If you're an engineer, you already know that your job requires more than data collection, production deadlines and equipment maintenance. You also need to contribute to your organization's bottom line by developing new ideas to optimize projects and improve efficiency. This becomes even more important for engineering management. In a leadership role, you'll be responsible for leading teams, overseeing projects and addressing challenges that come up along the way. Innovative engineering is a great way to accomplish these goals. If you'd like to build leadership skills for innovative solutions, consider a graduate program such as Ohio University's online Master of Engineering Management (MEM) , which emphasizes cutting-edge project management techniques.
The Importance of Innovation in Engineering
Leaders in the field have a variety of crucial responsibilities, and innovation is key to all of them. In fact, Reintech, a technology-focused recruiting company, refers to innovation as the lifeblood of any organization. 1 Engineering innovation can help increase growth, revenue and efficiency, and it's something that both new and experienced leaders should practice every day.
7 Steps for Leading Innovation in Engineering Projects
If you have limited leadership experience, it can be challenging to build innovation into your work. Here are seven steps to help you encourage creativity in your team, develop management skills and arrive at effective solutions to today's challenges.
1. Foster a Culture of Innovation
Innovation engineering isn't a one-time venture for leaders. Weave it into your goals, objectives and day-to-day practices so colleagues feel comfortable bringing their ideas forward. Some of the ways you can encourage this kind of culture are to:
- Encourage creativity and risk-taking.Your team cannot seek opportunities for innovation if they're busy with other tasks, so work in some time for reflection and brainstorming. Allow them to test their ideas even when it feels risky.
- Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing.In addition to building rapport among team members, collaboration helps you gain insight into how your teams are working together and how you can optimize their projects.
2. Define Clear Goals and Objectives
Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in creative ideas and lose sight of your ultimate purpose. Innovative engineering is all about supporting your organization, so you should be able to define clear goals, track progress, keep your teams informed and maintain focus. Leaders, especially, should be able to:
- Align projects with business strategy.Assess alignment at every stage of the process and recorrect swiftly if needed. A good way to maintain your team's focus is to reiterate the company's mission and vision at project meetings and within internal communications.
- Set measurable KPIs.An engineering analytics company called Hatica says that smart managers use KPIs, or key performance indicators, to meet organizational goals. 2 A KPI can be any measure that is applicable to your project. For example, a common manufacturing KPI is uptime vs downtime — how often is an assembly line running efficiently vs. being down for repairs?
3. Assemble a Diverse and Skilled Team
Diversifying your team is essential to reaching new levels of engineering innovation. When everyone on the team shares similar experiences, opportunities for change become less likely — imagine a brainstorming session in which everyone has the same thoughts. Avoid recycling ideas with these suggestions:
- Identify key talent.According to Sphere, a software development company, every member of an organization is a creative problem-solver with valuable ideas to contribute to innovative engineering solutions. 3 As a leader, you should encourage team members to share their unique perspectives.
- Leverage multidisciplinary expertise.A diverse, multidisciplinary team is part of the future of the field, according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). 4 Take the time to identify each individual's strengths and utilize those strengths accordingly. Then, your team will be prepared to innovate with more nuanced perspectives.
Begin Your Engineering Management Career
4. Implement Effective Project Management
Due to the complexity of their work, leaders must be effective project managers. They oversee timelines, provide resources, communicate with their team, address issues and guide the project's progress. Two great ways to create innovative engineering projects are to focus on balance and use Agile methods.
- Balance structure and flexibility.Weighing the need for innovation with technical constraints and limitations is a challenging yet essential task for managers, according to Reintech. 1 All projects should have a clear scope and a plan for necessary resources. Then, your team can identify the best opportunities for innovation.
- Use Agile methods.When they think about structuring projects, many people's first impression is a linear progression of tasks. But 71% of companies, according to ASME, have embraced a more flexible and successful concept: Agile processes. 4 This approach focuses on smaller, more achievable goals, collaboration among teams, communication with stakeholders and flexibility when necessary.
Learn more about effective project management techniques in Ohio University's online Master of Engineering Management (MEM) .
