engineering managers survival guide knovel2012

7/31/2019 Engineering Managers Survival Guide Knovel2012

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THE$

ENGINEERING$MANAGERS$

SURVIVAL(GUIDE$

PUBLISHED!BY!LIFECYCLE!INSIGHTS!AND!BROUGHT!TO!YOU!BY!KNOVEL.!


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The!Engineering!Managers!Survival!Guide!


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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.!

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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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|!11!|!

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.!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development


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|!14!|!

|!14!|!

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!


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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|!15!|!

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.!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_management


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|!16!|!

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+


Profitable!Growth!and!

Engineering!Staffing!


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!


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!


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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|!17!|!

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.!

!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_in_time_(business)


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|!18!|!

Table+4:+Challenges+addressed+by+Just+in+Time+Engineering+


The!Visibility!Mandate!

for!Engineering!

Operations!


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!


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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|!19!|!

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+


The!Increasing!Volatility!

of!Engineering!Work!


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!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.!

!

!

!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talent_management


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Table+7:+Challenges+addressed+by+a+Talent+Management+Strategy+


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!


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!


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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!

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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.!


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.!


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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!

!

!

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Table+12:+Initiatives+Supported+by+Engineering+Collaboration+Technologies+


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.!


Principle!

Engineers!must!check!decisions!

amongst!their!peers.!

Talent!Management!

Mentors!and!mentees!need!to!

stay!in!touch!more!easily!

despite!busy!schedules.!


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!


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.!


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+



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.!


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.'


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.!


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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Table+10:+Initiatives+Supported+by+PLM+Technologies+


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.!


Principle!

To!make!the!right!design!

decision,!engineers!need!to!

understand!the!impact!on!

many!product!characteristics,!

not!just!form,!fit!and!function.!


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!


define!and!layout!a!new!

schedule!that!identifies!the!last!

point!at!which!design!decisions!

can!be!made.!


systems!provide!project!management!

tools!to!layout!deadlines!as!part!of!the!schedule.!'


Principle!

Engineers!need!to!comply!with!

regulatory!or!other!business!

processes!as!part!of!the!

development!process.!


systems!assist!engineers!to!comply!with!

any!sort!of!process.'


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

engineering managers survival guide knovel2012

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