Composites

    Scenario As an independent consultant engineer you have just won a short term contract from King Swan Engineering, a large and busy multi-national. King Swan have tasked you to conduct some research and to provide some analyses on the basis of this research. The contract includes a brief on the scope of the research, the deliverables and delivery schedule, which have been included in the later sections of this document. The next section of this document is a summary of background information you obtained when you went to see the engineering manager at King Swan prior to being awarded the contract. Background Information King Swan is a successful multinational engineering firm that works in a wide variety of engineering sectors. They are renowned for working to tight deadlines and producing high quality products for their customers, and so expect the same from their supply chain which now includes you. When you met the engineering manager at King Swan the following points became obvious during the discussion:   • The work you will do will have an impact right across King Swan, a global company. As a consequence the report that you deliver may be read by people all over the world. Clear and plain language is therefore essential.   • The engineers at King Swan are extremely busy and will rely on being able to read your report quickly and efficiently. As a consequence the information and data that you provide in your report must be clear and the structure of the document must make it easy to trace back from any conclusion you make to the data that you made the decision on. A wellstructured and concise report is therefore essential.   • King Swan are aware that a great deal of information is available through the internet, books and journals on the engineering concepts covered by this project. This information may come from King Swan’s competitors, potential suppliers or researchers who may be of interest to King Swan if they want to develop the research beyond the report that you deliver. In addition King Swan has a strong business ethics policy. As a consequence traceability of information is critical to the delivery of your contract. Identifying the sources of pre-existing information in your report is therefore essential.   • King Swan are a successful and profitable company because they employ great engineers as employees and as contractors like you that provide value for money. As a consequence King Swan will be expecting your report to include your original ideas on the subject of the work, which will add value to research beyond that of a mere review of available information. Demonstrating your ability to innovate and to make engineering decisions that are supported by evidence will improve your chances of repeat business from King Swan and help to establish your reputation as a reliable and trusted engineer. CU/EC/MAM/