Project engineering
Project engineers oversee projects from the customer's request through cost and schedule planning to handover and commissioning. To do this, they have to keep an eye on time, costs, quality and the goal and therefore need specialist knowledge of technology, business administration and project management .
Word origin and meaning
Project is derived from the Latin proiectum, neuter to proiectus 'thrown forward', past participle from proicere 'forward throw' (see projectile). In the case of projects, 'forward' means a time dimension. The Latin word ingenium means “ingenious invention” or “ingenuity”. The derived Italian word ingegnere (ie “Zeugmeister”, “war builder”) was only used in the Middle Ages in connection with war technology and in German as an equally restrictive loan word engineer. It was not until the 17th century that the French word ingénieur meant “specialist in the technical field with theoretical training”. It came back from there in the 18th century as a loan word engineer in German, but now in the more general French meaning and in the course of the 19th century it also superseded the term art master, which is common in mining and hydraulic engineering.
Profession of project engineer
Project engineers organize and monitor the execution of technical projects and take on project management during the implementation phase. With technical systems, components or subsystems often have to be developed from scratch in the team so that the result meets the requirements of a customer. The project engineer dictates how the project will be carried out and is also responsible for the success of the project. He applies planning procedures and network planning techniques and takes technical, economic and environmental aspects into account. Communication, team and negotiation skills are important " soft skills " in order to be able to use the available resources in a targeted manner. The sub-projects are coordinated by the project engineer. He decides on strategies and methods to achieve goals. Project engineers form the interface between companies and customers. During the project, they check the current status of the process for compliance with the customer's specifications. He also plans and secures project financing. To this end, he carries out a needs and risk analysis as part of the project planning. He has business management knowledge that is imparted during his training in the areas of finance, cost and performance accounting and controlling .
Project engineers have a basic technical knowledge that they can apply in almost all branches of industry, for example in companies in the plant engineering, chemical, electrical or IT sectors. The practice of professional activity is regulated. The designation " engineer " is protected. To work as a project engineer, you are expected to have completed an engineering degree in a specialist area of the respective industry. Management positions, specialized assignments or activities in science and research usually require a master’s degree, possibly also a doctorate, after the bachelor’s degree.
Activities are mainly:
- Controlling the processing of customer-specific projects and system solutions, design and development of technical solutions and preparation of commercial offers
- Deadline and cost controlling
- Support of the projects from the planning phase to the acceptance
- Close cooperation with internal departments such as sales, production, finance, marketing, design and service
- Regular reporting, project documentation and the coordination of the available resources
- Communication with customers
Demand for project engineers in Germany
According to estimates, the annual damage caused by incorrect planning and incorrect project management decisions in Germany is around 150 billion euros (vocational dictionary, Staufenbiel) ².
Education
The project engineering course is an interdisciplinary course that is offered at the DHBW (Dual University Baden-Württemberg) Mannheim and until 2010 at the DHBW Heidenheim. In conjunction with a training company, the accredited intensive course can be used to acquire the title of Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.). Project engineering with an international orientation (international project engineering or international project engineering) is offered at the Reutlingen, Dortmund and Konstanz universities of applied sciences. A bachelor's degree (B.Eng.) Can be obtained in Reutlingen and Konstanz and a master's degree (M.Eng.) In Dortmund. Similar courses of study are offered nationally and internationally at other educational institutions.
National
| Name of course | graduation | Place of study |
|---|---|---|
| Int. Project engineering | B. Eng. | University of Applied Sciences Reutlingen |
| Int. Project engineering | M. Eng. | FH Dortmund |
| Int. Project engineering and management | Dipl. Ing / Inf. | University of Siegen |
| Int. Project engineering | B. Eng. | DHBW Mannheim |
| Project management construction | B. Eng. | Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences |
| Project management construction | B. Eng. | HS Biberach ad Riss |
International
| Name of course | graduation | Place of study |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering project management | M. Sc. | Coventry University (UK) |
| Engineering project management | M. Sc. | Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand) |
| Engineering project management | M. Sc. | University of Melbourne (Australia) |
| Engineering project management | M. Sc. | University of Manchester (UK) |
| Engineering Projects and Systems Management | M. Sc. | Kingston University London (UK) |
| Engineering project management | M. Sc. | Bournemouth University (UK) |
literature
- Etymological dictionary (after Pfeifer), dwds.de; in Italian, French and English use since the 15th century. etymonline.com
- Friedrich Kluge: Etymological dictionary of the German language. Berlin 1948 and 2002.
- Günther Drosdowski: The dictionary of origin: Etymology of the German language. Duden Volume 7, Dudenverlag, Mannheim / Leipzig / Vienna / Zurich 1989, ISBN 3-411-20907-0 .