Effective Organizational Structures to Maximize Productive Manhours in the Engineering Profession

Author

Louis David Arthur, Fontbonne College

Year of Award

1989

Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

College

College of Business & Professional Studies

Department

Business Administration

Keywords

Engineers, Management, IIS, Integrated Information System, Productivity

Abstract

During the 1990's the world is becoming a more open market for international commerce and industry. The American design firms; the engineers, the architects and the consultants must gear up for these changes and prepare to fend off the competition of firms from around the world.

Where do the American firms stand with respect to doing business overseas? Less than ten years ago during the late 1970's American firms dominated the world market in the sale of design services, but now in the late 1980's foreign firms now dominate this market. American firms are reporting a decline in foreign billings, for the architect-engineer firms this market has declined as much as 29%.

A major contrast exists in the style of management organization of foreign design firms when compared to the style of American firms. This is the use of computer based information systems. The majority of the foreign firms use management information systems.

Many American design firms lack the traditional characteristics of a well organized business. They typically do not have formal systems to archive data to be used as historical reference. In the era of computerization this is no longer adequate and guesstimating is not acceptable for the management and control of professional manpower.

An Integrated Information System (IIS) should be utilized to assist in the development of engineering standard products utilizing on-line recording of data.

The Integrated Information System should be designed to assist the management and supervision in the planning, control and evaluation of the conversion process. It must be designed to help the manager to determine what is relevant and what action is important and will affect future profits and costs. The standardization of the work and the monitoring of the work activities should help define who is responsible and what activities are relevant and controllable to help predict the economic outcome of the conversion process.

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Recommended Citation

Arthur, Louis David, "Effective Organizational Structures to Maximize Productive Manhours in the Engineering Profession" (1989). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 605.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/605