Master of Engineering Management MEM

University of Leicester

Cost engineering is an engineering practice dedicated to the management of all the aspects of product cost, and in this module we will gain an understanding of product cost (which covers both initial cost and lifecycle cost) and its drivers (any factors that cause a change in the cost of an activity). We will explore and use cost engineering methods to identify and optimise product cost drivers, and construct and use both parametric and generative cost models of components. You will use industry standard cost estimating software tools, and reflect upon them ? critiquing their limitations and proposing improved approaches. We will identify and apply cost reduction opportunities by selecting from a number of analysis methods including Design for Manufacture (DFM) and applying them.

In this module we will explore some of the key business challenges facing a modern engineering enterprise, and we will discuss and critique the key strategies affecting enterprises such as operational, technology and manufacturing strategies. We will assess the impact that globalisation has on engineering businesses, and the affects it has on how and where an engineer will work in the world. We will recognise and discuss the key soft skills that an engineering leader has, propose approaches for the management of change, and look at the principles of business transformation.

In this module you will produce a research design, which will be based on an appropriate methodology and you will describe, analyse and critique your chosen topic which may be drawn from major management issues, processes, sectors, firms, products or any other engineering issue.

Project management plays a critical role in the success of engineering projects, and successful management ensures that projects are delivered on time and on budget. In this module you will be introduced to the key skills of a project manager, the principles of project management, and the critical role it plays in the business success of a number of scenarios.

In this module you'll study a variety of ecological, geographic, historical, sociological and political economic factors shaping the dynamics of contemporary practices of international business. You'll explore lived experiences to highlight the global inequalities of international business, and analyse alternatives to mainstream assumptions about international management and business.

Lean engineering consists of ?lean? principles ? influencing engineers to work more efficiently and innovatively, whilst eliminating waste (activities or products that do not add value to the end product) and increasing value for the customer. For many engineering businesses, being ?lean? is crucial for competing against countries where engineering costs are lower. In this module we will explore the use of lean engineering methodologies and toolkits in manufacturing, design and service provision. You will use lean toolkits to assess and improve manufacturing and transactional processes, and explore the cost of quality and quality improvement approaches. We will appraise design value using multi-criteria techniques and look at and use statistical techniques and capability indices for quality monitoring.

The objective of this module is to introduce you to the discipline of systems engineering, and help you to apply and critique selected systems engineering analyses in the development of engineering systems. We will look at the main aims and outputs of each stage of the system lifecycle and you will learn how to compile, perform and critique the application of basic and advanced systems engineering analyses such as technical budgets, trade-offs, safety/reliability analysis, risk registers and Quality Function Deployment. You will write requirement and systems engineering documents to industry standards, and develop parametric models and apply Concurrent Engineering and life-cycle costing approaches to develop outline design specifications for engineering systems.