by Kee Wing Man Denise. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [52-53]). / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.2 / ABSTRACT --- p.3 / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.4 / Chapter / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.5 / Chapter 2. --- THE ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY BUSINESS --- p.9 / Chapter 3. --- THE INTERVIEWS --- p.13 / Chapter 4. --- ANALYSIS OF MARKETING STRATEGIES --- p.29 / Chapter 5. --- RELATIONSHIP MARKETING --- p.26 / Chapter 6. --- CONCLUSION --- p.33 / APPENDICES / BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aus der Motivation "In der Produktentwicklungsphase führen die zunehmende Nutzung externer Engineeringleistungen und die Erstellung domänenspezifischer Modelle vermehrt zu heterogenen Datenbeständen. Diese sind häufig auf verschiedene Verwaltungsebenen und -systeme verteilt. Mitunter befinden sich diverse Produktdatenmanagementsysteme parallel im Einsatz. In der Betriebsphase verursachen unterschiedliche Informationsquellen, darunter Sensoren und eingebettete Systeme, verteilte und ebenfalls heterogene Datenbestände. Stetig komplexer und intelligenter werdende Produkte sowie deren Vernetzung im Kontext von Industrial Internet of Things führen zu einem rasanten Anwachsen der Datenmenge. Ein gemeinsames Management von Produkt- und Maschinendaten zwischen der Entwicklungs- und der Betriebsphase existiert nicht. Insbesondere ist kein barrierefreier und konsistenter Informationsaustausch möglich. Vorwiegend organisatorische und sicherheitsrelevante Defizite verhindern derzeit einen koordinierten, multidirektionalen und reproduzierbaren Austausch von Produktinformationen. In dem Zusammenhang besitzen Maschinenhersteller keinen Zugriff auf die Informationen realer Maschinen. Maschinenbetreibern fehlt der Zugang zum Produktmodell und zu den damit verbundenen Entwicklungsergebnissen und den aktuellsten Änderungen. ..."

O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar como se dá a construção das capacitações dinâmicas nas empresas fornecedoras de serviços de engenharia, tendo como premissa o papel indutor da Petrobras. A decisão de personificar a Petrobras nesta pesquisa deu-se a partir da participação da autora em um projeto realizado junto ao Ipea que, contratado pela Petrobras, analisou os impactos tecnológicos das ações da Petrobras nas empresas de serviços de engenharia. Os resultados do projeto mostraram que tais empresas tem papel de destaque quando comparadas às demais empresas do setor. Dados como o aumento do volume de empregos, da massa salarial ou da capacitação tecnológica e organizacional das empresas analisadas, comprovaram o alto impacto dos contratos da Petrobras nas relações de parceria e, principalmente, no desenvolvimento das competências das empresas do setor de serviços de engenharia no Brasil. A presente pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir do estudo de múltiplos casos, realizados em duas etapas: a primeira etapa objetivou verificar as características das empresas de serviços de engenharia e sua evolução em decorrência dos contratos com a Petrobras; a segunda etapa objetivou verificar como as empresas de serviços de engenharia criam suas capacitações dinâmicas a partir das relações contratuais e pré-contratuais com a Petrobras. A literatura a respeito das capacitações dinâmicas, de modo geral, está atrelada ao conceito de rotina, que constitui a forma mais importante de estocagem do conhecimento específico da organização. Através da absorção e do acúmulo do conhecimento as rotinas existentes são modificadas, aperfeiçoadas, caracterizando assim uma forma dinâmica da reprodução do conhecimento, capaz de se moldar de acordo com o estado de complexidade do ambiente. Como resultado, apresentam-se dados que demonstram a evolução técnica e o crescimento estrutural nas empresas de serviços de engenharia que criaram suas capacitações através da estocagem do conhecimento sob a forma de rotina. / The objective of this dissertation is to analyze how the construction of dynamic capabilities are in companies that provide engineering services, taking as its premise the inductive role of Petrobras. The decision to personify Petrobras in this study, took place from the author\'s participation in a project carried out by the Ipea that contracted by Petrobras, analyzed the impacts of technological Petrobras shares in companies of engineering services. The project results showed that these companies have an important role when compared to other companies. Data such as the increasing of volume of jobs, payroll or technological capability and organizational enterprises analyzed, confirmed the high impact of contracts with Petrobras, especially, in developing the skills of engineering services companies in Brazil. This research was developed from the study of multiple cases, conducted in two stages: the first step aimed to determine the characteristics of engineering services companies and their evolution as a result its contracts with Petrobras, the second step aimed to determine how engineering services companies created their dynamic capabilities from contractual and pre-contract relation with Petrobras. The literature about dynamic capabilities, in general, is tied to the concept of routine, which is the most important form of storage of specific knowledge of the organization. Through the absorption and accumulation of knowledge, the existing routines are modified, improved, characterizing a dynamic form of reproduction of knowledge, able to mold itself according with the state of complexity of the environment. As a result, we present data demonstrating the technical development and growth in structural engineering services companies that have created their capabilities by storing the knowledge in the form of routine.

