Develop a strategy for the engineering design process
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to develop a strategy for the engineering design process, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to identify the design activities that need to be undertaken, to allocate responsibilities and resources to each activity, and to prioritise the completion of the design in line with agreed deadlines. You will also be required to observe procedures for disseminating design information, and to develop a design strategy that is agreed will all the relevant people.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for ensuring the successful development of the design strategy, and to report any problems that you cannot personally resolve to the relevant authority. You will be expected to work unsupervised, either on your own or as part of a team, which you may lead or direct, taking full responsibility for your actions, and possibly for the work of colleagues or subordinates.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of general and discipline-specific engineering principles and processes. You will be fully conversant with organisational procedures and systems, and you will also know about resource management, the design process, and patent, copyright and intellectual property issues, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required standard.
You will be fully aware of any health, safety and environmental requirements, and the appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks applicable to your area of responsibility. You will be required to ensure that safe working practices are maintained throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
- identify the design activities that need to be undertaken
- establish the responsibilities for developing specific aspects of the design process
- agree procedures for disseminating information on the designs
- identify any potentially critical problems and establish effective contingency plans
- identify and obtain the resources necessary to undertake the design process
- prioritise and schedule the effective completion of the design process to achieve any deadlines
- ensure that the design process complies with all relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- agree an effective strategy for the design process with all relevant people
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the organisational procedures and information systems for storing design data and configuration management
- the organisational activities required for the design process
- the importance of establishing and recording responsibilities
- who should have responsibility for developing different parts of a design
- the various procedures that can be used in the design process
- the factors that should be taken into account for disseminating information
- the types of problem that could occur during the design process
- why it is important to have contingency plans
- what should be included in contingency plans
- how to prioritise and schedule design activities
- how to obtain information on resources
- how to determine what resources are necessary
- how to determine the availability of resources
- the regulations, directives and guidelines that are relevant
- how to obtain and interpret information on regulations, directives and guidelines
- the limits of your own authority, and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following activities in developing a design strategy:
- establish a means of storing the design documentation and version control (configuration management)
- identify the activities that make up the design process
- establish the responsibility for each activity
- identify the resources required
- identify potential critical problems and generate effective contingency plans accordingly
- communicate information to the appropriate people, and to the quality management system
- develop a schedule for the design process
- ensure that the strategy takes into account regulations, directives and guidelines
- agree the schedule with the appropriate people
Establish the activities that will make up the design process, to include all of the following:
- confirmation of requirements
- production and review of detailed design/s
- review of reference materials
- development of models (such as software, physical)
- production and review of high level design/s
- obtaining final approval
Establish the procedures to be used during the design process, for all of the following:
- disseminating information
- change management
- obtaining resources
- configuration management
- reviewing design/s
- resource procurement
Develop strategies that include three of the following resources:
- equipment
- personnel
- facilities
- customer
- finance
- materials
- software/hardware
Develop strategies that comply with three of the following:
- organisational guidelines and procedures
- recognised compliance agency/body's standards, directives or codes of practice
- equipment manufacturer's operating specification/range
- customer standards and requirements
- British, European or International standards or directives
- health, safety and environmental requirements
Record and communicate strategies to the appropriate people, using:
- a verbal report
plus one from the following:
2. electronic mail
3. computer-based presentation
4. computer generated report
5. specific company document
6. other appropriate media
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Additional Information
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
- strong work ethic
- positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment