Project Management

4 Simple Steps to High-Performing Engineering Teams for Engineering Managers

October 31, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest post by Zachary White

High-performing engineering teams are not the smartest.

They are not the most experienced.

The best engineering teams are exactly that… TEAMS. It’s not about IQ, but EQ (emotional and social intelligence). It’s less about brain-power and more about heart-power.

Brains and experience surely help, but if you can’t get along and communicate well together then you’re stuck.

On top of that, engineering management is difficult because you are almost always a player-coach. You have a team to manage, AND you have a full-time job of your own on top of that. You’re in meetings with the people above you, and in meetings with the people below you.

Nobody said it was easy.

The truth is that leading a high performance team is simple. Not easy, but simple.

Let me share four steps you must work through with every engineer on your team, starting with yourself, to improve the EQ and performance of your organization. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it will make a huge impact.

Technology’s Role in Civil Engineering Inspection — Autonomous Drafting

August 4, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

Civil engineers are designers and builders of everything related to infrastructure: roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others. While new construction of any asset gets a lot of attention for several reasons, that asset must be maintained over its lifespan — and civil engineers play a critical role in the inspection of it. As the third in a multipart series on technology’s role in civil engineering, I would like to talk about autonomous drafting and how it can improve your civil engineering inspections.

Note: The examples used in this month’s article relate to parking structures, because that is what the author specializes in. The author’s intent is that the technology showcased through these specific examples can be applied broadly to other civil engineering projects.

1. Inspection Drawing Creation

One of the first steps in any inspection is creating an accurate set of plans. Often, requests for existing drawings are not fulfilled, leaving us to create our own. This process is often very tedious and time-consuming due to the scale and repetitive nature of the tasks required.

To remove as much of this manual and laborious effort from your workflow as possible, consider use of software such as Airworks. Given inputs in the form of aerial imagery (Airworks also accepts three-dimensional data, but my experience was limited to 2D imagery), Airworks uses artificial intelligence to identify and autonomously draft common features of civil engineering projects.

Obtaining aerial imagery of your project site can be done in multiple ways, including:

80% Done Beats Perfect

June 14, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Have you been in this situation? You’re up against a tight budget and tight timelines on a project. You get the bulk of the work done, but then you just can’t seem to power through to the finish line.

You know your work is really good. If only I could find that one missing piece, you think. Then it would be perfect.

No. It won’t.

“No one is perfect … that’s why pencils have erasers.” ~ Author Unknown

Project manager Chris assigned Joel, a staff engineer, to work on the new roadway project. She told him what she expected and that he should get the work done in three hours.

A day went by without Joel checking back in with Chris. She called him a day later.

The Increasing Importance of BIM for Civil Engineering

January 4, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Roger Liucci

Every building project, no matter how small, comes with many aspects to consider and disciplines to reconcile. Sometimes, that’s the hardest part — having everyone work together without getting in each other’s way. For decades now, architects, engineers, and building contractors have looked for ways to resolve this problem, as well as cut project costs and increase efficiency. Finally, it seems that the solution is here, in the form of BIM.

What Is BIM?

BIM stands for building information modeling, and it can be understood in two ways: as a process and as software. In both cases, BIM helps coordinate all aspects of the building project and allows the team to collaborate. Aside from that, it lets civil engineers troubleshoot the building before it’s even built and explore different options for project completion.

How to Evaluate New Project Management Technologies

June 9, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

Technology and business today are inseparable. Taking advantage of available software solutions is one of the best ways to stay competitive. If nothing else, tools like project management technologies can make it a little easier to do your job.

More than 90% of organizations use standardized project management, but only 58% fully understand its value. You’ve probably heard that software tools can help you, but you may not know what that looks like. What precisely can these solutions do for you, and how do you find the right one?

