IEE Management&Design Division: Chairman's address. By our work is the city established

Abstract

The paper makes the claim that civilisation is founded on the work of engineers. It takes its title from the book of Ecclesiasticus, which speaking of craftsmen says that `by their work is the city established?. The paper argues further that management and design are the core of engineering. It gives the view that there is an organised framework of concepts and principles underlying both management and design and that these concepts and principles are closely linked. It illustrates this view by outlining some principles of systematic design methodology. It presents a model of the design process and highlights some components of the process: the establishment of objectives, the generation of design concepts and the taking of decisions. It concludes with the view that the advancement of the science of management and of design is one of the objectives of the IEE's Management & Design Division.