what is engineering management

Computer Engineering 203 R Smith Organizations 12/20071

What is Engineering Management?

Engineering Management is the management of activities and tasks needed to define and deliver specific products.

The goal is to deliver what the customer wants on-time and on-budget while meeting the required quality goals.

Management does not directly produce anything!


How do Engineering Management and Project Management relate?

The completion of deliverables always entails elements of Project Management.– The activities that define Project Management are

always there.– Formally assigned to someone.– Informally assumed by a member of the team.

What is not included?– Elements of people management.


What are the activities?

Typically the activities include:– Ensuring the project requirements are defined

Customer Legal Time, budget and resource Quality

– Making sure communications with all stakeholders occurs– Coordinating all the resources involved– Developing and maintaining the overall plan

What does professional responsibility require?


Why is Project Management needed?

The goal is better, faster, cheaper. There is no longer mystery surrounding

software development, there are no more engineers in white coats in a glass room.

Today’s market place is hyper competitive and anyone can play.– It only takes a PC to get started.– There is no room for mistakes.


Why is Project Management needed?

Meeting the constraints placed on the products is increasingly complex.– Legal requirements and liability both as a function

of new laws and the ways in which software is used.

– Quality, software is used in increasingly critical areas of our environment.

– Time, customers no longer tolerate endless slips. – Mistakes are costly in terms of resources, dollars

and in human terms.


The Environment

Each project is executed in its own environment.

Understand your projects environment. A good manager understand the project

environment and adapts the development process to that environment.


Elements of the Environment

The work itself The customer Budget/Schedule The team Your organization Your management


Organizational Structures

Formal/Informal Organization– The difference between what is on the formal

organization chart and what really happens– Informal organizations exist for many reasons,

company size, expertise of individuals, personal loyalties.

– The formal organization runs on authority, while influence drives the informal organization.


Organizational StructuresClassical

Where does Project Management fit within the organization?

Classic structures/roles– Line

The functional manager– Is responsible for delivering product– Has people responsibility

– Staff Project/Program managers

– Coordinating and integrating activities across functional lines



Types of Organizations– Product Line

Formed around the delivery of independent products. Examples Word, Excel

– Functional Formed around the delivery of services common across

multiple products. Examples File Systems, Communications Drivers Advantages:flexibility,experience,less duplication Disadvantages:project authority,poor response time, less

integration.



Types of Organizations– Project

Formed around the delivery of a specific set of functions or delivery to a specific customer.

Examples are military contracts, releases of new hardware.

Advantages:clear authority, improved communication, more integration.

Disadvantages:isolation, duplication of function, competition among projects.



– Matrix Specific type of Project Organization Reporting lines still remain in functional or product

organizations Advantages: increased project focus, improved

communications, high level of integration. Disadvantages: potential for conflict, poorer response

time.


Why Go Beyond the Classical Organization

Classical organizations were created in an era of limited limitations and transportation

Increased span of control Specialization Globalization


Organizational StructuresCore Teams

Core Teams– Roles– Membership– Responsibilities– Issues

Participation Endless debate

Core team’s role in improving communications


Organizational StructuresOutsourcing

Out Sourcing Old and New– Companies have out sourced components for as

long as there has been mass production.– Automobile manufactures, appliance

manufactures.– Components are interchangeable from one

component manufacturer to another.– Each manufacturer could concentrate on what it

did best.



Early in the Computer business the work was so new it was only done by small groups of developers.

As companies grew centers of expertise started.

This lead to internal out sourcing.



Early examples:– Sunnyvale, Minneapolis, Zurich– Cupertino, Portland, Cork

All within the same company, but often in different divisions.


Today’s variations

Tele-commuting Virtual teams


Organizational Structures for InternalOutsourcing

Characteristics– Common goals– At some level a common boss

Issues– Communication– Different day to day priorities– We/They

Whose profit do we maximize?


