!been!rushed!
to!make!design!decisions!as!fast!as!possible.!With!Just!in!Time!Engineering!principles,!engineers!
must!have!a!renewed!emphasis!on!design!due!diligence!within!the!constraints!of!the!schedule.!
Right'the'First'Time'Principle'No!engineer!plans!to!make!a!wrong!decision.!Product!
development,!however,!is!a!highly!constrained!
endeavor.!Products!must!be!designed!on!a!specific!
schedule.!Engineers!have!to!take!companywide!
considerations!into!account.!Products!are!only!getting!
more!complex!in!terms!of!mechatronics.!Its!surprising!
that!more!mistakes!arent!made!when!designing!
products.!To!counter!all!of!these!issues!and!more,!some!
engineering!organizations!are!undergoing!explicit!efforts!
to!make!design!decisions!right+the+first+time.!
Defining'the'Right'the'First'Time'Principle'
The!goal!behind!the!Right!the!First!Time!principle!is!to!minimize!the!number!of!product!issues!that!get!
past!design!release!to!cause!rework,!scrap,!change!orders!and!leads!to!displeased!customers.!To!do!so,!
the!Right!the!First!Time!principle!encompasses!practices!that!allow!engineers!to!perform!more!due!
diligence!and!validation!of!their!design!decisions.!This!includes!digitally!and!physically!prototyping!
designs!in!faster!and!more!iterative!cycles.!!
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Challenges'addressed'by'the'Right'the'First'Time'Principle'
Unlike!the!other!initiatives!covered!in!this!chapter,!the!Right!the!First!Time!principle!addresses!a!single!
trend!challenge!from!Chapter!One.!However,!this!principle!can!have!a!larger!impact!on!the!throughput!
of!the!engineering!organization!than!any!other!initiative.!
Table+5:+Challenges+addressed+by+the+Right+the+First+Time+Principle+
Trend& Challenge&Addressed& Advantage&Provided&
The!Increasing!Volatility!
of!Engineering!Work!
Engineering!managers!must!
find!a!way!to!minimize!
disruptive!design!rework.!
By!enabling!more!due!diligence!and!
validation!of!design!decisions!before!
design!release,!the!amount!of!design!
rework!for!the!engineering!organization!
shrinks.!That,!in!turn,!minimizes!the!
number!of!disruptive!fire!drills!for!
engineers.!
Steps'to'pursue'the'Right'the'First'Time'Principle'
To!implement!the!Right!the!First!Time!principle,!time'must'be'earmarked'in'the'schedule'to'accommodate'an'engineers'due'diligence'and'validation'of'his'or'her'decisions,!whether!
using!digital!prototyping,!physical!prototyping!or!accessing!the!right!information.!In!some!cases,!
procedures!may!need!to!be!developed!to!verify!those!decisions.!
Talent'Management'Strategy'
In!dealing!with!highly!technical!issues,!complex!development!processes!and!technically!oriented!
engineers,!engineering!managers!rarely!get!the!chance!
to!actually!manage.!Instead,!they!often!act!as!a!
firefighter!to!deal!with!the!emergency!of!the!day.!Due!to!
generational!dynamics!and!hyperspecialization,!
however,!the!landscape!of!engineering!staffing!is!
changing.!To!get!ahead!of!the!curve,!some!organizations!
are!far!more!serious!about!competitively!recruiting!and!
retaining!engineers.!Those!efforts!fall!under!the!strategy!
called!Talent!Management.!
Defining'a'Talent'Management'Strategy'
Talent+management+refers+to+the+anticipation+of+required+human+capital+the+organization+needs+at+the+
time+then+setting+a+plan+to+meet+those+needs.+Companies+engaging+in+a+talent+management+strategy+
shift+the+responsibility+of+employees+from+the+human+resources+department+to+all+managers+throughout+
the+organization.+
Source:!Wikipedia!entry!for!Talent!Management!
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Traditionally,!managing!an!engineering!organization!has!been!fairly!reactive!in!nature.!Searching!for!
candidates!usually!starts!after!a!key!engineer!has!left!the!organization.!Reviews!are!usually!driven!by!
corporate!mandates.!Training!of!individuals!usually!occurs!as!part!of!some!certification.!
In!a!Talent!Management!strategy,!however,!those!activities!are!both!more!explicitly!defined!and!more!
proactive!in!nature.!Table!6!shows!some!of!this!formal!definition,!per!the!Wikipedia!entry!for!Talent!
Management!and!translates!it!into!engineering!applicability.!
Table+6:+Applicability+of+Talent+Management+Traits+to+Engineering+
Talent&Management&Traits&
(source'Wikipedia)'
Applicability&to&Engineering&
Sourcing,!attracting,!recruiting!
and!onboarding!qualified!
candidates!with!competitive!
backgrounds!