O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar como se dá a construção das capacitações dinâmicas nas empresas fornecedoras de serviços de engenharia, tendo como premissa o papel indutor da Petrobras. A decisão de personificar a Petrobras nesta pesquisa deu-se a partir da participação da autora em um projeto realizado junto ao Ipea que, contratado pela Petrobras, analisou os impactos tecnológicos das ações da Petrobras nas empresas de serviços de engenharia. Os resultados do projeto mostraram que tais empresas tem papel de destaque quando comparadas às demais empresas do setor. Dados como o aumento do volume de empregos, da massa salarial ou da capacitação tecnológica e organizacional das empresas analisadas, comprovaram o alto impacto dos contratos da Petrobras nas relações de parceria e, principalmente, no desenvolvimento das competências das empresas do setor de serviços de engenharia no Brasil. A presente pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir do estudo de múltiplos casos, realizados em duas etapas: a primeira etapa objetivou verificar as características das empresas de serviços de engenharia e sua evolução em decorrência dos contratos com a Petrobras; a segunda etapa objetivou verificar como as empresas de serviços de engenharia criam suas capacitações dinâmicas a partir das relações contratuais e pré-contratuais com a Petrobras. A literatura a respeito das capacitações dinâmicas, de modo geral, está atrelada ao conceito de rotina, que constitui a forma mais importante de estocagem do conhecimento específico da organização. Através da absorção e do acúmulo do conhecimento as rotinas existentes são modificadas, aperfeiçoadas, caracterizando assim uma forma dinâmica da reprodução do conhecimento, capaz de se moldar de acordo com o estado de complexidade do ambiente. Como resultado, apresentam-se dados que demonstram a evolução técnica e o crescimento estrutural nas empresas de serviços de engenharia que criaram suas capacitações através da estocagem do conhecimento sob a forma de rotina. / The objective of this dissertation is to analyze how the construction of dynamic capabilities are in companies that provide engineering services, taking as its premise the inductive role of Petrobras. The decision to personify Petrobras in this study, took place from the author\'s participation in a project carried out by the Ipea that contracted by Petrobras, analyzed the impacts of technological Petrobras shares in companies of engineering services. The project results showed that these companies have an important role when compared to other companies. Data such as the increasing of volume of jobs, payroll or technological capability and organizational enterprises analyzed, confirmed the high impact of contracts with Petrobras, especially, in developing the skills of engineering services companies in Brazil. This research was developed from the study of multiple cases, conducted in two stages: the first step aimed to determine the characteristics of engineering services companies and their evolution as a result its contracts with Petrobras, the second step aimed to determine how engineering services companies created their dynamic capabilities from contractual and pre-contract relation with Petrobras. The literature about dynamic capabilities, in general, is tied to the concept of routine, which is the most important form of storage of specific knowledge of the organization. Through the absorption and accumulation of knowledge, the existing routines are modified, improved, characterizing a dynamic form of reproduction of knowledge, able to mold itself according with the state of complexity of the environment. As a result, we present data demonstrating the technical development and growth in structural engineering services companies that have created their capabilities by storing the knowledge in the form of routine.

Aus der Motivation "In der Produktentwicklungsphase führen die zunehmende Nutzung externer Engineeringleistungen und die Erstellung domänenspezifischer Modelle vermehrt zu heterogenen Datenbeständen. Diese sind häufig auf verschiedene Verwaltungsebenen und -systeme verteilt. Mitunter befinden sich diverse Produktdatenmanagementsysteme parallel im Einsatz. In der Betriebsphase verursachen unterschiedliche Informationsquellen, darunter Sensoren und eingebettete Systeme, verteilte und ebenfalls heterogene Datenbestände. Stetig komplexer und intelligenter werdende Produkte sowie deren Vernetzung im Kontext von Industrial Internet of Things führen zu einem rasanten Anwachsen der Datenmenge. Ein gemeinsames Management von Produkt- und Maschinendaten zwischen der Entwicklungs- und der Betriebsphase existiert nicht. Insbesondere ist kein barrierefreier und konsistenter Informationsaustausch möglich. Vorwiegend organisatorische und sicherheitsrelevante Defizite verhindern derzeit einen koordinierten, multidirektionalen und reproduzierbaren Austausch von Produktinformationen. In dem Zusammenhang besitzen Maschinenhersteller keinen Zugriff auf die Informationen realer Maschinen. Maschinenbetreibern fehlt der Zugang zum Produktmodell und zu den damit verbundenen Entwicklungsergebnissen und den aktuellsten Änderungen. ..."

