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Project Engineer Responsibility and Applications

October 15, 2009

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Essential Skills for Project Engineering (PE/EPM)

• Description

– To lead technical projects, drive innovation, and influence others.

• What is Project Engineering responsibility:1. Become more influential

2. Improve your ability to effectively lead projects and teams

3. Identify leadership development goals specific to your individual needs

4. Build relation with your boss and your peers

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PE/EPM Manage Many areas?• System Design

– Tradeoff Studies– Key Characteristics– Cost as an Independent Variable (CAIV)– Performance Analysis & Simulation– Requirements Development/Management

• Hardware Product Design– Electrical Design– Mechanical Design– Materials Selection– Producibility/ Reliability/Maintainability/Testability– Design to Cost (DTUPC)

• Software Product Design– Requirements Analysis and Design– SW Implementation– S/W Integration & Test

• System Integration & Test– H/W & S/W Integration– System Performance

• Product Delivery Support

The PE Manages Many Activities

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Characteristics of a SuccessfulProject Team

• Effective Leader

• Group of interdependent individuals

• Complementary skills

• Shared, meaningful purpose

• Specific goals

• Well-defined roles and responsibilities

• Mutual accountability

• Collaborative approach

• Confidence

• Desire for continuous improvement

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“Big M, Little e”• PE’s first and foremost responsibility is:

Management of the engineering team’s effort• Effective Project Engineers:

– Are effective team leaders and team builders– Display commitment and passion– Employ right to left thinking and…planning – Show a sense of urgency– Are results oriented– Are detail focused– Have strong communication skills

• The PE is responsible for program performance– Establishing and getting the program off to a good start– Managing engineering activities on a program– Keeping the program out of trouble– Reporting accurate program status (technical performance, cost & schedule)

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The PE/EPM Drives the Engineering Effort on a Program

The Project Engineer is Responsible for all Engineering Execution on the Program

Engineering Cost Performance

Engineering Schedule

Performance

Engineering Technical Performance

PerformanceSchedule

Cost

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PE/EPM is Key To Program Leadership…

Business Management

Operations Program

Management

Mission Assurance

Material Management

Systems Test Test Engineering

Configuration Management

Reliability & F/A

PE is Responsible for the Entire Engineering Team

Program Manager, XYZ Program

System Engineering

Software Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Optical Engineering

Project Engineering

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The PE/EPM Interacts With VariousTeams and Functions

Project Engineer

Quality

BusinessManagement

Operations

ProcurementPMO

EngineeringManagement

SecurityFacilities

Export Management

EngineeringTeam

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The PE/EPM, with the PM, Leads the Team

Leading, Assisting & Mentoring

theTeam Clearly Communicating:

• Roles & Responsibilities• Objectives/Direction• Providing Feedback

Solving Problems

Developing Plans& TrackingProgress Balancing Priorities:

• Cost• Schedule• Technical

Preparing/Reviewing Presentations & Reports

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Role of the Project Engineer• The PROJECT ENGINEER is responsible for the technical performance,

cost, and schedule for the assigned program(s). This includes the following:

– Organizing the engineering work to support the program schedule/plan

– Provide leadership and guidance

– Providing day-to-day direction of the assigned personnel

– Responsible for the Engineering schedule

– Ensure Group Leader, Functional Managers and Program Managers are aware of program performance issues (e.g., technical scope, schedule, staffing, etc..) through efficient communications

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Additional Roles

• Recognize and support the Program Manager as the person ultimately responsible for the program.

• Provide timely input when the PE perceives the directed course of action will not achieve the division’s goals and if necessary, elevate the problem until it is resolved.

• Get the job done!

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The PE Role in the Engineering Organization is an Extension of Program Management

• Extension of program management

– Interface with Customer PMO

– Interface with Executive Mgmt

• Adopts extended teams

– Business Management

– Manufacturing operations

– Procurement

– Quality Assurance

– Associate Contractors

• Manages Sub-Contracts

– Scheduling Issues

– Technical performance

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Project Engineer Objectives • There is an obligation for Project Engineer to:

– Keep functional managers informed when there are problems in the functional area (personnel, facilities, or equipment) affecting the success of the program

– Provide periodic feedback on how assigned staff are performing.

