Transformation of the Construction Sector is part of a wider transformation of the social and economic environment of South Africa. Publication of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, 2003, Act Number 53 of 2003 (BBBEE) in January 2004, initiated the next phase in transformation (SAACE, 2004b, p1), which required the development and publication of sector specific Transformation Charters. / Thesis (M.B.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

There will always be a need for consulting engineering services in industry. In the engineering consulting fraternity, employees are the key valuable assets and this study addresses how the professional employees’ skills can be managed and structured in such a manner that they contribute efficiently to the daily operation of the consulting engineering firms. The core business of the consulting engineering firms is to sell or offer engineering or technical solutions to their clients and this can be successfully recognised by integrating the firm’s different engineering disciplines into projects teams that are able to implement specific projects allocated to them. Leaders in these teams are expected to have proficiency to identify individuals’ skills and talents that can be incorporated into a specific project team. At a strategic level, firms’ mangers should consider developing skills development plans that takes into consideration a combination of academic training, professional training and practical employee training. As soon as a skills development plan is in place, it is easier for it to be implemented at the operational level under the supervision of team leaders who are responsible for the continuing professional development of individual team members. The aim of this study was to determine the various business and technological strategies applied by consulting engineering firms while tendering and competing for project work in the country. The consulting engineering industry is highly competitive; managers of these firms must be properly equipped with both technical and management skills in order that they may survive in this industry. A probability sample of 44 engineering consultants was drawn from consulting engineers in two areas of South Africa, namely, North West Province and Eastern Cape Province, which have a total of 140 consultants. 22% of the respondents offered electrical engineering services, followed by the civil engineering services that form 16.7% of the respondents. The structural and mechanical engineering followed at 13.9% and 11.1% respectively. Chemical engineering and architecture were both at 5.6%. Some of the findings of this study were that managers of the consulting engineering firms must be equipped with communication competencies as well as emotional intelligence and self-management competencies, because, although consultants are highly technically skilled, they lack business and human skills. Part of the recommendations are that there is a need for the consulting engineering firm to upload a succinct synopsis of their services on their company websites, which will help promote the value of their services to their clients. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

M.Phil. / Three test and certification bodies in the explosion prevention field currently exist in South Africa. One of these bodies was started in 2003 and faced a significant number of challenges in competition with the two other wellestablished bodies / institutions. This dissertation covers some of the internal and external challenges especially with respect to strategic marketing in a small and specialized industrial market, but also in the global market. The dissertation is based on the basic requirements, analysis and implementation of a marketing strategy and marketing plan, covering both the theoretical aspects and the specific challenges as experienced by the body in the case study. Market research, market segmentation, industry analysis, competitive analysis, aspects of industrial marketing and SWOT Analysis are topics included in the development of the strategic and marketing plan for the business in the case study.

