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Engineering Management - The

Definition, Scope and Content
Contents

What is Engineering Management? Definition,

Engineering Management Journal,
American Society for Engineering Management
(ASEM) Handbook
Books, Articles and Papers
Definition of Engineering
Management
by Narayana Rao K.V.S.S.

Engineering management is management applied to

functions, departments, and organizations where
engineering is the primary technical skill. (Narayana
Rao) 31st January 2010
Management - Definition
Management of an organization is the process of
establishing objectives and goals of the organization
periodically, designing the work system and the
organization structure, and maintaining an
environment in which individuals, working together in
groups, accomplish their aims and objectives and goals
of the organization effectively and efficiently (Narayana
Rao). (3rd December 2008) ( Management - Definition
and Process )
The above definition was a modification of the
definition given by Koontz and O'Donnell.

The definition implies the following.

(i) Management is a process.

(ii) Management applies to every kind of organization,
government, profit making, or nonprofit making.
(iii) It applies to managers at all levels in the
organization.
(iv) Management is concerned with effectiveness and
efficiency. Effectiveness is producing the product or
service the customer wants in business context with the
required functional benefits and product attributes at
the price he is willing to pay. Efficiency is minimization
of resources to produce the saleable output.

The following functions or departments are natural

choices for engineering management

Research and Development

Design department
Process Planning department
Tool Design department
Production departments
Maintenance departments
Utilities departments
Vendor development department
Industrial Engineering department
Information systems departments
Safety Engineering department
Environmental Engineering department
After Sales Service Department in case of manufactured
products
Project Construction
Operation of Power Plants
Operation of Telecommunications Facilities

At organizational levels the following are natural

choices for Engineering Management

Engineering companies
Manufacturing companies
Power Plants
Civil Construction Organizations
Telecommunications services
Software companies
Transport companies

Other Explanations and

Definitions of Engineering
Management
______________________________________
____________________________________

“Engineering Management is the discipline that

addresses making and implementing decisions for
strategic and operational leadership in current and
emerging technologies and their impact on interrelated
systems.”

IEEE, “Editorial: Research and Education

Characteristics of the Engineering Management
Discipline,” IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management, vol. 37, no. 2, 1990, p. 1.

Based on the above definition, and other literature

Hongyi Sun et al. concluded that Engineering
Management can be expected to cover the following
topics:

• Management of engineering projects

• Management of the design process
• Personnel and communication skills for engineers
• Management of scientific methods for engineering
• Human resources for engineering
• Variation, quality, and reliability

( http://www.jee.org/1999/april/726.pdf )

The ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 requires that:

“the Engineering Management curriculum must
emphasize the application of the management function
in the technological setting while recognizing the basic
and applied sciences in engineering systems. Emphasis
shall be placed on the engineering relationships
between
management tasks of organizing, staffing and the
human element in production, research and service
organizations.”

(“Engineering Criteria 2000: Criteria for Accrediting

Programs in Engineering in the USA”, Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology, USA, 1997.)

______________________________________
_____________________________________

Engineering Management is a specialized form of

management that is required to successfully lead
engineering or technical personnel and projects.
•Management of technical functions
•Direct supervision of engineers and/or the engineering
function
•Engineering managers typically require training and
experience in both general management and the
specific engineering disciplines that will be used by the
engineering team to be managed

Included in a presentation by Muhammad Asif Akhtar,

[email protected]
http://www.engineering-
resource.com/Files/LECTURE%202.pdf
______________________________________
____________________________________

As an MSEMT student, you will learn how to lead

technology projects as well as manage
teams, engineering functions, and companies.
(University of Souther
California) http://mapp.usc.edu/mastersprograms/d
egreeprograms/ISE/documents/MSEMT.pdf

Engineering management professionals deal with the

planning, organization, scheduling, monitoring and
control of engineering projects. (Univerisity of the
Pacific) http://www.pacific.edu/x10461.xml

_________

Kansas University College of Engineering

What is Engineering Management?

A graduate program designed specifically for engineers

and scientists who want to add management skills and
knowledge to their technical undergraduate base. It’s
not as technical as a master’s in engineering nor as
general as an MBA—it’s the intersection of technology
and management.

