Engineering inherently includes management

An engineer´s life is dominated by a succession of projects. Most of these projects are small, almost mundane activities, but when taken together, they contribute to the success or otherwise of the individual and the enterprise. These projects may be defined formally or they may be open ended and defined informally. Accepting that projects are a fundamental feature of the engineer´s work, skills in the basics of project management become invaluable, if not essential. Although modern project management techniques have been developed for major projects employing professional project management, they can equally be applied to smaller, everyday engineering activities, and even at the most junior of levels within an organisation. The basics of project management include planning, the management of time and finance, together with an understanding of quality and quality management. Engineers represent a valuable and scarce resource which need to be developed and managed. The most effective form of management is the engineer´s management of both him or her self and those influences which affect his or her endeavours. If the engineers themselves are profiting from their labours, their organisations and society will also profit