Boost your commercial awareness and maximise your contribution to your company’s objectives

It is understandable that many engineers concentrate on technical issues rather then the more commercial aspects of business. Your success however, also depends on your organisation minimising risks, sustaining its cash flow, and making a profit.

Commercial engineers are professionals who have expertise not only in their own particular subject, but they also understand the objectives and operations of their organisation.

This popular Conferenz seminar has been redesigned to provide a jargon-free explanation of issues that are relevant for professional engineers and technical professionals. We will examine the essentials of contractual arrangements, the importance of client relationships, risk minimisation and dispute resolution.

By the end of this course you will have:

1.     Increased your awareness of commercial issues involved in the operations of your organisation, to enhance your effectiveness

2.     Heightened your understanding of the commercial law environment

3.     Understood the risks involved and how these risks can be shared and mitigated

4.     Considered how to formulate and implement strategy in a project-based industry

5.     Assessed types of contracts used for engineering goods, works and services

6.     Explored the key steps of targeting, establishing and formalising client relationships

Training format

This two-day training seminar will combine tutorial and discussion sessions with practical exercises and cases. Some topics will be presented in detail and others in general terms. Additional detail will be included in a comprehensive workbook. Participants will also receive a certificate of attendance.Please bring a calculator with you!

Who should attend?

Engineers and technical professionals, whether they are involved in design, construction, project management, manufacturing or any other discipline where performance has a direct impact on the success of the company including:•     Professional Engineers•     Project Engineers

•     Consulting Engineers

•     Engineering Technicians

•     Estimators

•     Contractors

•     Subcontractors

•     Surveyors

•     Architects

•     Quantity Surveyors

•     Technical Managers

•     Technical Consultants

•     Project Managers

•     Quality Managers

•     Operations Managers

Day one

SESSION 1:

THE BUSINESS CONTEXT

Commercial awareness

In order to make the most valuable contribution to their organisation, engineers and other technical professionals must increase their awareness of the commercial issues involved in the work they do.

•     Taking a broad view of the objectives and operations of your business plan

•     Issues of quality, service and customer relations

•     Professional conduct

•     Teamwork and motivation - Hershey & Blanchard SLS

•     Control systems

•     Getting help

Assessing business opportunities:

•     Essentials of a sound business opportunity

•     Assessment areas

•     Assessment tools

Developing business:

•     The importance of ideas, intellectual property

•     Venture growth stages

•     Venture growth areas - the Bell-Mason Diagnostic

SESSION 2:

THE RELATIONSHIP CONTEXT

Marketing basics - targeting the relationship

•     Forces acting on the business (Porter 5F)

•     Marketing basics

•     The marketing continuum and chasm

Selling your service - establishing the relationship

•     Positioning

•     Choosing who you should deal with

•     Pitching to clients

•     Client issues - positives & negatives

Contract principles - formalising the relationship

•     Documentation issues

•     Scope of work

•     Legality of a contract - principles

•     Variations & claims

•     Disputes

Day two

SESSION 3:

THE RISK CONTEXT

Risk management process

•     Risk context

•     Risk identification

•     Risk analysis

•     Risk assessment

•     Risk treatment

•     Monitoring

Mitigating the impact of risk

•     Risk apportionment

•     Consequences of risk

•     Business continuity planning

SESSION 4:

THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT

What is strategy?

•     Strategy demystified

•     What does a strategy do for you?

Formulating strategy

•     Goals

•     Analysis

•     Determining options

•     Selection - the “strategy vector”

•     Implementation

•     Control

Operating strategy in a project-based industry

•     Essential steps in project planning

•     Essential steps in project control

•     Tracking value in projects

•     Interim profit calculations

Course wrap up & summary

What past delegates have to say about this course:

“Relaxed style, interactive with good cast studies and anecdotes.”

Roby Taylor, Project Manager, RCP

“The presentation of this course was very well done with great examples.”

Savinder Bedi, Product Support Engineer, CSP Pacific