Organization StructuresOutsourcing

Why out source today– Lower costs– Focus expertise– Available manpower– Out source non-critical functions

Separate Companies– Separate objectives



Issues– Communications– Day to day controls– Priorities– Long term commitments


Organizational StructuresOpen Source

Is this a technical or management problem?– Schedule, quality, support, legal

Consumer or provider? Virtual team Extent of control

– What is the extent of control needed?– Balancing risks


Where does Project Management fits in the organization?

How old and how large is the company?– In older larger organizations individuals have less impact.– Rules and procedures are well established

Executive management has a big impact on an organization.

– How are executives compensated?– How are budgets determined?

Is Project Management productive labor? Choose between developers or project managers

Role of influence


Programs and Projects

These terms may be loosely defined even within a given organization.

Projects generally refer to the collection of activities working toward a single deliverable.

Programs contain multiple Projects and Products and can have multiple deliverables.

Programs are typically larger and have more complex interfaces.


Programs and Projects

The titles Program Manager and Project Manager do not always correspond to what they are managing.

– For example a Program Manager could be managing a Project.

– Or a Project Manager could be managing a Program.

Again the individuals and executives involved have a great impact, especially in younger, smaller organizations.


Project Characteristics

What distinguishes one project from another?– Size

Number of features People Length of time

– Where are the parts of the project located?– What is the team like?


Project Characteristics

– What is the make up of the team?– Are there critical requirements?– Are the requirements, schedule and cost fixed or

flexible?– Is there a critical quality requirement?

Examples– Web projects– Flight control software


Product Managers

Product Manager’s roles again differ by organization.– Generally they have responsibility for gathering

requirements.– Generally they are responsible for one or more products

that have ongoing deliveries.– Product Manager’s roles can vary from strictly

marketing/requirements with other individuals having Project/Program Manager responsibility, to roles that include the Project/Program Manager responsibilities.


How Line and Project Management Differ?

Line Management – Authority over at least some people

Direct control– Involved day to day in the development of the project– Makes technical decisions– May act as a project manager for specific products or

projects. Project Management

– May have control of the budget– Has no direct control over people– Coordinates and reports status to senior management


Influence and Authority

Authority flows from the formal structure of the organization.

Influence flows from the informal organization.



Line Management typically works through authority, while Project Management works through influence.

The tools of authority– Reviews, warnings and raises – Assignments

The tools of influence– Visibility and recognition– Personal contact



Typically how far does authority go?– How much freedom do you have in giving rewards?– Can you fire someone?– Developers are very good at ignoring management.

There is always going to be someone you need to influence

– Creating win/win situations– Giving credit– Giving recognition



Both are critical too successful project management

Know the limits and advantages of each


The Role of MPV

Regardless of a manager’s influence or authority what really motivates individuals?

What benefit does an individual gain from the action?

Students often are required to write out a plan, but once it is written never look at it again, why?

Motivate actions that are useful.


Why does Project Management fail?

Lack of specific procedures and policies Lack of executive support

– Conflicting priorities– System of rewards

Individual vs project– Budgeting rules– Lack of resources

Conflicting agendas Passive aggression, agreeing and then never

following through.


Successful Project Management

A view of project management from “The Software Project Survival Guide” by Steve McConnell

A Project Survival Test– Requirements– Planning– Control– Risk Management– Personnel


Successful Project Management

Project Management is responsible for ensuring that a project passes the test. If it does not what does he do?

Must the Project Manager do all the work himself?


Critical Activities

Working with others Communicating Making sure the correct amount of process is

in place.– Too little process and things are out of control– Too much process and resources are wasted on

unneeded tasks


Critical Activities

What determines the how much process is enough?– Project size and complexity– Project constraints

Budget, resources, time, quality, legal

– How visible is the project– Who do you work for and what is the corporate

culture

what is engineering management

Documents

project environment

elements of project

project management fit

management of activities

project authority

engineering management

project requirements

elements of people management