Given!the!coming!competition!for!top!engineers!and!the!need!for!
immediate!productivity,!these!activities!are!critical!to!attracting!the!
right!candidates!and!onboarding!them!quickly!to!ensure!the!
productivity!of!the!organization.!
Managing!and!defining!
competitive!salaries!
Tracking!competitive!compensation!is!important.!However,!its!also!important!to!understand!the!organizational!traits!and!benefits!
necessary!to!attract!the!top!engineering!candidates.!
Training!and!development!
opportunities!
With!increased!need!for!hyperspecialization!for!mechatronics!
development!as!well!as!soft!skills!for!groupthink!design,!training!
programs!and!career!development!are!critical!to!making!sure!they!
gain!the!right!skills,!knowledge!and!experience!to!design!products.!
Performance!management!
processes!
Alignment!between!engineers!and!their!organization!is!critical!to!
productivity.!Explicitly!and!proactively!executing!a!performance!
management!process!is!an!important!way!to!ensure!such!alignment.!
Retention!programs!
This!idea!refers!to!actively!managing!the!retention!of!employees!
with!specific!efforts.!Different!kinds!of!engineers,!split!along!
generational!lines!or!even!disciplines,!will!be!motivated!by!different!
kinds!of!programs.!
Promotion!and!transitioning! This!effort!refers!to!succession!planning,!in!which!specific!individuals!
actively!develop!several!engineering!candidates!to!take!their!place!
one!day,!as!well!as!transitioning!engineers!between!different!roles.!
Challenges'addressed'by'Talent'Management'
Adopting!a!Talent!Management!strategy!can!be!a!sizeable!undertaking.!However,!this!effort!directly!
addresses!a!wide!variety!of!challenges!that!result!from!the!five!trends!shaping!modern!engineering.!
!
!
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Table+7:+Challenges+addressed+by+a+Talent+Management+Strategy+
Trend& Challenge&Addressed& Advantage&Provided&
Profitable!Growth!and!
Engineering!Staffing!
Engineering!managers!need!to!
minimize!the!effect!of!staffing!
volatility!on!the!productivity!of!the!organization.!
By!constantly!recruiting!and!attracting!a!
pool!of!qualified!candidates,!engineering!
managers!can!hire!new!engineers!more!readily.!Formalized!onboarding!efforts!
offer!a!faster!path!to!productivity.!!
The!Expanding!Role!of!
the!Modern!Engineer!
Engineering!managers!need!to!
modernize!the!soft!skills!of!
their!engineers!to!facilitate!
collaboration!inside!and!
outside!engineering.!
Leadership!training!and!development!
programs!improve!an!engineers!soft!
skills.!Specifically,!it!can!enhance!their!
ability!to!work!with!others!inside!and!
outside!engineering.!
The!Expanding!Role!of!the!Modern!Engineer! Engineering!managers!must!maintain!their!engineers!
existing!technical!skills!while!
improving!their!soft!skills.!
Technical!training!and!development!programs!develop!an!engineers!design!
and!validation!skills.!Specifically,!it!
expands!their!knowledge!and!skills!in!
various!mechatronic!domains.!
The!Coming!War!for!
Engineering!Talent!
Engineering!managers!must!
find!ways!to!recruit!GenY!
engineers!using!benefits!other!
than!monetary!compensation.!
This!strategy!provides!a!means!to!
understand!which!organizational!traits!
and!characteristics!are!most!attractive!to!
candidates!not!only!from!different!
generations!but!also!from!different!
geographic!regions!of!the!world.!
Steps'to'pursue'Talent'Management'
The!engineering!manager!will!need!to!identify!which!aspects!of!the!Talent!Management!strategy!he!or!she!wants!to!implement.!That!will!determine!which!processes,!such!as!
performance!management,!onboarding,!development!and!training,!succession!planning,!
recruitment!and!others!are!affected.!These!processes!should!be!formalized!and!deployed!
across!the!organization.!Human!Resources!will!need!to!play!an!active!role!in!advising!the!
engineering!manager!as!well!as!supporting!the!management!changes!along!the!way.!
When!a!Talent!Management!strategy!is!deployed!in!an!engineering!organization,!it!will!take!some!time!for!employees!to!get!comfortable!with!the!change.!It!will!be!important!to!be!
consistent!with!the!effort!and!clearly!communicate!the!intent!to!the!organization.!
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3D#Visualization!
Talent'Management!
Product(Lifecycle(Management !
Engineering'Guidance!
Engineering'Collaboration!
Design'and'Simulation!
Technology*Categories !
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Talent'Management'Strategy !
The$Right$the$First$Time$Principle!
Just%in%Time%Engineering%Practices !
Engineering'Knowledge)Management!
Agile&Product&Development&Processes!