5. Embrace Technology and Tools in Innovation
In a field as fast paced as engineering, you'll need to stay on top of the latest trends, technology and tools. Think about how these might apply to your team's processes and your company's goals. Be sure to:
- Stay informed about advanced software.Modern project planning and management software helps to streamline processes, enhance collaboration and improve overall outcomes, according to Neural Concept, an industrial engineering company. 5 If you aren't in the know, you could be missing out on software that can enhance your team's performance.
- Explore emerging technologies.You should continually explore technology that can lead to engineering innovation. One of the newest and most exciting technologies is AI, which Neural Concept says can save time, increase efficiency and even predict trends in the field. 5
6. Adapt to the Latest Innovations in Engineering
As you implement advanced software and experiment with emerging technologies, flexibility is your greatest asset. Prepare your team to make adjustments when needed, and make sure they engage in continuous education so that they are more prepared to tackle the inherent challenges of innovative engineering.
- Pursue continuous education.You and your team should strive to learn about leading-edge tools and techniques. This can take many forms, such as on-the-job training and mentorship. Graduate programs, in particular, are invaluable for upskilling and career advancement. Explore the latest developments in Ohio University's online Master of Engineering Management (MEM) .
- Pivot when necessary.Sometimes, you'll need to make quick adjustments to your projects. Being able to pivot can facilitate controlled, risk-managed and rapid success, according to Sphere. 3
7. Communicate Success with Stakeholders
Stakeholders are company executives, other departments in your organization, consumers, partners, regulatory agencies and more. Because each party is influenced by your projects, they look to you for accountability. Make sure you measure up with these two strategies:
- Report on KPIs.These benchmarks are not only important internally; KPIs communicate the need for your projects and how they are successful. Meeting your KPIs builds trust with stakeholders. Share this information in meeting agendas, memos, reports, project updates and instructions – all deliverables that fall under the description of technical writing. Read more about Technical Writing for Engineers: Overview and Tips .
- Share lessons learned and best practices.Once you confirm a viable solution, you should document your process and share your experience. Transparency builds confidence so that stakeholders are more likely to support your pursuit of innovation. Engineers who have mastered effective communication are in an excellent position for leadership duties.
Drive Engineering Innovation Forward
If you're an engineer who would like to move into a leadership position, Ohio University's online Master of Engineering Management (MEM) is a great choice. You'll prepare to lead technical teams, projects and organizations as you grow your career. Our expert faculty will help you develop skills you can immediately apply to gain influence and effectiveness in your current role. Plus, you'll benefit from exam-free courses, hands-on learning opportunities and a career-focused curriculum.
Take your degree further by adding a complementary certificate. We offer five graduate certificates that can roll into the MEM program, including:
- Certified Lean Six Sigma Certificate
- Engineering Analytics Certificate
- Engineering Leadership Certificate
- Engineering Management Certificate
- Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate
Learn more about Ohio University's online master's in engineering management by requesting more information today. When you're ready, you can fill out a short online application .
Sources
- Reintech Media. "Balancing the need for innovation with the realities of technical constraints and limitations." June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from https://reintech.io/blog/balancing-innovation-technical-constraints-engineering-managers .
- Hatica. "Top 10 Engineering KPIs Technical Leaders Should Know." February 13, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from https://www.hatica.io/blog/engineering-kpis/ .
- Sphere Partners. "What is Innovation Engineering?" January 28, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from https://www.sphereinc.com/blogs/what-is-innovation-engineering/ .
- The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. "The Rise of the Multidisciplinary Engineering Team." Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://corporatetraining.asme.org/blog/the-rise-of-the-multidisciplinary-engineering-team-asme-ld?hsCtaTracking=a413acc5-5a7e-4258-9f68-c616c3f3ea46%7C5253dd36-d67e-4ade-b8d1-9c09131f8c64 .
- Neural Concept. "Engineering Project Planning: Key Principles and Best Practices." Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://www.neuralconcept.com/post/engineering-project-planning-key-principles-and-best-practices .
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