Project Outsourcing 1

[wjsd]

I am not sure what the correct forum is for this question, so here goes.

What is everyone's perception of project outsourcing. For instance, I know of a major engineering company who uses overseas personnel to do the work, quite possibly without supervision of an ABET educated and qualified PE.

Is there any agency watching this type of activity? I personally think it is the next phase of watching American jobs travel "South of the Border" or across the Atlantic.

How am I supposed to compete against some guy in India who will work for $1 per hour? I am equal to him mentally and in experience, but he can underbid me every time....why are we allowing this to happen?

 

[Theophilus]

I'll never desire nor take a subsidy from good old Uncle Sam. No thanks! Uncle Sam, ironically, doesn't exist as an income maker--only as a distributor of other people's money. I'd simply be robbing fellow Americans as a result of my failure to compete. It's not remotely necessary.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[CarolinaPE]

I believe Florida (and I am not sure of other states) have written into law that the responsible charge's supervision must include the direct physical presence. At any rate I am not surprised at all with people trying to cut a corner these days. I am not sure though that they are not being too short sighted. Some industries require a pretty healthy learning curve and what was described in the earlier posts won't allow junior level guys to get their feet wet (sort of an apprentice type situation, which may take up to 5 years to gain the knowledge required). Of course the guy at the top just sees dollar signs and how he can afford the 7 series BMW instead of the 5.

 

[Heckler]

Jeff - Your replies are very insightful and stimulating.

Our company has started to do some "Off-Shore" sourcing for our injection molded parts which is only part of the design to market process but nonetheless critical. We bid those mold making services in the US to formulate a cost affective means of doing business overseas. One thing that I have found out that a mold base cost just as much here in the US as it does in China or Taiwan. The difference being the labour costs to create the part mold. With all the outsourcing we are now dealing with "knock-offs". We also tried to outsource some ID work to China and that was a complete waste of money.

I was told (by management) that our company is trying to keep everyone employed. I put in double the amount of time to manage an off shore project then it takes to manage a US sourced project...so what is that doing to the bottom line?

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
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(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right." -- George Best

 

[EddyC]

Outsourcing/Offshoring will continue to occur, even if most of us in the USA don't like it (Myself included). It will occur because human society has embraced the principles of free trade. The general public will conclude that if sophisticated manufactured products like automobiles & airplanes can successfully be engineered overseas, so too can many other "products" like building & infrastructure engineering (Done by PEs like me). Overseas firms serving this market will at first have US based PEs to act as reviewers & stampers. If this meets with sufficient success, the role of the US PE will be diminished over time. Do I like it? No. But thats whats probably going to occur with a portion of the work currently being done domestically.

 

[KENAT]

EddyC - good comparison.

I'm sure many US members have flown on European or even South American aircraft.

Are they measurably inferior in safety or other aspects than US competition?

Likewise cars and other vehicles.

If aircraft can be designed oversees to meet FFA rules & Vehicles to meet the relevant requirements why not buildings to meet local building codes/requirements?

Why are buildings so different to other, arguably more complex (I know I’m going to get it for that one;-) ) systems? I can think of a few possible reasons but none really convincing.

Of course Aerospace & Automotive don’t tend to require PE as much, is that the difference? PE don’t think foreigners can do their job?

By the way I don’t particularly like outsourcing but as others point out we’re happy to take advantage of it for consumer products so why not others?