Engineers as marketing managers

The underlying concepts of marketing per se, have been understood for many years in some professions, whilst others are still trying to `grasp´ the fundamentals of what marketing is all about. The Manufacturing and Engineering industry in the UK, provides substantial wealth and contribution to the UK economy. Only through the development of appropriate products and services, which satisfy the individual needs of customers, will the UK economy continue to be supported by our manufacturing base. If we are to sustain, and indeed, develop from this position, then marketing and engineering functions within our UK organisations, must work in harmony. This paper outlines some of the basic issues facing the UK manufacturing industry, and highlights the need for `hybrid´ thinking and implementation, in order to create, and develop, the products and services of the future