Previous research has emphasized the importance of engineering services and adaptability in the early stages of construction projects. Public clients usually procure engineering services from private companies, which makes their procurement strategies important in creating incentives for adaptability and innovation for the service providers. Due to the high uncertainty and clients’ lack of understanding of the tasks they procure, the procurement of services is argued to be challenging – especially for public clients. Despite this, studies on the procurement of engineering services are scarce, as is research on the effects on adaptability. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, is to increase the understanding of organizational control in the public procurement of engineering services, by focusing on task characteristics, control modes and their effects on adaptability. A single case study of the Swedish Transport Administration was analyzed using the three models developed in the appended papers, i.e., the expanded control model, the procurement model for services and the classification model. The empirical data, consisting of interviews, observations and documents, were analyzed using visual mapping and flexible pattern matching. The findings illustrate that uncertainty is the task characteristic that differs between the early phase of construction (i.e., physical planning) and subsequent stages (i.e., tender document), while knowledge of the transformation process is the task characteristic that differs between a standard contract and an environmentally sustainable contract. Thus, when procuring engineering services including carbon reduction goals where new solutions are needed, new procurement strategies are necessary. In order to cope with the high uncertainty and low knowledge of the transformation process, social control is preferable. In addition, using social control will enhance the service providers’ willingness to adapt. These findings are important in the procurement of engineering services because uncertainty and the client’s understanding of the tasks are two of the main aspects that make engineering services difficult to procure. By combining task characteristics, control modes and their effects on adaptability, this thesis illustrates the importance of focusing on the entirety of organizational control. For example, even though process control and social control both incentivize the service provider to adapt to change, process control is less suitable for a public client when uncertainties are high. In addition, when choosing control modes related to the specification and reward system, it seems more efficient to provide the same incentives (i.e., process control may be combined with social control), whereas output control should not be combined with any other control mode. This shows the importance of combining the three variables and that the three main models of this thesis can be important tools. This knowledge and the models may therefore be useful to academics as well as practitioners. The results contribute to the scarce research on the procurement of engineering services for construction projects, as well as to the control literature. / Tidigare forskning har betonat vikten av tekniska konsulttjänster och anpassning i de tidiga skedena av ett byggprojekt. Vanligtvis köper offentliga beställare tekniska konsulttjänster från privata företag och således är deras val av inköpsstrategier viktiga, både för att skapa drivkrafter för anpassning och innovation hos tjänsteleverantörerna. Upphandling av tjänster anses vara svårt i allmänhet och för offentliga beställare i synnerhet. Det beror på de höga osäkerheter som kännetecknar tjänster, samt beställarnas brist på förståelse av uppdraget de köper. Trots det är studier kring inköp av tekniska konsulttjänster, likväl som effekter på anpassning få. Syftet med den här avhandlingen är att öka förståelsen för organisationsstyrning i offentlig upphandling av tekniska konsulttjänster, genom att fokusera på uppdragets karaktäristika, styrningstyper och effekter på anpassning.      En fallstudie av Trafikverket genomfördes och applicerades på de tre modeller som utvecklats/justerats i de två bifogade artiklarna med syfte till att illustrera modellernas användbarhet. De tre modellerna består av: en vidareutvecklad styrningsmodell, en inköpsmodell för tjänster och en klassificeringsmodell. Det empiriska materialet består av intervjuer, observationer och dokument. För att analysera dessa, användes tabeller för att kunna visualisera och en flexibel matchning för att upptäcka mönster i materialet.  Resultaten visar att nivån av osäkerhet är den karaktäristika av uppdraget som skiljer en tidig fas av en byggprocess (dvs. planläggning) och en senare fas (dvs. framtagande av förfrågningsunderlag). Däremot är det beställarens nivå av förståelse för uppdraget som skiljer mellan ett standardkontrakt och ett kontrakt som inkluderar lösningar för ekologisk hållbarhet. Således, när beställaren köper konsulttjänster med mål för ekologisk hållbarhet där nya lösningar behövs, olika inköpsstrategier är nödvändiga. För att kunna hantera de stora osäkerheterna och den låga förståelsen för uppdraget, är social styrning att föredra. Det kommer dessutom att öka tjänsteleverantörernas vilja att anpassa sig. Den här kunskapen är viktig för inköp av tekniska konsulttjänster, eftersom osäkerheter och beställarens förståelse för uppdraget är två av de huvudsakliga aspekterna, som gör tekniska konsulttjänster svåra att köpa in.  