Initiatives
Chapter'3:'Six'Technology'
Categories'to'Enable'Initiatives'Today,!there!are!a!large!number!of!technologies!that!enable!initiatives.!In!fact,!a!single!initiative!can!
often!be!enabled!by!multiple!technologies.!However,!that!doesnt!mean!that!the!engineering!
organization!can!switch!on!all!of!those!technologies!as!once.!Such!mass!change!can!result!in!chaos.!This!
leaves!engineering!managers!with!a!difficult!task:!determine!which!technologies!to!pursue!to!enable!
their!initiatives.!Engineering!managers!can!strategically!plan!to!deploy!specific!technologies!to!support!
certain!initiatives,!as!shown!in!Figure!2!below.!
Figure+2:+Mapping+of+Initiatives+to+Technology+Categories+
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This!chapter!covers!each!of!the!technology!categories!listed!above!in!greater!detail!by!providing!
definitions,!recent!trends!and!detailed!descriptions!of!initiatives!from!Chapter!Two!that!are!supported.!Other!categories!of!technologies!not!covered!in!this!book,!but!that!are!applicable!to!engineering,!
include!Rapid'Prototyping'and'3D'Printing!as!well!as!Mathematics'and'Calculation'Software.!
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Design'and'Simulation'Historically,!the!primary!responsibilities!of!engineers!
have!been!to!design!a!product!for!form,!fit!and!function.!
Given!that,!its!no!surprise!that!Computer'Aided'Design'
(CAD)!and!Computer'Aided'Engineering'(CAE)!
applications!are!so!widely!proliferated!in!engineering!
organizations.!These!technologies!enable!engineers!to!
iterate,!experiment!and!explore!various!design!
alternatives!and!analyze!their!performance.!However,!
its!not!solely!about!creating!such!designs!and!
simulations.!Such!models!are!composed!of!many!various!
file!types!with!complex!interdependencies.!As!a!result,!
CAD'Product'Data'Management'(PDM)!and!Simulation'Process'and'Data'Management'(SPDM)!
systems!have!been!developed!to!automate!the!management!of!those!complexities.!Engineering'
Product'Data'Management'(PDM)!systems!manage!engineering!documents.!
Definitions'
The!Design!and!Simulation!technology!category!is!actually!composed!of!two!different!kinds!of!
applications!and!three!different!types!of!systems.!
CAD'Applications:!This!desktop!software!is!most!notably!used!to!create!2D!drawings!and!3D!models,!allowing!a!change!in!one!to!be!associatively!reflected!in!the!other.!However,!it!also!
provides!a!wide!range!of!other!capabilities!to!design!and!collaborate!with!other!aspects!of!
products!such!as!aesthetic,!routed!systems!and!logical!designs.!
CAD'PDM'Systems:!This!software!system!is!used!to!manage!the!files!and!other!artifacts!created!by!CAD!applications.!It!often!extracts!information!embedded!in!these!files!and!artifacts!to!create!product!structures!and!other!related!information.!
CAE'Applications:!This!desktop!software!is!used!to!simulate!and!analyze!the!physics!related!to!the!performance!of!a!product.!This!includes!structures,!natural!frequencies,!thermodynamics,!
kinematics!and!dynamics!as!well!as!fluid!dynamics!that!fall!into!linear!and!nonlinear!domains.!!
SPDM'Systems:!This!software!system!is!used!to!manage!the!files!and!other!artifacts!created!by!CAE!applications.!It!also!is!used!to!automate!steps!in!the!simulation!process,!enabling!users!to!
run!a!multitude!of!simulations!in!a!relatively!handsfree!manner.!
Engineering'PDM'Systems:!When!it!comes!to!designing!a!product,!theres!far!more!involved!than!3D!models!and!simulations.!Engineering!needs!to!manage!specifications,!Failure!Modes!and!Effects!Analyses!(FMEAs)!and!a!wide!variety!of!other!documents.!Engineering!PDM!systems!
offer!those!capabilities.!
Note!that!CAD'PDM,!SPDM'and!Engineering'PDM!systems!can!be!closely!connected!to!Enterprise'
Product'Data'Management!systems!as!well!as!Managing'Product'Characteristics!in!Product'Lifecycle'
Management'systems.!!
!
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Recent'Trends'
The'Revolution'in'CAD'Modeling:!After!a!period!of!small!incremental!improvements,!modeling!in!CAD!applications!has!recently!undergone!significant!change.!Direct!modeling,!which!allows!
users!to!push,!pull!and!drag!geometry,!has!been!integrated!with!parametric!featurebased!
modeling,!which!allows!users!to!make!changes!through!numerical!modifications.!This!has!
coincided!with!the!emergence!of!new!sketching!and!conceptualization!tools!for!new!design.! Managing'the'MultiXCAD'Reality:!It!is!rare!that!a!manufacturer!and!all!of!their!suppliers!use!the!
exact!same!version!of!the!exact!same!CAD!application.!The!result!is!that!3D!models!that!come!
from!different!CAD!applications,!and!reside!in!different!formats,!are!passed!up!and!down!the!
supply!chain.!New!capabilities!have!emerged!in!both!CAD!applications!and!CAD!PDM!systems!
that!import!and!manage!3D!models!in!a!variety!of!formats.!!
