Introduction to Engineering and Technology Concepts Unit Six Chapter Three – Organizing Technological Enterprises

Instructions for Success: Each chapter of every unit will begin with a “Mindjog.” This is a warm up question that you should answer in your workbook in the proper chapter. Please take notes as you move through the presentations in the notebook that has been provided. Sections will come up in each presentation with an assignment notice. Turn to the section detailed on the slide in your workbook and complete the assignment before proceeding. Good luck!

Objective Students will analyze the aspects of running a technological enterprise, including research and development, production, marketing, industrial relations, and financial affairs (Wright, 2004).

Mindjog! On your worksheet, please respond to the following question: “Last chapter, we discussed organizing a technological enterprise. What do you think the difference between organizing and operating a technological enterprise are?”

Then and Now Over time, humans have developed a complex society to meet their wants and needs. In that society lies a series of institutions: Family – foundation of social and economic actions. Religion – develops and communicates values and beliefs about life and appropriate ways of living. Education – communicates information, ideas, and skills from one person to another and from one generation to another. Political/legal – establishes and enforces society’s rules of behavior and conduct. Economic – designs, produces, and delivers the basic goods and services required by the society (Wright, 2004).

Therefore… All of the aforementioned institutions use technology because they are concerned with efficient and appropriate action. Especially the economic enterprise. Economic enterprises are organizations that engage in business efforts directed towards making a profit. This economic activity includes all trade in goods and services paid for with money (Wright, 2004).

Industry Almost all design, development, and production of technology takes place within the type of economic enterprise called industry. Industry can have several meanings, but for this course will be defined as the area of economic activity that uses resources and systems to produce products structures, and services with intent to make a profit (Wright, 2004).

Areas of Industry There are several areas of industry: Research and Development – activities that might result in new or improved products and processes. Production – develop methods for producing products or services and the activities that produce the desired outputs. Marketing – the activities that encourage the flow of goods and services from the producer to the consumer. Industrial Relations – activities that develop an efficient work force and maintain positive relations with the workers and the public. Financial affairs – activities that obtain, account for, and disburse funds (Wright, 2004).

Research Research is the process of scientifically seeking and discovering knowledge. There are two types of research: basic and applied. Basic research seeks knowledge for one’s own sake. Applied research seeks to reach a commercial goal be selecting, applying, and adapting knowledge gathered during basic research. Development uses knowledge gained from research to derive specific answers to problems (Wright, 2004).

Production Production must manufacture or construct the physical item specified during research and development. There are four types of manufacturing systems: Custom – system involves producing a limited quantity of a product to a customer’s specifications. Intermittent – products are manufactured to the company’s or a customer’s specification. Continuous – a production line manufactures or assembles products continuously. Flexible – computer-based manufacturing system that combines the advantages of intermittent manufacturing with that of continuous manufacturing (Wright, 2004).

Production (continued) Through the production phase, there must be planning, producing, and maintaining quality. Planning determines the sequence of operations needed to complete a particular task. Producing is the actual fabrication of the product. And when maintaining quality, a standard of perfection is maintained. For this to happen, quality control includes all systems and programs that ensure the outputs of the technological system meet engineering standards and customer expectation (Wright, 2004).

Marketing Products, structures, or services are of little value to companies unless they can sell them to customers. Marketing efforts promote, sell, and distribute products, structures, and services through: Market Research – gathers information about the product’s market. Advertising – includes the print and electronic messages that promote a company or its product. Sales – the activity that involves the physical exchange of product for money. Distribution – physically moving the product from the producer to the consumer (Wright, 2004).

Industrial Relations Companies are very concerned about their relationships with people. They nurture positive relationships with people by engaging in industrial relations, or human resources. The activities can include: Employee relations – programs that recruit, select, develop, and reward the company’s employees. Labor relations – programs that deal with the employee’s labor unions. Public relations – programs that communicate the company’s policies and practices to government officials, community leaders, and the general population (Wright, 2004).

Financial Affairs Just as a company needs people and their support, so does the company need money. Management employs people to use machines to change the form of materials which is paid for by money and produces products, which are converted in the marketplace into money (Wright, 2004).

Assignment #1 Please turn to the section in your workbook entitled, “Unit Six, Chapter Three – Operating Technological Enterprises.” Complete the extension questions under the “Assignment #1” header before moving onto the next section of slides.

BEFORE MOVING ON: Did you complete the “Assignment #1” Section under the “Unit Six, Chapter Three – Operating Technological Enterprises” section of your workbook? If you have, please proceed to the next slide.

Unit Six Completed! Please close this presentation and launch the file entitled, “Unit Seven, Chapter One.”

References Wright, R. (2004) “Technology” The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc.