What is the best engineering advice you ever received? 205

[tulum]

I would like to continue engineerdaves series of threads; what frustrates you at work, and what satisfies you at work...

I just finished reading one of Donald Trumps books entitled "the way to the top". What he did was he asked the top executives across the US to submit the one single most important thing they learned to help them achieve businees success.

For example one qoute was (and is very applicable to engineering):

"Although you can't always control where you are planted-to which department or specific project you are assigned-you can control the experience while you are there...bloom where you are planted."

So my question to the forum is: What is the best engineering advice you ever received?

 

[tulum]

When creating a design, always create a parallel path backup design, in-case your original falls through.

Regards,
TULUM

 

[Maui]

Don't tell an employee to do something that you're not willing to do yourself.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make them all yourself.


Maui

 

[CanEngJohn]

If you do not know the process for making your design, chances are the guy who is going to make it for you won't either.

Makest thou not parts measured to the breadth of the hair of thy pet flea's toe; which causeth thy blacksmith to curse mightily and inspection to question thy sanity.

I find these two go well together and keep me out of a lot of trouble.

 

[Sparweb]

Great thread!

My 2 cents:

Business sense: "There are some customers you want your competitors to take."

Engineering sense: "Make sure you are solving the right problem."



Steven Fahey, CET
"Simplicate, and add more lightness" - Bill Stout

 

[jmw]

The principal: "measure twice, cut once" is as sound a piece of advice as you can get.

JMW

http://www.viscoanalyser.com

Eng-Tips: Pro bono publico, by engineers, for engineers.

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[PatCouture]

I really love that thread. All I have to say has already been said.

Cheers

Patrick

 

[MintJulep]

Question everything.

Start with questions that you know the answer to, then move on to questions that you don't know the answer.

If the answers to the simple questions that you know the answer to are wrong, then the answers to the questions that you don't know the answer to are probably wrong too.

"Because we always do it that way" is never the right answer.

 

[quark]

"Don't teach fools". I thought my boss was saying this out of ignorance, for he really knew nothing. Now I am very much thankful to him.

 

[PSE]

First Rule of Design: DON'T

(If you can make economical use of existing known systems, do so)

Regards,

 

[plasgears]

Plan some meaningful tests. You may discover that your analytical design or SWAG doesn't quite meet requirements.

Speaking of requirements: Be suspect of shifting targets. If a product meets mutually agreed testing, don't let other factors cloud the issue. "We passed PPAP but we discovered the plastic parts had voids." What else is new about plastic parts!

 

[tomaspin]

ASSUME

It makes an ASS of U and ME

Regards

Tom

 

[tblaser]

From an Engineering Professor in college:

Do NOT trust someone else's information or design--make sure it is correct before you use it.

Also from the same guy: "If you can sell water of air, you are doing good." This was stated in the 70's before bottled water or oxygen bars showed up on the scene.

 

[MarauderX]

To an architect in a meeting:

Cheap. Fast. Correct. Pick two.

 

[strokersix]

I'll present some advice that I wish I had received. I occasionally host high school students interested in engineering in our facility and always give the following advice more or less using these words:

"Be prepared to work in a competitive and critical environment. Engineers tend to be intense and detail oriented. Many engineers are workaholic types. Engineering is a decent and fair way to make a living but don't expect to get rich."

These traits commonly associated with engineers are not necessarily bad, just different from traits associated with people in other professions. If someone had told me these things when I was in high school I probably would still have followed the engineering path but would have been more aware of what I was getting into.

Some good advice I have received:

"Do it right the first time." There is always pressure to get more done in less time but yet when there are mistakes made there seems to always be time available to do it over. Resist the urge to rush because it's false economy.

"You get what you pay for." This applies to so many areas. One example is awarding business to the low bidder. The low bidder can nickle-and-dime until the cost approaches or even exceeds the higher bidder. The higher bidder may be bidding on a more thorough or higher quality job that in the end turns out to be the better value. Again, false economy.

 

[rday]

Value Engineering is neither.

If you can't afford to do it right, how can you afford to do it twice?

From my dad while in grade school; "pay attention in math, it will serve you for your entire life."

Rik

 

[friartuck]

work on the 'KISS' priciple

KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID

Friar Tuck of Sherwood

 

[trilinga]

An impressive advice I got from my senior Civil enginer colleague years back when I was going too fine into the values I calculated during the design.

"In civil/structural design adequacy of the design counts more than the accuracy of the calculations"

I value it till date.

Trilinga

 

[tulum]

Don't be afraid to make decisions, and mistakes. Mistakes can be fixed, most of the time. Make the best decision on the information presented to you. Remember, not making a decision, is ironically, making a decision.

 

[aspearin1]

There is one quote that floats around my company... Though I'm still not sure if I buy into it completely.

"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

ChemE, M.E. EIT
"The only constant in life is change." -Bruce Lee

 

[jmw]

asperin1, that's just about the only way i ever got new products and product changes through. Plus baffle them with science.

When I left college i spent some time with a house building crew in GA. Balanced on a 2x4 in the roof i was asked the measurement for a piece of wood. "17 and 11/16th inches" I replied.

The answer left a lasting impression: "You're a nail driver, not a damn cabinet maker" and in an aside to the sawman, "17 and 3/4 inches, shy".

The moral is to fit the product to the market requirement, anything else adds cost and lessens saleability.

JMW

http://www.viscoanalyser.com

Eng-Tips: Pro bono publico, by engineers, for engineers.

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.