Fluid'Flow'Driven'Design:!For!many!years,!fluids!simulation!was!the!domain!of!experts!with!doctoral!degrees.!Recently,!however,!the!accuracy!and!autonomy!of!fluid!flow!simulation!
applications!have!increased!to!the!point!where!casual!users!can!use!them!for!design!decisions.!
MultiXPhysics'Simulations:!Another!advancement!in!this!technology!category!has!been!the!improved!ability!to!simulate!multiple!physics!phenomena!in!the!same!simulation.!This!multi
physics!simulation!capability!allows!users!to!more!precisely!simulate!the!performance!of!
products!under!real!world!conditions.!
Expanded'Simulation'Automation:!In!the!past!few!years,!software!providers!of!SPDM!have!invested!in!capabilities!to!connect!with!other!enterprise!systems,!to!automate!simulation!
processes!and!to!leverage!the!compute!power!of!the!cloud.!The!result!is!the!ability!to!
significantly!increase!the!number!of!simulations!that!can!be!run!in!a!shorter!amount!of!time.!
Topographical'Optimization:!Simulation!can!now!do!more!than!merely!analyze!static!models.!New!optimization!capabilities!will!actually!morph!3D!models!through!parametric!changes!or!
remove!material!to!explore!the!performance!of!different!design!shapes.!In!many!cases,!this!capability!suggests!new!design!forms!that!engineers!rarely!consider.!
Initiatives'Supported'
Design!and!Simulation!technologies!have!been!used!by!engineering!organizations!for!decades.!Because!
of!that,!many!assume!that!the!use!of!these!applications!and!systems!have!been!fully!explored!and!
deployed.!However,!with!new!capabilities,!Design!and!Simulation!technologies!carry!new!applicability!
to!engineering!initiatives.!The!following!is!a!breakdown!that!maps!those!connections.!
!
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Table+8:+Initiatives+Supported+by+Design+and+Simulation+Technologies+
Initiative& Support&Required& Enabling&Capability&&
Agile!Product!
Development!
Engineers!must!create!working!
prototypes,!through!digital!or!
physical!means,!to!check!a!products!form!and!fit.!
CAD'Applications:!The!combination!of!
direct!modeling!and!parametric!feature
based!modeling!offers!improved!
flexibility!in!terms!of!exploring!more!
design!alternatives!and!checking!the!
form!and!fit!of!each.!
Just!in!Time!
Engineering!
Engineers!need!to!explore!as!
many!design!alternatives!as!
possible!before!the!design!
decision!deadline.!
Right!the!First!Time!
Principle!
Engineers!must!check!the!form!
and!fit!of!the!product!to!verify!
the!right!decision.!
Agile!Product!
Development!
Engineers!must!create!working!
prototypes,!through!digital!or!
physical!means,!to!check!a!
products!form!and!fit.!CAE'Applications'and'SPDM'Systems:!
Multiphysics!simulations!enable!users!to!
more!fully!understand!the!products!
function.!Simulation!automation!allows!
users!to!analyze!the!performance!of!far!
more!product!alternatives.!
Just!in!Time!
Engineering!
Engineers!need!to!understand!
the!impact!of!different!options!
on!a!products!performance.!
Right!the!First!Time!
Principle!
Engineers!need!to!perform!
design!due!diligence!about!a!
products!function!to!validate!
the!right!decision!
Engineering!Knowledge!
Management!
Engineers!must!understand!
why!design!decisions!were!
made,!recreate!the!context!for!
those!decisions!
CAD'PDM,'SPDM'and'Engineering'PDM'
Systems:!Provides!an!audit!trail!of!
changes!between!iterations!of!CAD!and!
CAE!models!as!well!as!all!other!kinds!of!
deliverables.!!
Technology'Providers'
Providers!of!these!types!of!technologies!include!Altair'Engineering,!ANSYS,!Autodesk,!CDXAdapco,!
Comet'Solutions,!Dassault'Systmes,!ESI'Group,!Exa,!Kubotek,!Mentor'Graphics,!MSC'Software,!PTC,!
Siemens'PLM,!Spaceclaim!and!Synergis'Adept.!
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Engineering'Collaboration'Engineers!rarely!make!decisions!in!a!vacuum!today.!They!
might!need!a!specialized!engineer's!perspective.!They!
might!want!a!peer!to!perform!a!design!review.!
Sometimes!they!might!need!some!context!when!
performing!some!design!rework.!Regardless!of!the!
context,!engineers!need!to!collaborate!and!
communicate!frequently.!In!recent!years,!there!has!been!
a!technology!revolution!in!how!we!connect!and!
communicate.!Based!on!some!of!those!changes,!
Engineering'Collaboration!technologies!offer!great!
promise!in!product!development.!
