E.ON
Fiona Wingate, Electrical Engineer - Projects
E.ON Engineering, Technology Centre, Ratcliffe on Soar, Nottingham, NG11 0EE
Biography
I graduated with an honours degree in electrical engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). After university I worked for a local electricity utility in the power system protection department having special responsibility for 160 MW of installed standby gas turbine driven generation. This involved all work associated with maintaining and upgrading, as and when required, all control, instrumentation, electrical protection and control systems (low and high voltage) associated with gas turbine generators. Work included resource management, scheduling, sub contractor management and technical review of proposed solutions.
I then worked for a small turbine control system company doing gas turbine control system upgrades for onshore power generation. I was responsible for aspects of the design, installation, commissioning, training, project engineering and project management on these projects. Work included producing specifications, quality plans, schedules, management of health and safety during work, cost and scheduling control, delivery. Projects included both UK and overseas work. I spent some time working for a large system automation company designing airport baggage handling systems. My work involved low voltage electrical system design, sub contractor management, quality issue fault investigations, site technical support.
I then moved to a controls company who specialised in turbine and compressor control system upgrades for upstream and downstream oil and gas industry as well as some onshore generation utilities. I was responsible for tendering, project engineering and project management, aspects of the design, manufacturing testing, installation, commissioning and training on these projects. Work included producing specifications, quality plans, schedules, management of health and safety during work, cost and scheduling control, delivery. Projects included both onshore and offshore UK and overseas work. In addition to that I was responsible for the company’s quality management system and ensuring it complied with the requirements of ISO 9001.
At present I work for a large energy utility. My role is ensuring compliance by suppliers with the company’s requirements including technical, safety and environmental issues with specific reference to the electrical systems at all voltage associated with power station. This involves producing requirement specifications, reviewing suppliers’ tenders, undertaking design reviews to ensure the design meets our requirements and contractor management (technical aspects).
Employer
Name of organisation: E.ON Engineering
Number of employees: In order of 1100
Size: Large
Name of business unit or department: Electrical Power Engineering – Power Plants
1. How many people are part of the project team with which you would typically work and what are their roles?
Typically the project team would comprise at least 8 disciplines namely:
Project management – they are responsible for overseeing the delivery of the project. Ensuring all necessary interfaces are in place. This could involve a number of people typically
- Project manager – responsible over all in particular risk and stakeholder management.
- Project assistant
- Project planner – responsible for compiling and maintaining the overall programme schedule against which progress is reported accurately.
Commercial management – support the project commercially ensuring all necessary contracts are in place, suitable terms and conditions apply, variations to scope are managed (tracked, approved etc), any commercial risks are managed. Again involves a team typically including
- Commercial manager – responsible to for commercial issues and reporting to the project manager.
- Change controller – responsible for tracking variation orders and changes to scope – reporting to the commercial manager
- Back office staff – responsible for general project accounting (invoicing, contracts, payments etc).
Technical management – ensuring the technical quality of the deliverable is met. Again this comprises a team comprising people from relevant technical disciplines typically:
- Engineering manager – responsible for the technical deliverables and reporting to the project manager.
- Lead engineers by discipline –these include boiler, turbine, electrical, control and instrumentation, balance of plant, water treatment and report to the engineering manager. They are responsible for the delivery of work in their particular areas. They will have a team of technical specialists and project engineers reporting to them.
- Project engineers by discipline. The nature of the work varies but includes design reviews, tender assessment, and technical support.
- Technical specialists. – These provide ad hoc support to the project in specific areas. They are not assigned to the project but operate within a pool of resources available to all projects.
2. In a typical week, what percentage of your time would you spend on project management and organisational tasks and could you give some examples of your work activities?
This depends on the phase of the project and the role being fulfilled.
As discipline lead engineer 30 to 40%.
Work includes:
- Ensuring the delivery and quality of deliverables. Ensuring that work is completed to time and budget and is correct.
- Managing interfaces between different disciplines. This is particular true of electrical, control and instrumentation which are central to all areas of a power station.
- Dealing with customers and suppliers – ensuring customers’ needs met whilst managing their expectations. Ensuring that suppliers are complying with the company’s requirements.
- Managing technical queries. – Ensuring issues are raised, addressed by relevant technical specialists and then progress tracked.
3. If you were interviewing for a new engineering project manager, what skills and personal attributes would you look for in a candidate?
Unable to comment – not an area I’ve been involved with.
4. What are the most common weaknesses you have seen in newly-qualified graduate engineers?
1. Lack of appreciation as to the size of the job. There are a number of interfaces to manage which are not always obvious so get missed. This subsequently leads to problems later on.
2. Not being able to effectively communicate (though often a general problem). Especially as the specific subject matter may be new making it all the more difficult.
3. Lack of appreciation of the impact of things i.e. if “A” happens how that affects other aspects of the project. Largely due to a lack of knowledge and experience.
4. Difficulty in applying the theory learnt at university to the practical world. This often means they attempt to reinvent the wheel.
5. What training and development do new project managers require when they begin employment in your business area?
1. Gain an understanding as to the overall project management process followed within the business.
2. The need for and ability to manage stakeholders and their expectations.
3. Understanding the nature of the project being delivered and where the interfaces are and how these might be managed.
6. What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to a new graduate engineer who is in charge of projects?
Don’t be afraid to get involved and ask questions. There is no such thing as a daft question.
7. Given the aims of the project, please make any additional comments or information that you feel is relevant.
The following are areas that I feel are important to the successful delivery of a project and are often overlooked.
a. Communication – both formal and informal. There is a need to understand that communication is fundamental to a successful – people need to be kept informed.
b. Clear strategy – often projects enter problems because those at the helm do not have a clear strategy or if they do they fail to communicate this to the project team. It is important that this is reviewed from time to time to make sure it is still appropriate for the situation.
c. Document and change control – this is a key to project and cost control. If documentation and changes (design, engineering or scope) are not managed then these can lead to excessive and unnecessary scope growth (which in turn leads to cost and schedule impacts). Although often the bane of the project engineer’s life it is vital for ensuring effective control of the process, design and projects.
