Bryan Hackleman is a mechanical engineer based in Fort Collins, Colorado, currently working with Endpoint Industrial Controls. In this role, Bryan Hackleman leads full cycle mechanical design for control panels, switchboards, and electrical enclosures that comply with Underwriters Laboratories standards. He previously served as Mechanical Engineer II at Advanced Energy Industries, where he supported the shipment of $60 million in radio frequency generators and network products in the third quarter of 2023 by qualifying new components and resolving design for manufacture and assembly concerns. A graduate of Colorado State University with undergraduate and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering, he has developed expertise in automated design tools, including coding, macros, and DriveWorks software. His experience reflects the growing importance of effective multi-project management tactics in modern engineering environments.
Practical Multi-Project Management Tactics in Engineering
In a fast-paced and competitive engineering environment, multi-project management stands out as an effective strategy for optimizing profits and expanding the client base. Mechanical engineers in many firms have been forced to master multitasking to ensure they capitalize on opportunities to benefit their organizations.
This tactic, however, is not a straightforward endeavor, as many professionals struggle to achieve a sense of organization, focus, and efficiency when managing projects concurrently. In high-mix, low-volume settings, engineers are expected to juggle overlapping timelines, evolving customer requirements, regulatory obligations, and production realities that can potentially delay a project and cast doubts on their ability to meet and surpass clients’ demands.
Mechanical engineers should implement several strategies for successful multi-project management, including prioritization. Projects differ in terms of complexity, urgency, and impact. To begin, it is important to focus on the ones with the tightest deadlines and the highest level of complexity and importance, and to plan on how to tackle the remaining ones using this criterion.
In some cases, mechanical engineers handle interrelated projects, where the deliverables of one project are used as input or resources for another. In such scenarios, it is important to list and highlight these decisions and deliverables that enable other project members to work and ensure that they are completed first. The ABC prioritization method is resourceful in managing multi-project management, and it involves labeling projects and activities based on importance and urgency. Label A symbolizes high urgency, B is for medium priority, and C is for low priority. This labeling ensures project managers stay focused on seeing that the most important tasks are completed first.
Technical decision-making is another important tactic for managing several projects concurrently. Engineers are often required to choose between multiple acceptable solutions, balancing ideal design against manufacturability, costs, and schedules. The ability to make sound and effective decisions distinguishes successful managers from those who are overwhelmed.
In such circumstances, engineering project managers should rely on their experience and data to make the right decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to analyze the available data and review designs, and then provide recommendations on suitable solutions. This insight, however, should be complemented with the expert’s experience and knowledge. Importantly, it is imperative to document these decisions and highlight the reason for choosing an option over multiple alternatives. This information helps guide future decisions.
Additionally, effective communication is a crucial aspect for successfully managing multiple projects. Project team members and stakeholders should be notified about important project details and updates as soon as they are known. A clear and proactive communication plan to reach out to these parties eliminates uncertainties and delays, while encouraging them to support the project activities and adapt to suggested changes without losing trust in the engineer.
Setting realistic expectations is also a recipe for success when managing multiple engineering projects. When engineers promise more than they can reasonably deliver, the results are often rushed work, missed deadlines, and declining morale among project teams, stakeholders, and clients. They should, instead, critically assess each task’s accurate scope and complexity to align their commitments to a project.
Lastly, outsourcing and delegation can help engineering project managers when overseeing on multiple projects. Effective delegation equips team members with the authority and resources necessary for executing their roles autonomously, and this speeds progress and builds task ownership. Having well-defined roles helps engineers direct their efforts where it matters the most, while team members execute supporting activities.
Outsourcing involves tapping into external expertise and capacities to execute certain project activities. This strategy allows engineering teams to deliver projects even when demand for their expert services increases, without incurring the overhead costs of expanding the workforce. When engineers can focus on core design, problem-solving, and task integration while partners manage secondary roles, a company’s projects advance more predictably and with optimized quality.
About Bryan Hackleman
Bryan Hackleman is a mechanical engineer in Fort Collins, Colorado, specializing in control panels, switchboards, and electrical enclosures. He previously served as Mechanical Engineer II at Advanced Energy Industries, where he supported high value product shipments and resolved design and tolerance challenges. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University and has experience in automated CAD design using DriveWorks and related tools.