Definitions'
Engineering'Collaboration!technologies!are!split!between!Social'Technologies!and!Shared'3D'Visualization!technologies.!There!are!a!wide!variety!of!Social'Technologies!in!use!today.!However,!not!
all!of!them!apply!to!product!development.!The!following!are!some!of!the!types!of!social!technologies!
that!are!most!applicable.!
Messaging'and'Microblogging:!This!type!of!social!technology!lets!users!send!short!communications!composed!of!text,!photos,!videos!and!other!kinds!of!digital!media!to!
individuals,!groups!or!even!broadcast!for!general!consumption.!This!results!in!a!stream!of!
updates!among!those!parties,!which!is!essentially!a!conversation!in!digital!form.!In!the!context!
of!engineering,!those!streams!pertain!to!design!activities!such!as!updates!on!development!
projects,!design!reviews,!discussions!on!change!orders!and!far!more.!
Blogs:!This!kind!of!social!technology!is!a!web!accessible!series!of!posts!that!includes!text,!photos,!video!and!other!kinds!of!digital!media.!Individuals!read!blogs!as!a!means!to!keep!up!to!
date!and!can!even!comment.!For!engineering,!this!capability!can!be!used!to!communicate!the!
status!of!a!project,!design,!test!or!practically!anything!related!to!a!product!to!interested!parties.!
Wikis:!This!form!of!social!technology!is!a!set!of!webbased!articles!that!are!commonly!used!as!an!encyclopedia!type!of!reference.!It!is!social!in!that!users!can!provide!comments!against!any!
article!in!a!wiki,!citing!their!perspective!on!its!content.!This,!in!turn,!becomes!a!means!to!drive!
consensus!amongst!a!community!for!the!content!of!the!article.!Engineering!organizations!can!
use!wikis!to!define,!deliberate!and!then!come!to!consensus!on!guidance,!practices!and!
procedures!for!design!activities.!Additionally,!they!can!be!used!to!document!the!progress!of!a!
product!or!project!through!the!development!process.!Finally,!they!can!also!be!used!to!document!equations!and!theories!as!well.!
In!addition!to!the!Social'Technologies!mentioned!above,!Shared'3D'Visualization!technologies!enable!
the!sharing!of!the!same!3D!model!between!two!or!more!engineers!enabling!them!to!more!clearly!
communicate!during!design!discussions.!
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Current'Trends'
Setting'a'Product'Context:!The!topics!that!are!discussed!in!mainstream!social!technologies!are!personal.!They!include!communicating!about!our!personal!lives!and!careers!with!our!friends,!
family!and!professional!networks.!When!social!technologies!are!applied!to!engineering,!the!
context!is!design!activities!and!the!network!is!a!set!of!colleagues!at!work.!Software!providers!
have!reoriented!social!technologies!to!be!product!or!deliverable!centric.! Integrated'3D'Visualization:!For!social!technologies!to!have!an!impact!in!engineering,!not!only!
does!the!context!of!the!conversation!need!to!be!different,!but!also!graphical!references!to!the!
design!are!needed!as!well.!Software!providers!have!been!busy!integrating!3D!visualization!
technologies!with!social!technologies.!
Communities'of'Practice:!In!addition!to!the!need!to!place!design!activities!as!the!context!for!conversations!in!social!technologies,!there!is!also!a!need!to!enable!specialized!engineers!to!
discuss!their!fields!of!expertise.!Software!providers!have!added!capabilities!allowing!engineers!
to!join!groups!that!are!focused!on!that!expertise.!!
Plugging'into'the'Application:!Engineers!have!developed!habits!around!the!software!applications!that!they!use!day!in!and!day!out.!To!make!it!easier!for!those!engineers!to!start!
using!social!technologies,!software!providers!have!embedded!social!technology!capabilities!into!
other!applications!such!as!CAD!and!even!email.!
Mobile'Video'Chat'and'3D'Visual'Sharing:!Software!providers!recognize!the!fact!that!many!roles!within!a!company!are!increasingly!mobile,!including!engineering.!To!support!that!reality,!
software!providers!of!video!chat!technologies!have!released!mobile!apps!that!work!on!tablets!
and!smartphones.!Likewise,!software!providers!of!3D!visual!sharing!technologies!have!done!the!
same.!As!a!result,!engineers!can!have!facetoface!conversations!and!share!3D!models!during!
design!discussions.!
Initiatives'Supported'
Today,!many!organizations!see!the!potential!in!applying!social!technologies!to!engineering!and!product!
development.!But!they!often!struggle!to!understand!exactly!how!the!technology!can!apply!to!the!
design!activities.!The!following!table!shows!how!the!capabilities!of!social!technologies!map!to!
engineering!initiatives.!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
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Table+12:+Initiatives+Supported+by+Engineering+Collaboration+Technologies+
Initiative& Support&Required& Enabling&Capability&&
Agile!Product!
Development!
Engineers!need!to!interact!
more!readily!to!identify!and!
resolve!issues.!
