EAS590: Case Studies in Engineering Management

EAS590: Case Studies in Engineering Management Dr. Robert E. Barnes February 13th, Spring 2008

Case # 2 – Org Chart President CEO Executive Vice President COO CFO VP Finance VP Marketing VP Production Manufacturing CMO VP Engineering Case #2 Chief Information Officer CIO VP R&D VP Human Resources

The View from an Engineering Manager Core Competencies • A word about an article on tonight’s topic • Lecture from William Delnicki, Praxair

Your Case #2 has two parts -- Part 1 – this exercise is on Core Competences – • This part is based on the article “Dynamics of Core Competencies in Leading Multinational Companies” – two of the authors are UB IE grads – Alok Baveja and Mamnoon Jamil. • They postulate three Core Competencies: • Technological Know-How • Reliable Process • Close Relationship with External Parties • Tables 1, 2 and 3 of article are critical.

Table 1 • The authors characterized the firms in their study using terms like: • Primary industry • Country of origin • Outstanding characteristics

Tables 2 and 3 • In Table 2, they state the specifics of the three CCs for each company. • Table 3 is related to #2. In it, they state how the companies arrive at the CCs listed in #2.

For Part 2 - Mr. Delnicki’s presentation – Roughly five parts to his presentation – • Praxair and its core competencies • Characteristics of an engineering manager • 3 cases • Jack Welch problem • $23M project that needed to be $20M; came in at $21M and became most profitable system • first automated plant • Recruitment • Sayings

William Delnicki, Praxair • BS - Chemical Engineer 1962, Brooklyn Polytechnical • Praxair 1962 – 1997 • Military, Corps of Eng 1963 – 1965 • Work Experience: • Air Separation Process Design • Distillation Technology/Process Engineer • Technical Management • Product Manager – Distillation, Heat Transfer and Cryo-Process Tech/World-Wide • Associate Director – Energy Systems • Associate Director – R&D • Director Design Engineering

Next week you present again - • Oral with visuals* – up to 10 minutes each • Written – one integrated report* – 4 to 5 pages each, page count does not include: title page, table of contents, executive summary, tables, figures, references, appendixes • White paper – due electronically – email or course web site – no later than Noon, Friday, 2/22 - Paper copy in class and electronic copy to me -

EAS590: Case Studies in Engineering Management