The Engineering Management Mission

The mission of the Master of Science in Engineering

Management (EMGT) program is to prepare technical
managers from fields of engineering, science, math and
computer science to manage more effectively within
technologically-based organizations and to promote
entrepreneurial activities in the formation of new
business enterprises.

The EMGT program integrates management with

technology by focusing on three dimensions.

TECHNICAL: an understanding of and proficiency in

engineering and science.

HUMAN: the ability to build a collaborative effort

within a group.

CONCEPTUAL: the ability to apply analytical thought

to the management process and to enterprise as a total
system.

Why a Graduate Program in Engineering Management?

The scope and complexity of engineering management

responsibilities has changed dramatically during the
past 10 years.

Stiff competition in the marketplace and the need to

eliminate the trade and service deficit have put an
emphasis on technology. It is the source of new
products and improved productivity in manufacturing
and service delivery. Today's engineer-manager simply
must incorporate technological innovation.

Today's engineer-manager also must satisfy design and

safety requirements, manage human resources to boost
productivity, use natural resources efficiently, stay on
top of other environmental concerns and emphasize
total quality in operations.

To meet these challenges, engineers require better

education and training in technology management.
Precisely these needs led in 1982 to the development of
the Master of Science program in Engineering
Management at the KU School of Engineering.

Source
http://emgt.ku.edu/
Accessed on 31.1.2010
__________

Engineering Management Journal

EMJ is the quarterly journal of the American Society

for Engineering Management. EMJ is designed to
provide practical, pertinent knowledge on the
management of technology, technical professionals,
and technical organizations.

EMJ strives to provide value to the practice of

engineering management and engineering managers.
EMJ's goals are to:

1. Improve the practice of technology organizations

and engineering management.
2. Improve the reflective practitioner skills of the
practicing engineering manager.
3. Improve the research skills of faculty to produce
useful and relevant knowledge for engineering
management.
4. Improve student's understanding of the
engineering management field.

Engineering management focus areas.

To support the practice of engineering management,

EMJ publishes papers within key engineering
management focus areas.

Strategic: the processes and tools by which the

organization positions itself externally and aligns itself
internally. Focus areas include:

Strategic & operations management

Management of design & consulting engineering
organizations.

Core: the processes and tools by which the organization

produces it products and services for its customers.
Focus areas include:

Systems engineering/systems engineering management

Program & project management
Technology management: Research & development,
technology transfer, commercialization
Technology management: technology forecasting,
emerging technologies
Innovation & new product development.

Enabling: the processes and tools by which the strategic

and core processes are supported with the necessary
facilities, equipment, personnel, and supporting
business functions. Focus areas include:

Organization and work system design

Economics of engineering
Quantitative methods & models
Knowledge & information management
Quality management
Developing engineering management professionals.

Perspectives of the Profession: articles to provide an

evolving historical perspective to the profession. Focus
areas include:
Engineering management: Past, present, & future

http://www.asem.org/publications/index.html
Accessed on 31.1.2010
_______________________

American Society for Engineering Management

(ASEM)

http://www.asem.org/
Vision
To speak for the Engineering Management profession

Mission
Provide Engineering Management Solutions to
leadership and management challenges to create and
lead technical organizations

Promote the development and practice of the

engineering management profession

Goals

Be the custodian of the engineering management body

of knowledge
Grow and share the engineering management body of
knowledge
Guide and enhance engineering management
educational programs
Advance the careers of engineering management
professionals

Connect engineering management professionals

Foster and recognize engineering management best

practices
______________________________________

ASEM Engineering Management Handbook

Purpose Statement
The Engineering Management Handbook provides
engineering management practitioners, researchers,
policy makers, and analysts with a singular, easy-to-
navigate web site through which continuously updated,
peer reviewed information and tools can be readily
accessed and easily utilized. The EM Handbook will
further provide a medium through which users, subject
matter contributors, and subject matter experts can
communicate on items of mutual interest.
History
At the 1995 American Society for Engineering
Management (ASEM) Annual Conference held during
September in Washington, D.C., Dr. Greg Sedrick,
ASEM Member and then professor (now Acting Dean)
in the College of Engineering Computer Science at the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, presented an
idea for using the Internet as a information resource
and distribution medium for what he referred to as a
"virtual engineering management (EM) handbook." This
virtual EM handbook, once developed, was envisioned
to place a variety of EM "resources" at the ready
disposal of practicing engineering managers,
engineering management researchers, policy makers,
and analysts.

