Engineering management

Engineering management is a theory of management that uses the skills of engineers to manage people, projects, and resources. People in the field of engineering design and create structures, systems, items, processes, and more by using scientific methods and technology. Engineering managers use their technical skills as well as general management skills. They can work in a number of different technical fields—not just engineering. People who enter this field start out as engineers, and then they take classes to learn more about management. Engineering management theory first became popular in the mid-1900s. In addition, people involved in engineering management have several professional tools and organizations they can utilize.

Role of Engineering Managers

The goal of engineering management is to have managers who understand the technical aspects of the jobs being performed while still comprehending how different jobs work together to make organizations run smoothly. Companies hire engineering managers because they need managers who understand not only complexity but also business strategy. This style of management is most often used in engineering, but it is also used in other technical fields.

Often, the fields that hire engineering managers require technical abilities and the ability to solve problems. Engineering managers typically work in fields such as architecture and engineering, instrument manufacturing, electronic component manufacturing, and scientific research. Engineering managers can even obtain work in other fields such as spectator sports and oil and gas extraction. Because engineering managers may work only in specific fields, job opportunities can be clustered in particular areas. Engineering managers are often concentrated in regions with major technology and industrial hubs the United States, such as Connecticut, the District of Columbia, and California.

Engineering managers should have a broad base of skills so they can manage people in all different positions, not just engineers themselves. Some of the most important skills for engineering managers to possess are project management, technical understanding, and general management. Engineering managers must have project management skills so they can effectively lead teams, maintain schedules, and meet goals. They need to have a technical understanding so they can keep their teams on task and accountable. Engineering managers also need to be able to hire other employees, train workers, manage budgets, and perform other basic management skills.

Becoming an Engineering Manager

People who become engineering managers are often engineers who want a change in their careers or who want to advance their careers, while still being involved in engineering. Generally, people who have worked as engineers have the technical skills they will need in engineering management. However, they might not have management skills—such as project management, resource management, planning and forecasting, and more. These “soft” skills are what set engineering managers apart from regular engineers.

Becoming an engineering manager requires engineers to not only hone their technical skills but also to broaden some of their general skills. Since engineering managers are required to perform many of the same tasks as other types of managers, they must study traditional management topics. They should also study technical information related to engineering.

People who want to become engineering managers typically have bachelor’s degrees in engineering. To become engineering managers, they must study engineering management master’s programs. Many different universities offer engineering management master’s programs. Some of these programs are represented by the Master of Engineering Management Programs Consortium (MEMPC).

People who study engineering management take a range of courses. They take typical business management classes such as management, marketing, finance, and intellectual property. They also often study more technical topics such as public policy, supply chain management, design economics, human resource management, project economics, and planning and forecasting.

History of Engineering Management

Engineering management became a well-known style of management in the mid-1900s. Universities began to offer studies in engineering management programs during the 1950s and 1960s. Also, journals for technical and engineering managers were first published in the 1950s.

Drexel University was among the first universities to offer an engineering management degree. In the 1950s and 1960s, Drexel University received requests from businesses in the neighboring areas to provide a master’s degree in engineering management. Drexel agreed to hold the classes. During the first year of the program, more than nine hundred students enrolled in the engineering management master’s degree program. Many of these students came from the areas surrounding Drexel.

Professional Groups for Engineering Managers

Numerous professional groups and organizations exist for engineering managers. These groups include the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society, the American Society for Engineering Management, and the Canadian Society for Engineering Management. People in the engineering management field also have journals devoted to their work. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and the Engineering Management Journal are examples of professional journals for engineering managers.

Bibliography

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