Challenges of performance assessments for engineering departments: Empirical study and further results

Abstract

This contribution extends the results of an empirical study in the German plant manufacturing industry by a root cause analysis. Engineering plays a central role in the industrial value chain. Current assessments however do not consider its multiple impact in an adequate way. Since there is little literature about this topic - existing publications analyze performance from a technical-functional perspective or focus on design aspects - this study aims to evaluate performance criteria and challenges for performance assessments. 36 experts in the domain of plant engineering have been asked in a survey and personal interviews. Totally 13 challenges could be identified which oppose comprehensive assessments of engineering performance. A subsequent root cause analysis of these challenges - based on nine expert interviews - identified management practices, friction between technical and commercial functions in organizations and an unclear value proposition of engineering as underlying problems.