Course Catalogue

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This course introduces students to project management and project finances as applied to industrial projects. It starts with an introduction to company structure and organisation before discussing the need for project management. It then uses examples to demonstrate the development of a project plan and schedule (WBS and Gantt Chart / Network Diagram). It finishes by exploring the impact of project risk and how these might be mitigated effectively.

The course then explores the importance on finance in association with engineering projects and the need for engineers to understand and participate in financial decisions. It introduces the basics of engineering economics, make-or-buy analysis, Capex /Opex and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), before examining the challenges of Design-for-Manufacturing (DfM) in an electronic context. The costs associated with product yield (including rework) and the effects of cumulative yield and tolerances on the product selling price. Introduction to 6-sigma techniques and sample testing.

Through the examination of worked project examples, the students are exposed to the broader role of an engineer within organisations. The course finishes by a discussion of the major engineering roles within an organisation and their involvement in setting business strategy and objectives.

The material in this course is designed to assist students in planning and managing their project work.

This course will be timetabled in blocks, typically one week in four.

Mandatory Entry Requirements

None

Recommended Entry Requirements

None

None

None

Formal examination (75%)

Written assignment based on the creation of a project plan (10%)

Written report on simulated product cost analysis (15%)

This course aims to address several aspects of professional practice for engineering students to aid their transition into employment:

■ commercial businesses: structure and organisation, management and governance

■ project management tools, techniques, and processes including risk management

■ The role of the engineer in financial decisions and the analysis of a simple -make-or-buy scenario

■ The importance of engineering in a manufacturing context including quality control and testing.

■ Senior engineering roles within an organisation and how they influence the overall business direction through strategic and operational planning.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Company Organisation and structure

• Compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of 4 different company structures applicable to technology businesses

Project Management and Planning

• Evaluate the four key parts of project management; explain the concept and relevance of the project triangle and create a simple project plan from a task list showing interactions and dependencies; discuss the benefits /drawbacks of different types of plan; be able to identifying critical paths.

Project Risk

• Compare and contrast the methods of managing risk in a project after identifying the type of risk; quantify and mitigate risks, and build a risk register;

Engineering Project Finance:

• Analyse the importance of project finances and the role of the engineer in making those decisions; perform a simple make-or-buy analysis; appropriately recognise the difference between OpEx and CapEx.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.