Genom att kombinera uppdragets karaktäristika, styrningstyper och effekter på anpassning illustrerar denna avhandlingen betydelsen av att fokusera på helheten. Även om processtyrning och social styrning föreslås för att ge tjänsteleverantören drivkrafter att vilja anpassa sig till ändringar, är processtyrning mindre lämplig för en offentlig beställare när osäkerheterna är stora. Det kan även konstateras att när beställaren väljer styrningstyp för uppdragsbeskrivningen och i ersättningsformen, verkar det mest effektivt att skapa likadana drivkrafter. Dvs. process styrning och social styrning kan kombineras, medan resultatstyrning inte bör kombineras med någon annan styrningstyp. Följaktligen visar detta på betydelsen av att kombinera de tre variablerna och de tre modellerna som presenteras i den här avhandlingen kan därför vara viktiga verktyg. Den här kunskapen och de här modellerna kan således vara användbara för forskare likväl som för praktiker. De här resultaten bidrar till den knappa forskningen inom inköp av tekniska konsulttjänster inom byggprojekt, likväl som till styrningsliteraturen. / <p>QC 20220425</p>

A identificaÃÃo dos produtos, quer sejam bens ou serviÃos, com maiores margens à uma das anÃlises empresariais mais importantes. As margens dos produtos sÃo determinadas a partir de anÃlises e confrontos entre os preÃos de venda e os custos destes e estÃo condicionadas ao mÃtodo de custeio utilizado para tal. Uma das margens voltadas para fins gerenciais à a margem de contribuiÃÃo, derivada do mÃtodo de custeio direto/variÃvel. Em algumas operaÃÃes, a determinaÃÃo da margem de contribuiÃÃo à dificultada devido à existÃncia de produtos que possuem elevada variabilidade de utilizaÃÃo de recursos, gerando incertezas na mensuraÃÃo de custos diretos unitÃrios, como no caso das operaÃÃes de prestaÃÃo de serviÃos de engenharia do setor de construÃÃo civil. Nesse contexto, esta dissertaÃÃo objetiva propor um mÃtodo para determinar as margens de contribuiÃÃo de serviÃos de engenharia do setor de construÃÃo civil levando em consideraÃÃo a existÃncia de variabilidade de custos diretos unitÃrios. Para cumprir o objetivo, à proposto um mÃtodo de oito etapas construÃdo a partir da integraÃÃo de tÃcnicas e conceitos provindos da Contabilidade Gerencial e da Pesquisa Operacional, com destaque à margem de contribuiÃÃo e à simulaÃÃo de Monte Carlo. A dissertaÃÃo à trabalhada metodologicamente a partir de uma pesquisa bibliogrÃfica e de uma pesquisa de campo em que sÃo tratados e analisados dados e informaÃÃes coletados in loco sobre as atividades produtivas e sobre a estrutura de custos e preÃos dos serviÃos de engenharia de uma empresa do setor da construÃÃo civil do Estado do CearÃ, culminando na aplicaÃÃo do mÃtodo proposto. Por fim, conclui-se que o mÃtodo a proposto à eficaz no tratamento da variabilidade de custos diretos unitÃrios para a determinaÃÃo das margens de contribuiÃÃo dos serviÃos de engenharia abordados na pesquisa.

Background - Lean paradigm has been successfully employed in the manufacturing sector in past decades, however in the engineering services sector its application has unfortunately not received the same attention both from academia and industry.   Problem Discussion – The negligence of Lean in the engineering services sector rendered this sector deprived from Lean’s proven benefits in the manufacturing sector. The reason for this negligence can be traced back to the fact that Lean’s implementation is not a straightforward task and additionally its direct translation from the manufacturing sector into the engineering services sector may impede innovative capabilities of the engineering services sector that are crucial for its sustainable growth.   Problem Formulation - In addressing the aforementioned issues, this thesis investigates the following key research question: “Whether and how Lean Innovation can be implemented in the engineering services sector?”   Purpose - This work explores and employs different modern theoretical concepts from literature to promote Lean Innovation in the engineering services sector by first developing a theoretical framework in terms of nine propositions and then examining them through a qualitative empirical research.   Methodology - The qualitative empirical research is conducted by first gathering empirical data through expert interviews and then analysing it employing the directed content analysis technique in order to examine the nine propositions promoting Lean Innovation.    Findings - This study concludes that Lean Innovation in the engineering services sector is achievable by employing modern theoretical concepts like open innovation, the systems approach to problem solving and transformational leadership in a thoughtful and planned manner.   Limitations - The lack of depth of the theoretical as well as empirical research focus in terms of the sample size and quality stemming from the challenge of finding enough experts with versatile knowledge in the thesis’ timeframe can be considered as limitations on the quality of this research.

