{"id":3227,"date":"2014-03-18T10:16:03","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T10:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipof.technology\/?p=3227"},"modified":"2014-03-18T10:16:03","modified_gmt":"2014-03-18T10:16:03","slug":"creating-the-right-structure-to-enable-engineering-businesses-perform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winningthinking.co.uk\/?p=3227","title":{"rendered":"Creating the right structure to enable engineering businesses perform"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction and Background<\/b><\/p>\n

Does an engineering manager\u2019s experience and career path naturally enable them to become a good manager and leader?<\/p>\n

This paper illustrates the successful outcome that can be achieved and some tools that have enabled engineering businesses to attract, develop and retain their technical talent and get far more productivity out of their current team.<\/p>\n

If engineering managers blame external factors, such as recruitment, availability skills and education, is there a chance the pot could be calling the kettle black?<\/p>\n

Common factors drive success<\/b><\/p>\n

The case studies are taken from award winning businesses in Electronics design and manufacture, aerospace engineering; cloud computing and construction design and installation. The complexities and educational and workplace norms and dynamics do differ in these industries, but the issues and solution seems to be very common.<\/p>\n

Furthermore this paper sets out to show engineers are NOT a back office function. To the contrary engineers are often the main source of value and profit. New product and other engineers also enjoy substantial customer contact.<\/p>\n

The time it takes to launch new products is the primary means of creating sustainable profits?<\/p>\n

Speed matters but its more about developing effective ways of working.<\/p>\n

Management vs. leadership<\/b><\/p>\n

The distinction should be drawn between the leadership and management of engineering. Often in complex environments such as Aerospace the focus on program management \u201csupervising engineers work and priorities\u201d just clouds the issues in engineering.\u00a0 No value was created on a project plan?\u00a0 Value is always delivered by engineers off the project plan?<\/p>\n

Furthermore engineering productivity and an operational measurement is rarely a focus.<\/p>\n

Beyond the immediate issues this paper also sets out the real commercial and marketing value and source of profit that the engine room of an engineering team creates.<\/p>\n

Case Study \u2013 the typical scenario<\/b><\/p>\n

The Aerospace brief was typical of all 4 to enable the team create new products, reverse the motivational and stalled commercial focus and improve customer focus and productivity to meet the growth and customer targets.\u00a0 The team had struggled with these problems for 3 years. These challenges and team was becoming a crisis. The very well qualified Engineering director who had been with the business his entire career, had been coached too. Yet still the business was failing.<\/p>\n

(Aerospace Group design engineering.)<\/p>\n

The facts across the UK (source IET)<\/b><\/p>\n

75% of businesses recruiting engineers are expecting to expand.<\/p>\n

50% of businesses are recruiting engineers but increasing proportions are experiencing problems getting the people they need, especially experienced staff.<\/p>\n

42% of candidate\u2019s don\u2019t meet the skill levels notably in school leavers and practical experience in the case of graduates.<\/p>\n

20% are planning to train existing staff, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a027% will focus on recruiting graduates and 23% are taking no action at all. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a024% are recruiting from outside the UK.<\/p>\n

The age of the workforce is 56% higher than average and continues to increase. The average age over 40. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Levels of women in engineering remains low at 7%<\/p>\n

33% of organisations site difficulty replacing staff as a concern<\/p>\n

The importance of in house skills development<\/b><\/p>\n

Engineering management might make these observations but these case studies show often they don\u2019t have the breadth of experience to recognise the opportunity or… find the solution.<\/p>\n

If 70% of candidates lacked the specific skills and or right experience,\u00a0\u00a0 it follows these can be developed in house, and immediate issues mitigated by focussing on getting the incumbent team working more effectively. This is the experience drawn from these case studies<\/p>\n

What are the enabling leadership traits?<\/b><\/p>\n

What are the leadership characteristics that enable top performance? \u00a0(Globally they are common, but very counterintuitive and unknown)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Key factors that enable motivation<\/b><\/p>\n

Clear direction, more support and better relationships… Better motivated teams drive better customer satisfaction<\/p>\n

Teach skills to manage projects, manage customers and identify sources of stress<\/p>\n

Operational and delivery focus via balanced <\/i>KPIs<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

How is better productivity achieved?<\/b><\/p>\n

Management role model behaviour<\/p>\n

Focussed targets and supporting plans<\/p>\n

Improved decision making = less iterations<\/p>\n

Managing the short & long term horizons<\/p>\n

Retaining capability \u2013 by creating an engineering academy<\/b><\/p>\n

Sharing knowledge across functions<\/p>\n

Develop management & technical expert<\/p>\n

Support structure \u2013 team functional and operations reviews. Place for everything.<\/p>\n

Enabling elements of communication <\/b><\/p>\n

Listening, Clear accountability<\/p>\n

Taking counsel and decision making in teams<\/p>\n

Coaching vs. mentoring<\/p>\n

Recognising stressful scenarios, ways of adjusting to different customer cultures and recognising behaviour types<\/p>\n

Big picture & narrower field of view<\/p>\n

Development mindsetvs. a fixed mindset; engineers are trained to be very rational<\/p>\n

Emotional intelligence<\/p>\n

Team work as an enabler<\/b><\/p>\n

X functional thinking and x functional review develops better decision making and saves time<\/p>\n

X functional objectives and links<\/p>\n

Decision makers and Sign off owners<\/p>\n

Less reliance on senior engineers \u2013 better cumulative value from junior engineers, and platform to create senior engineers<\/p>\n

Phased reviews, place for everything no informal \/ adhoc project decision making<\/p>\n

Place for everything \u2013 managing complexity<\/p>\n

Managing disruption long terms vs day-day engineering in service issues per program<\/p>\n

Mentoring and induction<\/p>\n

Effective team work requires empathy<\/p>\n

Electronics Design and Manufacture (Management Today Award)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0The Management of engineering<\/b><\/p>\n

Clear review and accountability structure for managing complexity and making decisions and developing capability<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Building long term business value<\/b><\/p>\n

Value is created as a consequence of the business process converting knowledge into value, not project management; project management is just a supporting tool<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Capability Roadmap<\/b> \u2013 developing the capability of the future, creating the engine to create the capability<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where in the process is the customer value and margin in the process<\/b>?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

Approaches are often led by a fixed mindset. The key is to develop a development mindset and make engineering workplaces excellent places to work. This creates the platform to attract and develop the best capability and successful legacy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Experience has shown that at Trend 30% and, Safran about 60% more engineering capacity with the obvious commercial saving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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