The engineering consulting industry in South Africa witnessed an overwhelming growth before the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The country had a lot of infrastructural development that needed the services of consulting engineers. A lot of people saw the challenge as a business opportunity and started their own consulting engineering companies. The demand for consulting engineering services was high before the 2010 Fifa World Cup; this changed after the completion of projects that were due for the world cup and some had to close or retrench staff due to scarcity of projects. The completion of 2010 Fifa World Cup projects is not the only challenge faced by the engineering consulting sector; government policies such tendering and procurement procedures that do not acknowledge performance, lack of funding etc. It is therefore important that companies look for better ways of gaining competitiveness in order to get more projects. These companies must not only rely on government projects but do marketing on the private sector as well. The purpose of the research is to assess and develop a marketing strategy for Company X Consulting engineers. A literature study on most successful marketing strategies employed by other service oriented companies was conducted. The literature study also comprised of the perception of marketing amongst consulting engineering companies. From the literature study mentioned above; questionnaires were drawn towards the development of a marketing strategy for Company X consulting engineers. The findings of the questionnaires were analysed and recommendation were made for the development of a marketing strategy for Company X.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Consulting engineers in South Africa are currently faced with numerous trends that have a negative impact on their business. The volatility of world and especially SA markets have caused investors to adopt a "wait and see" approach as to investing in large developments. The result was that private sector developments were lagging behind and forced consulting engineers to compete for the available work and inevitably suffer from reduced turnover. A further trend, and maybe more serious one for some traditional consulting engineers, was the change in focus by the newly elected Government in the mid nineties. With the focus on social and upliftment issues, government funds were allocated to new infrastructure developments associated with these issues. This caused a radical reduction of funds allocated to traditional areas like roads and bridges, an area where traditional consultants were predominantly positioned. Government also introduced various other policies, like allocating work to affirmative business enterprises, in order to level the playing fields. This, combined with the reduced available funds, compounded the situation for traditional consulting engineers. The above situation created many challenges for consulting engineers, of which the most important one is that of securing work for the future and competing for the reduced amount of available work. This brought to the fore the issue of marketing, an area that was not previously given too much attention. Market orientation is therefore proposed in this study as a solution to the problems faced by consultants. This study will examine the present situation, provide a literature background to marketing orientation, consider the relevance of market orientation to the consulting engineering industry, and then finally if it is accepted that market orientation is relevant, propose a model that could be used in addressing the situation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadgewende ingenieurs word tans aan verskeie tendense blootgestel wat 'n negatiewe uitwerking op hul besigheid het. Die onbestendigheid in wêreld markte, en spesifiek die Suid Arikaanse mark, het veroorsaak dat beleggers 'n "wag en kyk" benadering begin volg het met betrekking tot grootskaalse ontwikkelings. Die resultaat hiervan was dat privaatsektor ontwikkelings tot 'n groot mate afgeplat het en raadgewende ingenieurs gedwing is om mee te ding vir die beskikbare werk en onvermydelik gebukkend te gaan onder verlaagde omset. 'n Verdere tendens, en moontlik meer ernstige een vir sekere raadgewende ingenieurs, was die verandering in fokus deur die nuut verkose Regering gedurende die middel negentien negentigs. Met die nuwe fokus op sosiale aangeleenthede en opheffing van agtergeblewe gemeenskappe, word regerings fondse hoofsaaklik toegewys aan nuwe infrastruktuur onwikkelings wat verband hou met die nuwe fokus. Dit het 'n radikale verlaging in beskikbare fondse veroorsaak wat tradisioneel aan areas soos paaie en bruê toegewys was, 'n area waarin raadgewende ingenieurs oorwegend gepositioneer was. Die Regering het ook verskeie ander beleidsmaatreëls ingestel, soos die toekenning van werk aan regstellende besighede, ten einde die speelveld gelyk te maak. Dit, gepaardgaande met die verlaagde beskikbare fondse, het die situasie verder vererger vir tradisionele raadgewende ingenieurs. Bogenoemde omstandighede het baie uitdagings aan raadgewende ingenieurs gestel, waarvan die belangrikste waarskynlik die sekerheid aangaande toekomstige werk en die gepaardgaande mededinging ten opsigte van die verminderde hoeveelheid beskikbare werk. Hierdie omstandighede het die bemarkings-kwessie na vore gebring, 'n area waaraan nie veel aandag in die verlede gegee is nie. Mark oriëntasie word gevolglik voorgestel in hierdie studie as 'n oplossing vir die probleme waarmee konsultante gekonfronteer word. Hierdie studie sal die huidige situasie waarin raadgewende ingenieurs hul bevind ondersoek, 'n agtergrond van mark oriëntasieliteratuur verskaf, die relevansie van mark oriëntasie vir die raadgewende ingerneurs bedryf ondersoek en dan laastens, indien dit aanvaar word dat mark oriëntasie relevant is, 'n model voor te stel wat gebruik kan word om die situasie aan te spreek.

Management of an engineering consultancy unit in the Eastern Cape Province is concerned about the costs incurred by project managers and specialist engineers pursuing tender opportunities that are not feasible. Annual losses in this unit due to unsuccessful tenders amounts to R2,5 million annually, which equates to about 12% of the revenue generated by the unit. The aim of the research study is to assist the consulting engineering firm by investigating and identifying the key determinants for making the decision of whether to bid on a particular tender opportunity. The study includes an assessment of relevant literature, academia and text to investigate key factors that could influence the decision to bid on tenders from which research questions and appropriate theories were drawn. Based on the research questions and theories that emanated from the literature, the study also includes the assessment of primary data through the administration of a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire is empirically analysed within the positivistic research paradigm through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made based on the findings of the administered questionnaire.