Benefits of Project Management Software

The overall goal of project management tools is to streamline administrative tasks. They accomplish this in several different ways. While features vary depending on the software, benefits typically include:

More straightforward communication and collaboration
Scheduling tools
Budget and spending tracking
Simplified document management
Standardization for work processes
A centralized place to do all of this

Project management software has a lot to offer, and there’s no shortage of options, either. This variety means you can find the perfect solution for your needs, but it also means you may have trouble finding the right one. How do you sort through everything to find the best software for the job?

Here Are Five Tips to Help You Evaluate Project Management Technologies:

How to Manage Multiple Projects at the Same Time

January 15, 2019 By EMI

How to Manage Multiple Projects at the Same Time is a guest blog by Alexandra Reay

In today’s world, it’s crucial to be able to manage multiple projects at the same time. New technologies are quickly developing, while companies are expanding their market reach. Businesses aim to minimize their costs and maximize their efficiency by hiring fewer, higher-standard employees. Multitasking has become the latest trend once again. This process can be challenging.

Here are some tips from my experience on how to manage multiple projects at the same time:

How to Increase the Efficiency of Your Construction Project

September 19, 2018 By EMI

How to Increase the Efficiency of Your Construction Project is a guest post by Holly Welles

Construction project efficiency has become a problem over the last 50 years. In spite of advances in construction technology, project efficiency has dropped by nearly half, which leaves jobs undone for years after their projected completion date. Construction holds the title of the industry that has the lowest productivity gains of any comparable sector, leaving many people to wonder what could have slowed down the workflow so much. Despite all of this, there are some things that project managers can do to increase the efficiency of their construction projects.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive

BIM as an Effective Tool in Project Management

September 5, 2018 By EMI

BIM as an Effective Tool in Project Management is a guest post by Shakti Prasad

BIM (Building Information Modeling) has been revolutionizing the AEC industry in terms of economic and technical viability, over the past few years. The advantages of the long-term application of BIM can be leveraged most efficiently in the field of project management. The need for management of an asset is a continuous process; from inception to demolition, a true cradle to grave cycle which involves handling large volumes of data, handling a lot of responsibilities, and so on for which BIM is the one-stop solution. Project managers need to embrace Building Information Modeling, interrogate the BIM information and reap the maximum benefits out of it for effective project management.

How Building Information Modeling (BIM) facilitates effective project management?

There are 2 broad aspects of Building Information Modeling which enables it in facilitating project management:

[Read more…] about BIM as an Effective Tool in Project Management

10 Great Benefits of Using a Project Plan in Your Engineering Career

March 21, 2018 By EMI

10 Great Benefits of Using a Project Plan in Your Engineering Career is a blog post by Chris Richardson

Every professional engineer must treat his projects seriously by allocating enough time to planning and organizing future actions. A project plan is useful not just for improving the quality of the end product, but also for developing better team dynamics and better results for the company you’re working for.

In today’s post, we’re discussing 10 great benefits that will result from proper project planning. Every engineer should acknowledge that a project plans’ quality will always be directly proportional to the quality of the results.

1. In-Depth Planning, Thinking, and Visualizing

Engineering Project Success Depends on You

June 28, 2017 By EMI

This is the last installment of six-part series about leadership for engineers preparing for their first professional leadership role.

Not every project you undertake as a leader is going to work out, sometimes you may find yourself having to make the decision to pull the plug. You may already have seen this in your engineering career and if not, you will.

According to Project Management Institute (PMI), only 62% of projects met their original goals and business intent. PMI’s analysis of projects worldwide reveals that for every $1 billion spent in projects, $135 million was at risk from failure. Put another way, 13.5% of every project dollar you will touch is at risk.

As an engineering leader, you’re responsible as much for engineering project success and protection of resources as you are for your team’s performance. In fact, in most organizations failure to deliver projects within cost, on time, and within scope on a consistent basis will result in a sacking. However, sometimes a project will far exceed resources or require someone new with the skills to get it back on track.

As a leader, you’re responsible for maintaining awareness about your projects and knowing when to cut losses and cancel a project or ask for help from an outside entity who can get the project back on track.