Table of Contents

APPLIED OPERATIONS RESEARCH /

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / HUMAN LEARNING

CIM/CAE/CAD

COST ESTIMATION

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

ENGINEERING ECONOMY

ETHICAL ISSUES

INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

LEGAL ISSUES

LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND

TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS

ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN

PRODUCT (HARDWARE / SOFTWARE) DESIGN

AND DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT (HARDWARE / SOFTWARE) TESTING

PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE

MEASUREMENT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

QUALITY ASSURANCE

RELIABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

RISK MANAGEMENT

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

TECHNICAL MARKETING

GENERIC USEFUL RESOURCES

http://www.asem.org/publications/em_handbook.htm
l

______________________________________

Articles and Papers

Engineering Management: Past, Present, and Future

By Farr, John V
Publication: Engineering Management Journal
Date: Tuesday, March 1 2005

Read the article in

http://www.allbusiness.com/management/1119091-
1.html

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING

MANAGEMENT IN AUSTRALIA
by Professor John W H Price PhD, FIEAust
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Monash University, Australia.
http://www.iie.com.au/Resources\ArticleDocs\beieem
%20paper.pdf
_____________________________________

Books
The practice of engineering management: a new
approach By Patrick D. T. O'Connor, 1994
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=kZhRAAAAMAAJ

_____________________________________

Related Knols

Engineering and Technology Management Tools and

Applications - B.S. Dhillon - Book Information and
Review
Industrial Engineering Definitions - 1911 to 2009
"Industrial Engineering is Human Effort Engineering
and System Efficiency Engineering. It is an engineering
discipline that deals with the design of human effort
and system efficiency in all occupations: agricultural,
manufacturing and service. The objectives of Industrial
Engineering are optimization of productivity of work-
systems and occupational comfort, health, safety and
income of persons involved."(Narayana Rao, 2009)
______________________________________
______________________________________
_______________
Articles and Books by B.S. Dhillon

Engineering Product Usability: A Review and Analysis

Techniques
www.wseas.us/e-
library/conferences/2005argentina/papers/503-
115.doc

Design Reliability by Dhillon - ebook available on net

(Search)

Robot Safety Analysis

http://nacomm03.ammindia.org/Articles/Rob002.pdf

BECOMING LEAN ENTERPRISE: THEORY AND

CASE STUDIES - Management Development
Programme at NITIE, Mumbai, India by Narayana Rao
K.V.S.S.

Updated on 2 March 2014

Published on this blog on 17 March 2012
Original knol - http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-
rao/engineering-management-the-definition/
2utb2lsm2k7a/ 2224

Narayana Rao K.V.S.S. at 8:11 PM

Share

8 comments:

eduberry April 2, 2012 at 5:35 AM

Any type of institute use this management software. It's
make for the management.

institute management software

Reply

steve April 7, 2012 at 3:49 AM

Hello Friends.........

Great information.Thanks for sharing this useful

information with all of us.Keep sharing more in the
future.

Have a nice time ahead.

Thanks
school management software
Reply

dsprashanth November 17, 2012 at 7:50 PM

sir, doing masters in engineering management in
germany is a better option than US ??
Reply

Krizz Chantjiraporn March 27, 2013 at 4:18 PM

from email: [email protected]

what about a project to design a greenfield warehouse

and systems requirement to operate a warehouse for a
particular company. Is this a valid engineering
management project for mater's degree in EM?
Reply

Replies

Narayana Rao March 29, 2013 at 10:01 PM

Yes

Reply

Narayana Rao March 29, 2013 at 10:01 PM

Yes. Designing a warehouse and managing the design
process is certainly part of engineering management.
Reply

akmal niazi khan April 22, 2016 at 7:52 AM

Engineering stuff and techniques that you mentioned
on your blog are awesome. Being a electrical Engineer I
really enjoy your all posts and learn a lot not only
Electrical engineering knowledge but others
technologies and tools as well.
Love from EDesk
Reply

Adarsh Asia May 19, 2016 at 1:04 AM

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Narayana Rao K.V.S.S.

I am a professor in the areas of management and industrial
engineering. My blogs in management and industrial engineering
appear at the top for blogs in both.
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