技師服務具有高度專業性與技術性，且與一國基礎建設具重大關係，攸關人民生命財產安全，往往受到各國政府之管制。各國為確保技師服務提供之品質，通常對於技師服務進行證照管制，令技師服務之提供限於取得該國技師資格與執業執照者始得為之。有關技師資格與核發執業執照之規定通常散落於各國國內規章中，該等國內規章之適用勢必將對技師服務貿易產生影響。 在世界貿易組織(World Trade Organization，以下簡稱WTO)之服務貿易總協定下(General Agreement on Trade in Services)，WTO會員基於自願性之基礎對各項服務部門之市場開放提出承諾，技師服務屬於專業服務之範疇，亦包含於會員可能提出開放承諾之範圍內。由於各會員國內規章之規定並不須納入會員服務貿易特定承諾表內，因此若欲了解技師服務貿易自由化之情形，除須檢視各國對於技師服務所為之開放承諾外，亦應瞭解國內規章對於技師服務貿易所造成之限制。 本文以技師資格相關之國內規章為出發點，探討國內規章對於技師服務貿易自由化所產生之影響，並針對目前國際間有關技師資格之相互認許進行討論，最後對於未來技師服務貿易自由化提出建議。 / Engineering services, with high professional specialty and technical background, plays an essential role in national infrastructure and is fatal to public security. To ensure the quality of the services provided, national governments usually implement the license regulation on engineering services. Only those who obtain the engineer qualification and acquire the license can practice their own specialty. The requirement for engineer qualification and license issuing, containing in the domestic regulations, will definitely have the impact on trades of engineering services. Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services of the World Trade Organization (hereinafter the “WTO”), WTO members make market-access commitments on a number of service sectors on the basis of voluntary. Since engineering services belongs to the category of professional services, it may also be the subject included in the commitments made by members. Since members have no obligations to inscribe domestic regulations in their schedules of specific commitments, with the purpose to understand the practical trade liberalization of engineering services, we should not simply focus on the commitments made by members, the limitation to trade of engineering services caused by domestic regulations should also be taken into consideration. This thesis initiates with the relevant domestic regulations of engineer qualification, observing how those regulations would affect the trade liberalization of engineering services. It accordingly discusses the nowadays international mutual recognition system of engineer qualification, and ends with some suggestions and thoughts regarding the future trade liberalization of engineering services.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology: Construction Management (Facility Management) Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying In the Faculty of Engineering At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / Universities generally have low budgets for building maintenance and this reality, often aggravated by further reductions, results in a decline in the condition and performance of buildings. This particular research investigated the current building maintenance strategies of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The aim of the research was to develop improvement, prioritisation and involvement strategies to guide the maintenance of the performance parameters of the lecture theatres to ensure a performance level that meets the satisfaction of students, thereby promoting their learning experience. A mixed research design was used for the main study. A “case study” approach was adopted. CPUT was selected and three lecture theatres were selected as the cases for the research study. An exploratory study was carried out at the initial stage of the study, helping to formulate the research question and objectives for the main study. Observations, interviews and questionnaires were used to collect the primary data for the main study. A total of 430 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 283 representing a response rate of 65.8% were duly completed and returned. Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) model together with both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the performance of lecture theatres affects learning experience, and that all identified performance parameters were important to students’ learning experience. However, lighting, structural safety, ventilation and cleanliness were more highly ranked than fire safety & exit and aesthetics. It also became evident that, while all the performance parameters appeared to be underperforming, the performance of structural safety and lighting seemed satisfactory in all the lecture theatres, whereas ventilation, temperature, fire safety & exit (particularly old lecture theatres) and sound control were clearly underperforming. Furthermore, the study revealed that students are not involved in the maintenance management process of the lecture theatres whereas their involvement could ensure their satisfaction. Students perceived that instituting maintenance coordinators would be the most effective way of ensuring their involvement, followed by placing suggestion box in the department, or possibly organising forums at departmental level. To achieve better lecture theatre performance, the CPUT maintenance department needs to improve on the HVAC system (ventilation and temperature), fire safety & exit (particularly old lecture theatres) and sound control but without neglecting the other performance parameters. A further study to include teaching staff, additional lecture theatres and more parameters is highly recommended as it will provide a broader perspective to further help the CPUT maintenance department better maintain the lecture theatres.