EML 4926, Consulting Engineering Practices

  1. Catalog Description: Credits: 3, EML 4926, section 5211, Consulting Practices
  2. Course prerequisites and co-requisites : none
  3. Course Objectives:

This course is set up to provide senior level engineering students with anintroduction to consulting engineering practices. The course emphasizes communication and engineering marketing skills such as preparations of qualification statements, letters of interest, total quality management concepts, proposal preparation and marketing presentations (both visual and oral). The course provides a broad coverage of the many aspects of both the personnel, operational and financial management of engineering consulting/design firms. The course also provides the engineering students with several tools that should be helpful in many mechanical engineering professions. Emphasis is placed on professional engineering registration.

  1. Contribution of course to meeting the professional component (ABET only):N/A
  2. Relationship of course to program outcomes (ABET only) N/A
  3. Instructor: Herbert A. Ingley, Phd,PE
  4. Office location: 228 , MAEBBuilding
  5. Telephone: 352-392-9929 (home: 377-0078, cell: 284-0997)
  6. E-mail address:
  7. Web site: plaza.ufl.edu/ingley or mae course website
  8. Office hours: posted outside office door
  9. Teaching Assistant N/A
  10. Office location
  11. Telephone
  12. E-mail address
  13. Office hours
  14. Meeting Times: M,W, F 6th period, 12:50-1:40PM
  15. Class/laboratory schedule, i.e., number of sessions each week and duration of each session N/A
  16. Meeting Location: room MAEB 229
  17. Material and Supply Fees: N/A
  18. Textbooks and Software Required: None required
  19. Recommended Reading None Required
  20. Course Outline

Week of / Topic / Reading Assign. / Comments
Jan 7 / Introduction
Types of Consulting Firms
(sizes, function, ownership) / Powerpoint / Begin to relate size of consulting firms to billing capacity
and overhead to generate this billing. Provide a general description of types of consulting firms by function and ownership.
Jan 14 / Forms of Organization / Handout/ professional
Liability data / Discuss s-corps, c-corps, partnerships, professional associations. Discuss the implication of forms of organization on professional liability and taxes. Discuss resume preparation.
Jan 21
Jan 21 is a Holiday / Structuring of a Consulting Firm / Powerpoint on personnel handbooks. Role playing on hiring and firing / Discuss administrative, technical and professional staff requirements and ratios. Discuss typical qualifications for entry level engineers. Discuss large firm vs. small firm. Discuss dealing with personnel problems and laws pertaining to employment practices.
Jan 28 / Financial Organization of a Firm / Powerpoint on G&A expenses and a balance spreadsheet / Discuss billing structures. Discuss salary structures. Discuss multipliers and fee estimating. Discuss relationship of fees to value of construction work where design is involved.
Feb 4 / The Design and Construction
Process/role of the consulting
engineer / Powerpoint Typical CPM chart
for a project / Discuss the total scope of a project from
RFP/response/selection/contract/NTP/
typical design phases and submittals/
bidding/construction administration/closeout
Feb 11 / Insurance Requirements / Powerpoint / Discuss professional liability insurance, general liability insurance, health, auto, fire, theft etc. insurance and relationship to overhead and volume of design effort.
Feb 18 / Marketing Professional Services / Powerpoint of typical RFP’s
Marketing Project Assignment / Discuss sources of opportunities(Florida Administrative Weekly, Commerce Business Daily, legal ads, Alice Report, etc.) Discuss marketing techniques
Feb 25 / Marketing Professional Services Cont’d / Provide exercise on conducting an efficient meeting and estimating its cost. / Discuss proposal preparation, SF 254, SF 255, PQS and other professional qualification statements. Discuss the selection process. Discuss marketing presentations. Discuss how to hold an efficient and cost effective meeting.
Mar (Mar 10 begins spring break) / Total Quality Management / Conduct brainstorming exercise. / Discuss management skills related to TQM. Show video series illustrating the formation and use of self-directed teams. Discuss self-directed teams vs. departmental approach to organization of engineering projects and firms
March
17 / Codes and Standards / Powerpoint / Discuss the differences among codes, standards and regulations and illustrate the impact of these on the engineering consultant
March
24 / Management of Computers in the Consulting Engineer’s Office / Powerpoint / Discuss the use of computers in the consulting engineering firm relative to productivity, network management, overhead costs (lease vs purchase), ergonomic considerations, Management of e-mails, drawings and files.
Apr 7 / Contracts and Letters of Agreement / Conduct a negotiation role-playing exercise / Discuss the various forms of contracts and letters of agreement used in practice. Discuss differences between the NSPE and AIA documents. Discuss negotiation skills.
Apr 14 / Project Management / Powerpoint / Discuss the qualifications and role of the project manager. Discuss the relationship of the project manager to a self-directed team leader and administration.
April
16 / Presentations / Student firms present proposals for a mock design project this week
April
21 / Exam this week Classes end on April 23

Projects:

Preparation of personal resume as a potential engineering employee

Formation of several mock engineering firms which work on several projects during the term.

Preparation of a SF 254, SF 255 and a PQS for a mock project.

Preparation of letters of interest.

Set up a mock organization for each consulting firm (usually 3 students per firm). Each firm must decide how many staff it will have and the qualifications of the staff.

Set up financial balance sheet for the mock firm. Determine multiplier. Set salaries for each staff member and determine yearly billings to satisfy financial goals of the firm.

Participate in a mock selection process for a project. Make oral presentation on firm's qualifications and abilities to implement the project. Use computer graphics for presentation

Participate in total quality management exercises.

Prepare CPM chart for a consulting project.

  1. Attendanceand Expectations: It is expected that students will attend class on a regular basis. However, there is no penalty for absences or tardiness. All cell phones should be turned off during class.
  2. Grading –

Homework 45%

Exam 25%

Marketing Project30%

  1. Grading Scale : 95-100 A, 90-94 B+, 85-89 B, 80-84 C+, 75-79 C, 70-74 D+, 65-69 D
  2. Make-up Policy:

Exams or homework may be made-up when appropriate excuses (e.g. medical) are provided.

  1. Honesty Policy – All students admitted to the University of Florida have signed a statement of academic honesty committing themselves to be honest in all academic work and understanding that failure to comply with this commitment will result in disciplinary action. This statement is a reminder to uphold your obligation as a UF student and to be honest in all work submitted and exams taken in this course and all others.
  2. Accommodation for Students with Disabilities – Students Requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. That office will provide the student with documentation that he/she must provide to the course instructor when requesting accommodation.
  3. UF Counseling Services – Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals. The resources include:

- UniversityCounselingCenter, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, Personal and Career Counseling.

- SHCC mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, Personal and Counseling.

- Center for Sexual Assault/Abuse Recovery and Education (CARE), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual assault counseling.

- CareerResourceCenter, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling.

  1. Software Use – All faculty, staff and student of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.