Chat!allows!users!to!textually!
communicate!with!others!regardless!of!
geographic!location.!Microblogging!is!an!open!call!to!the!development!community!
for!assistance.!Both!allow!users!to!
collaborate!and!resolve!product!issues.!
Video'Chat!allows!users!to!have!faceto
face!conversations!despite!being!
geographically!spread!out.!3D'Visual'
Sharing!enables!engineers!to!have!very!
specific!discussions!about!design!issues.!
Right!the!First!Time!
Principle!
Engineers!must!check!decisions!
amongst!their!peers.!
Talent!Management!
Mentors!and!mentees!need!to!
stay!in!touch!more!easily!
despite!busy!schedules.!
Engineering!Knowledge!
Management!
Engineering!managers!need!to!house!centrally!accessible!
knowledge!and!enable!
collaboration!around!the!
content.!
Wikis!act!as!a!repository!for!engineering!
knowledge,!and!provides!a!means!to!
enable!collaboration!and!build!consensus.'
Video'Chat!allows!users!to!have!faceto
face!conversations!about!the!topic!at!
hand.!
Talent!Management!
Engineering!managers!need!to!
broadcast!communications!to!
the!engineering!organization!to!
drive!alignment.!
Blogs!offer!a!means!to!publish!content!
about!the!status!of!development!projects!
or!organizational!strategies!or!visions.!
Technology'Providers'
Providers!of!these!types!of!technologies!include!Autodesk,!CADFaster,!Dassault'Systmes,!Microsoft,!
Nuage,!OneDesk,!PTC,!Siemens'PLM,!Vuuch!as!well!as!other!generic!social!technology!providers.!
Engineering'Guidance'As!much!as!engineering!is!about!trying!something!new,!
its!also!about!leveraging!knowledge!and!experiences!
from!the!past.!The!software!systems!that!help!engineers!do!that!fall!into!this!technology!category.!Technical'
Information!systems!enable!engineers!to!find!the!right!
technical!information!and!interactive!tools!needed!for!
design!and!research!activities.!Procedural'Automation!
systems!guide!engineers!through!time!proven!activities!
and!tasks!that!an!engineering!organization!has!leveraged!
for!consistent!success.!
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Table+9:+Initiatives+Supported+by+Engineering+Guidance+Technologies+
Initiative& Support&Required& Enabling&Capability&&
Engineering!Knowledge!
Management!
A!standardized!and!validated!
set!of!references!is!needed!as!
the!basis!for!design!decisions.!!
A!Technical'Information!system!becomes!
the!virtual!baseline!of!engineering!
knowledge!regardless!of!the!location!of!the!technical!center.!
To!leverage!past!organizational!
engineering!experience,!
engineers!need!to!be!led!
through!design!procedures.!
An!Engineering'Guidance'system!leads!
engineers!procedurally!through!design!
decisions!based!on!consensusbuilt!
guidance.!
Just!in!Time!Engineering!
Build!on!top!of!prior!design!
work!instead!of!recreating!it.!
This!enables!engineers!to!continue!to!work!at!the!edge!of!
engineering!boundaries!and,!as!
a!result,!design!better!
products.!
Technical'Information'systems!allow!
engineers!to!find!relevant!information!
quickly!so!they!can!explore!more!designs.'Procedural'Guidance'systems!stimulate!
engineers!to!explore!new!design!
alternatives!with!proven!procedures.!
Right!the!First!Time!
Principle!
Talent!Management!
Sources!of!trusted!engineering!
knowledge!are!needed!to!
onboard!new!engineers!more!
quickly.!
Technical'Information'systems!act!as!a!
centrally!accessible!source!of!engineering!
knowledge!that!new!engineers!can!
reference.'Procedural'Guidance'systems!
can!lead!new!engineers!through!time!
proven!design!procedures.'
Technology'Providers'
Providers!of!these!types!of!technologies!are!specialized!in!their!offerings.!IHS!offers!Codes!and!
Standards!systems.!Invention'Machine!provides'Intellectual!Property!and!Procedural!Guidance!
Systems.!Knovel!provides!a!Technical!Information!solution.!
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Product'Lifecycle'Management'Despite!the!technicalities!involved,!there!are!business!
aspects!to!running!product!development!in!an!
engineering!organization.!There!are!a!variety!of!business!
processes!inside!and!outside!the!engineering!
organization!that!are!executed.!There!are!business!traits!
and!characteristics!of!the!product!that!need!to!be!
tracked,!managed!and!controlled.!Ultimately,!that!is!
where!Product'Lifecycle'Management'(PLM)!systems!
come!into!play.!
Definitions'
This!technology!category!is!composed!of!two!different!types!of!software!systems.!One!type!is!made!up!
of!a!suite!of!modules!that!tends!to!comprehensively!cover!all!of!the!capabilities!that!fall!into!this!
category.!The!other!type!tends!to!narrowly!focus!on!specific!set!of!capabilities.!The!capabilities!that!fall!under!this!technology!category!include:!
