Determining engineering requirements for the supply of products or services

URN: SEMETS353
Business Sectors (Suites): Engineering Technical Support Suite 3
Developed by: Enginuity
Approved on: 2021

Overview

This standard identifies the competences you need to determine engineering requirements for the supply of products or services to customers, in accordance with approved procedures. The scope of the standard requires you to confirm the requirements with the customer, and to determine how your organisation can respond to these needs and the implications to your organisation of providing the products or services, with regard to present and future workloads. The engineering requirements must relate to significant engineering products that require multiple operations or stages for their manufacture, or to services that require the input of multiple functions from within your organisation. You will be required to complete the work within agreed timescales, whilst ensuring that the activities within your control conform to organisational and legal requirements. Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for determining the engineering requirements. You will report any problems that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with minimal supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out. Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and will provide an informed approach to gathering and determining technical requirements from customers. You will understand the engineering products and services within your area of responsibility, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out your activities to the required standard. You will understand your organisation's methods of operation in sufficient detail to enable you to make informed decisions. You will be aware of any health, safety and environmental requirements applicable to your area of responsibility. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
  2. obtain sufficient information to understand clearly the customer's requirements
  3. advise the customer of relevant product or service features, and relate these to the customer's requirements
  4. make sure that the customer requirements are accurately specified
  5. check with the customer and obtain agreement that the requirements are interpreted correctly
  6. determine how your organisation can respond to the requirements in terms of workload and resources
  7. provide the information in an appropriate format, using recognised and accepted conventions for terms and references
  8. record and file relevant information, in accordance with organisational requirements
  9. maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality
  10. make sure that communications with the customer meet organisational guidelines and procedures

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. how to access information on health and safety regulations and guidelines relating to the engineering activities to be used and plans being produced
  2. the implications of not taking account of legislation, regulations, standards and guidelines when determining the engineering requirements
  3. how to obtain information on the engineering requirements, and the type of information that is available (such as customer order requirements and instructions, quality control requirements, product specification, manufacturing methods)
  4. how to extract information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate BS or ISO standards) in relation to work being considered
  5. how typical customer requirements for engineering products are usually described
  6. how to access and use the appropriate information and documentation systems containing the customer
  7. the methods available for analysing customer technical requirements
  8. the importance of checking that the specific technical requirements/specification requested by the customer are within the technical capabilities and resources of your organisation
  9. the main types of resources involved with different types of engineering activity, and the typical timescales for providing them
  10. the obvious (and hidden) costs of resources/activities
  11. the normal timescales for carrying out or supplying specific engineering activities, and how these will impact on the customers' requirements
  12. the information that you will need to consider when determining the engineering requirements (such as activities to be carried out, specification to be achieved, timescales, resource requirements, health and safety issues, cost and budget implications)
  13. the main components and the materials (if any) that are to be used
  14. the products (or equipment) involved with the requirements, and their availability
  15. the structure of your organisation, and the key people (who does what)
  16. the methods used to control costs, and who can provide cost estimates
  17. the importance of maintaining records; what needs to be recorded, and where records are kept
  18. the different ways of presenting information to different people
  19. the importance of providing the right information at the right time
  20. problems that can occur with preparing details and assessing implications
  21. the extent of your own authority, and whom you should report to in the event of problems that you cannot resolve
  22. the sources of technical expertise if you have problems that you cannot resolve

Scope/range

  1. Carry out all of the following when determining the engineering requirements:

    1. use the correct issue of company information
    2. check that all essential information and data needed to make valid decisions is available
    3. determine the engineering requirements
    4. check that the organisation's work and technical capacity can meet the customer's requirements
    5. maintain appropriate levels of customer communication and confidentiality
    6. record and file the engineering requirements in the appropriate format
  2. Determine engineering requirements for customer needs for one of the following:

    1. drawing/design activities (such as mechanical, electrical/electronic, motor vehicle, aerospace, marine)
    2. manufacturing activities (such as machining, detail fitting, fabrication of components, pressing)
    3. material processing activities (such as heat treatment, casting, injection moulding, purification)
    4. composite manufacture (such as wet lay-up, pre-preg laminating, resin infusion, blow moulding)
    5. finishing activities (such as stripping finishes, painting, plating, anodising, veneering, lacquering)
    6. assembly activities (such as mechanical, structural, fluid power, electrical/electronic, woodworking)
    7. installation activities (such as mechanical, electrical/electronic, avionic, structural, environmental equipment)
    8. plant and equipment (such as site preparation, plant layout, equipment changeover, equipment supply or replacement)
    9. equipment capability studies/performance measurement
    10. movement of materials, components or finished goods
    11. business improvement activities
    12. engineering safety audits or risk assessments
    13. quality control/quality assurance
    14. maintenance activities                             
    15. modification and repair activities
    16. testing and trialling                                     
    17. research and development
    18. commissioning/decommissioning               
    19. engineering support services
  3. Assess the implications of five of the following, in providing the products or services:

    1. the technical capability of your organisation to provide the products or services requested
    2. availability of resources (such as people, materials, equipment, facilities and utilities)
    3. costs and capital expenditure involved
    4. timescales to supply the products or services
    5. effects on current schedules
    6. environmental and health and safety implications
    7. legal implications (as applicable)
    8. training implications
  4. Record and file product or service proposals containing all of the following:

    1. description of product or service required
    2. details of specification requirements
    3. customer requirements that may be difficult to meet
    4. delivery estimate
    5. workload schedule
    6. resources required
    7. potential opportunities arising from the proposed supply of the product or service
    8. need vs benefit analysis
  5. Carry out both of the following on completion of the activities:

    1. validation and evaluation of the systems and procedures used
    2. identification of improvements that could be made to the systems and procedures
  6. Record the proposals, in accordance with organisational procedures, using one of the following:

    1. specific organisation documentation
    2. written or typed report
    3. electronic mail

Scope Performance


Scope Knowledge


Values


Behaviours


Skills


Glossary


Links To Other NOS


External Links


Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

2024

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Enginuity

Original URN

SEMETS353

Relevant Occupations

Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Engineering Technicians

SOC Code

3113

Keywords

engineering; technical; support; research and development; engineering support services; maintenance activities; testing and trialling; commissioning/decommissioning