– Raise issues for resolution when program direction or performance seem to put program goals at risk

– The PE along with the SE are viewed as the most technically qualified to make “performance assessments”, the PE has the responsibility of formally alerting Program Management when meeting program technical performance requirements are at risk.

– Recognize that resources assigned to the program work for a functional manager who ultimately controls the person’s time (but functional manager must provide a qualified resource in a timely manner when a resource is reassigned such that program performance or goals are not put at risk!)

– Insure an up-to-date forecast of resource requirements is available

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Project Engineer - Roles• Design adherence to customer SOW and specification requirements,

including performance cost and schedule

• Support and lead the Program Managers kickoff

• Program responsibility for generating and maintaining program SEMP

• Conduct the program efforts in accordance with the approved program SEMP

• Responsible for decomposing requirements and concepts for compliance to contract requirements with the help from the CE & SE

• Insure all “engineering” tasks and documentation are scheduled and completed on time

• Technical lead for design and performance requirements

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Project Engineers – Roles Cont..

• Provide day to day direction for assigned engineers

• Responsible for hosting and leading design reviews

• In some cases act as the Cost Account Manager (CAM)

• Ensure performance to key parameters are monitored and met

• Review and approve drawings and Change Orders

• Participate in internal and vendor qualification and evaluation process

• Provides monthly Technical Project status and all related supports

• Provides Lessons Learned

• Supports program close-out

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Project Engineering Mission Statement

Project Engineering

Our shared mission is to work to achieve the cost, schedule, technical, and customer satisfaction goals for each program assigned.

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How Should Others View PE’s?

• The PM and others should look upon the PE/EPM as:

– The leader and primary interface with the engineers working on the program

– The person to whom program direction on technical work should be transmitted

– Responsible for the Engineering schedule

– Cost account manager

– The key facilitator and in some cases technical advisor/problem solver on program issues

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Project Engineering

• The Secrets of Success for PE’s

Organization

Planning

Communication

Vigilance - Fact based decision making

• The quality of information is vital!

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Functional Manager

• There is an obligation for Functional Manager to:

– Contracts with PM and PE to provide skills/expertise to meet program requirements during bid process

– Provide the qualified resources (personnel, facilities, and equipment) necessary to complete the program on time.

– Work through PE’s when getting involved in program work

– Involved in programs, to provide timely advice on, and to take timely action when there are personnel or program problems

– Responsible for meeting overhead budget, indirect labor goals, and program commitments

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Program Manager• There is an obligation for the Program Manager to:

• Ultimate responsibility for successful program execution and customer satisfaction

• Responsible for maintaining effective communication between team members

• Establish appropriate program controls to insure cost & schedule objectives are achieved and work through PE to insure that technical objectives are achieved

• Conduct periodic briefings on program status and related issues or problems

• Control Account Manager for PM Admin budget

• PM and PE signoff authority on all drawings and ECNs

• Facilitate overall efforts for cost/schedule

• Coordinate resolution of customer-identified issues & problems

• Customer interface on existing and related new business opportunities

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Chief Engineer• There is an obligation for the Chief Engineer to:

– Chart and develop the Business Area roadmap.

– Coordinates and drives customer requirements on key products

– Support and strategize existing or new technologies.

– Support and interface with the customer meetings/reviews.

– Visits customers, users, conferences to understand mission requirements and works to drive innovative system architectures to meet those requirements.

– Interface with IRAD & BD to ensure efforts budgeted and planned support customer requirements

– Supports programs concerns/issues (development/production).

– Work with the Project Engineer and System Engineer on existing programs and new development programs.

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Systems Engineering

• International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) defines systems engineering as:

– Systems engineering is an engineering discipline whose responsibility is to create and execute an interdisciplinary process to ensure that the customer and stakeholder’s needs are satisfied in a high-quality, trustworthy, and cost and schedule efficient manner throughout a system’s entire life cycle. This process is usually comprised of the following tasks: State the problem; Investigate alternatives; Model the system; Integrate; Launch the system; Assess performance; and Re-evaluate (SIMILAR). The systems engineering process is not sequential. The functions are performed in a parallel and interactive manner.

• The Department of Defense (DoD) defines systems engineering as:

– An approach to translate approved operational needs and requirements into operationally suitable blocks of systems. The approach shall consist of a top-down, iterative process of requirements analysis, functional analysis and allocation, design synthesis and verification, and system analysis and control. Systems engineering shall permeate design, manufacturing, test and evaluation, and support of the product. Systems engineering principals shall influence the balance between performance, risk, cost, and schedule.

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Systems Engineer

• There is an obligation for the Systems Engineer to:

– Transform an operational need into a description of system performance parameters and a system configuration through the use of an iterative process of definition, synthesis, analysis, design, test and evaluation, and validation.

– Integrate related technical parameters and ensure the compatibility of all physical, functional, and program interface. This shall be conducted in a manner that optimizes the total definition and design.

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Roles/Interface

Program Manager• PM Checklist• Uphold customer relationships• Responsible Pgm cost & schedule• Supports monthly Status• Provides program oversight/leadership• Attend customer meetings/reviews

Project Engineer• Establish engineering schedule• Assemble engineering team• Conduct/oversee peer reviews• Support program reviews• Monthly Technical Project Status• Provide program oversight• Responsible for the SEMP• Identify risk & uncertainty• Responsible for Integration and Qual• Attends customer meetings/reviews• All documentation & program close-out

Chief Engineer• Strategize• Attend customer meetings/reviews• Develops technology roadmap• Supports pgm concerns/issues

System Engineer• Establish requirements & flow-down• Provides conceptual inputs• Generates SEMP• Defines Conops• Manages operational modes• Conducts system modeling• Establishes system budgets• Conducts sensitivity analysis• Identifies KPP• Establishes testability requirements• Supports Qual/DVT• Validates & reviews data• Provide technical oversight• Conducts/supports Peer reviews• Supports program reviews

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Interaction

• The Project Engineer, Chief Engineer, and Systems Engineer all have the same goals – to provide the best product for our customers.

• All three groups must work together to achieve this goal

System Engineer

Project Engineer

Chief Engineer

Program Manager

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Working With Your CustomersFosters a Winning Outcome

• Know your customers

– Internal

– External

• Anticipate customer requirements and expectations

• Manage customer expectations

• Translate customer needs into specific actions

• Obtain and respond to customer feedback

• Open, candid communication develops trust

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Meetings / Information

• Based on the size and maturity of the program, each PE shall be held responsible for conducting the standard reviews (PSDR, PM checklist (30-day kickoff), SRR, SDR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and PRR)

• All PM support monthly All Program Reviews. The PE are asked to support their PM during Business Area Reviews

• In addition, PE shall communicate the health of their program at monthly Technical Program Review and/or Engineering Management Reviews

• If a program experiences significant interruption whether it cost, schedule, technical, or other this information needs to be communicated up the chain of command as expediently as possible

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Integrity

• The PE is the closest to the program and is typically knowledgeable across all the disciplines. It is the obligation of the team members and the PE to voice issues and concerns as they arise on programs.

• Under NO circumstance shall the PE turn a blind eye on improper issues

• The PE represent:

Quality

Customer Satisfaction

Leadership

Integrity

People

Suppliers

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Closing Thoughts….

• The PE is a KEY member of the Program Team, with a very difficult job

• Be a Leader…– Team builder that displays a commitment and passion

– Results and detailed oriented, with a sense of urgency

– Thinking about both today AND tomorrow

• Recognize that you own all of the engineering activities, including cost, schedule and technical performance

• Learn how to balance and prioritize your time– Focus on ramifications if you chose incorrectly

• Become knowledgeable about your supporting functional organizations– Know the leaders and the experts

– Know what they can do for you

– Leverage them for your success

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Summary

• Project Engineers wear many hats and typically do what is needed to get the job done

• It is not easy being a PE… – 90% of the program problems and issues are aired while only 10% of

the good issues are ever raised• Challenged budgets, manpower issues, and short schedules only

contribute to the joy of PEs• There is a great deal of satisfaction seeing a program successfully

complete and transition to production or sustain production to support the war fighter

• But with all that said:

It takes a special individual to excel as a Project Engineer/Engineering Project Manager

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3 Last Closing Thoughts