Enterprise'Product'Data'Management'(PDM):!While!the!focus!of!many!PDM!systems!is!within!engineering,!there!are!many!other!deliverables!that!are!closely!related!to!the!product.!These!
include!manufacturing!plans!and!deliverables,!service!plans!and!documentation,!marketing!and!
sales!collateral!and!much!more.!This!set!of!capabilities!manages!these!items!and!relates!them!
to!the!products!that!they!describe.!
Automating'Business'Processes:!This!set!of!capabilities,!including!workflow,!task!management!and!the!integration!of!lifecycle!states!and!modification!of!product!information,!allows!
organizations!to!execute!business!processes.!Tasks!are!routed!to!appropriate!users.!Product!
data!is!changed!in!accordance!to!processes.!PLM!systems!offer!these!capabilities!to!manage!such!processes.!Examples!of!business!processes!that!can!be!automated!include!design!release,!
change!management,!portfolio!management,!regulatory!compliance!and!verification!and!
validation.!
Managing'Product'Characteristics:!As!products!progress!through!the!development!process,!users!will!interact!with!its!traits!and!characteristics.!Users!generate!product!information!for!
downstream!use!like!Bill!of!Materials!(BOM).!Users!track!and!manage!other!characteristics!like!
requirements.!Users!view!other!traits!like!cost,!inventory!and!materials!composition.!PLM!
systems!provide!such!capabilities!to!manage!the!products!information,!traits,!characteristics!
and!more.!
Note!that!Enterprise'Product'Data'Management'systems!as!well!as!Managing'Product'Characteristics!
in!Product'Lifecycle'Management'systems!can!be!closely!connected!to!CAD'PDM'systems,!SPDM'and!
Engineering'PDM'systems.!
Recent'Trends'
PLM'Solution'Granularity:!Traditionally,!PLM!has!referred!to!the!software!systems!that!offer!comprehensive!capabilities.!However,!because!such!systems!are!often!deployed!over!long!
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periods!of!time!and!require!large!budgets,!some!engineering!organizations!have!started!moving!
towards!a!different!approach!to!PLM.!In!a!more!granular!approach,!engineering!organizations!
adopt!and!deploy!more!compartmentalized!PLM!systems!that!provide!more!focused!
capabilities.!The!result!is!often!easy!to!deploy!and!offers!a!shorter!path!to!value.!
Access'to'Enterprise'Information:!Another!trend!in!the!PLM!technology!category!is!the!move!towards!easier!access!to!enterprise!information.!Many!engineering!organizations!realize!that!
engineers!and!other!stakeholders!in!the!product!development!process!need!access!to!
information!that!exists!in!multiple!enterprise!systems!to!make!sound!decisions.!Instead!of!
requiring!these!users!to!log!in!to!each!enterprise!systems,!some!software!providers!have!
launched!new!search!systems!that!provide!visibility!into!those!enterprise!systems!instead.!Yet!
other!software!providers!have!overlaid!information!from!these!enterprise!systems!over!3D!
models,!providing!a!visual!context.!
Reporting'on'a'Products'Business'Traits:!While!engineers!have!traditionally!focused!on!a!products!technical!characteristics,!they!are!increasingly!aware!of!a!products!business!traits!as!
well.!With!enterprise!considerations!of!the!product!always!expanding,!engineers!must!now!
actively!manage!a!wide!variety!of!business!traits!in!collaboration!with!nonengineering!
stakeholders.!PLM!systems!are!increasingly!offering!reporting!and!business!intelligence!
capabilities!to!enable!these!activities.!!
PLM'Offerings'in'the'Cloud:!Traditionally,!PLM!systems!have!been!deployed!on!company!owned!IT!resources!in!an!onpremise!model.!Recently,!a!number!of!new!PLM!offerings!that!are!
available!through!the!cloud!have!been!launched!based!on!subscription!models!instead!of!
purchased!license!models.!This!makes!PLM!systems!more!accessible!from!an!IT!infrastructure!
and!cost!perspective.!
Mobility'for'PLM:!Software!providers!of!PLM!systems,!as!in!other!technology!categories,!have!recognized!the!fact!that!many!engineering!and!product!development!roles!are!increasingly!
mobile.!As!a!result,!more!software!providers!are!releasing!apps!for!tablet!and!smart!phone!devices!that!provide!quick,!easy!and!mobile!access.!
Initiatives'Supported'
The!technologies!in!this!category!are!relatively!broad!and!are!expanding!every!year.!As!such,!PLM!
systems!are!applicable!to!many!engineering!initiatives.!The!table!below!shows!the!mapping!from!one!
to!the!other.!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
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Initiative& Support&Required& Enabling&Capability&&
Agile!Product!Development!
Managing!requirements!during!
customer!collaboration,!
engineers!need!to!know!what!changes!were!made!so!they!
flow!down!to!changes!in!the!
product.!
Managing'Product'Characteristics'in!PLM!
systems!provide!a!centrally!accessible!location!for!engineers!to!make!changes!to!
requirements!and!understand!which!
aspects!of!the!product!must!be!changed.!
Furthermore,!this!same!capability!enables!
engineers!to!roll!up!and!track!many!other!
business!traits!of!products,!so!that!the!
impact!of!design!changes!on!those!
business!traits!can!be!understood!as!well.!
Right!the!First!Time!
Principle!
To!make!the!right!design!
decision,!engineers!need!to!
understand!the!impact!on!
many!product!characteristics,!
not!just!form,!fit!and!function.!
Engineering!Knowledge!
Management!
A!traceable!trail!of!decisions!in!
the!business!process!is!needed!
to!understand!what!occurred!in!
past!product!design!efforts.!
Automating'Business'Processes!in!PLM!
systems!not!only!automates!tasks!as!part!
of!a!workflow,!it!also!records!every!
decision!made!as!part!of!the!process,!so!it!
can!be!referenced!at!any!point!in!the!
future.!
Just!in!Time!Engineering!
Engineering!managers!need!to!
define!and!layout!a!new!
schedule!that!identifies!the!last!
point!at!which!design!decisions!
can!be!made.!
Automating'Business'Processes!in!PLM!
systems!provide!project!management!
tools!to!layout!deadlines!as!part!of!the!schedule.!'
Right!the!First!Time!
Principle!
Engineers!need!to!comply!with!
regulatory!or!other!business!
processes!as!part!of!the!
development!process.!
Automating'Business'Processes!in!PLM!
systems!assist!engineers!to!comply!with!
any!sort!of!process.'
Technology'Providers'
Providers!of!these!types!of!technologies!include!Aras,!Arena'Solutions,!Autodesk,!Dassault'Systmes,!Kenesto,!Invention'Machine,!Nuage,!Oracle,!SAP,!PTC,!Siemens'PLM!and!Synergis'Adept.!
!
!
!
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Talent'Management'Traditionally,!the!technologies!used!by!HR!organizations!and!team!leaders!to!manage!their!personnel!
have!been!generic!tools!such!as!documents!and!spreadsheets.!The!past!few!years,!however,!have!seen!
a!fundamental!shift!in!how!many!executives!view!their!personnel.!Today,!they!are!seen!as!a!strategic!
asset!that!can!determine!the!success!or!failure!of!the!company.!That,!in!turn,!has!driven!the!need!to!
manage!talent!recruitment,!development,!learning!and!performance!more!formally.!That!is!why!some!
organizations!are!adopting!Talent'Management'systems.!
Definitions'
This!technology!category!is!similar!to!Product!Lifecycle!Management!in!that!there!are!two!types!of!
systems!that!are!offered:!integrated!suites!that!are!comprehensive!and!granular!point!solutions!that!
address!specific!needs.!These!systems!provide!one!or!more!of!the!following!capabilities.!
Talent'Acquisition:!This!set!of!capabilities!enables!an!organization!to!track!and!manage!a!number!of!applicants!through!the!hiring!process.!For!engineering!and!other!organizations,!this!
translates!into!a!pipeline!of!candidates!that!can!be!metered!to!meet!the!organizations!needs.!
Performance'Management'and'Career'Development:!This!group!of!capabilities!enables!a!manager!to!explicitly!define!and!reinforce!a!set!
of!goals!for!an!organization,!team!or!individual.!It!
supports!the!flow!down!of!goals!at!each!level,!
showing!how!different!levels!are!aligned.!
Furthermore,!these!capabilities!allow!managers!
to!define!and!document!requisite!skills!that!need!
to!be!developed!for!individuals!so!they!can!make!
the!next!step!in!their!careers.!
Learning'Management:!This!set!of!capabilities!enables!a!manager!to!plan!and!deliver!training!
programs!for!the!organization.!This!includes!the!
development!of!training!content!and!delivery!as!well!as!defining!and!tracking!an!individuals!
progress!through!a!training!regimen.!
Recent'Trends'
Cloud'Software'Subscription'Offerings:!Few!companies!place!large!IT!budget!earmarks!for!Talent!Management!systems.!To!lower!the!barrier!to!adopting!such!systems,!some!software!
providers!now!offer!their!solution!in!the!cloud,!so!there!is!no!additional!IT!infrastructure!cost!
and!effort.!They!may!also!offer!it!as!a!service,!so!there!is!no!large!up!front!license!purchasing!
fees.!In!combination,!organizations!can!adopt!a!Talent!Management!system!more!readily.!
SelfXService'and'Mobility'for'Learning:!The!trend!away!from!the!traditional!classroom!setting!has!been!an!ongoing!trend.!Modern!learning!systems!are!adapting!to!support!it!with!mobility!
and!selfservice