The Commercial Engineer's Desktop Guide

Overview

The history of business is littered with great design and engineering ideas which failed to become successful through lack of commercial expertise. Here is a book that shows you how to combine successful design and innovation with effective business skills and acumen.

Content

Content Overview

• Explains legal, contractual and commercial matters in straightforward terms
• Shows how commercial and technical aspects of business agreements are closely inter-related
• Highlights things that engineers say and do [with the best intentions] which invite commercial disaster
• For engineers, marketing managers, production managers

Contents:

Introduction

• The engineer’s commercial contribution
• Who are the commercial engineers?
• Does it matter?
• The profit motive
• Naivety or integrity?
• Conflicts of interest
• Teamwork
• A question of risk
• Legal stuff
• A note on terms
• Checklist

Commercial awareness

• Introduction Profit
• Cash
• Order book
• Intellectual property
• Risk
• Contracts
• Business analyses
• Conclusion
• Checklist

The contract 47

• Introduction
• Law
• What is a contract?
• Contract types
• Contract formation
• Types and formation of contracts – why worry?
• Early lessons
• The terms of a contract
• If things go awry
• Legal remedies Breach and damages – who cares?
• The Sale of Goods Act
• Product liability
• Contract negotiation
• The content of the contract
• Layout of a contract
• Contract requirements
• Bringing the contract into effect
• Intentions to purchase and instructions to proceed
• Changing the contract
• Conclusion
• Checklist

Contract performance

• Introduction
• ‘Boiler plate’ terms
• Seller and buyer obligations
• Price
• Payment
• Delivery and the passing of property and risk
• Acceptance and rejection
• Inspection
• Conclusion
• Checklist

Contract performance

• Introduction
• Time schedule for performance
• Cancellation and termination
• Warranty
• Intellectual property rights
• Liabilities and indemnities
• Bonds and guarantees
• Changes
• Contracts for services
• Conclusion
• Checklist

Commercial relationships

• Introduction
• Competition law
• Confidentiality
• Suppliers and subcontractors
• Purchasing, procurement, buying and outsourcing
• Procurement – benefits and risks
• Prime contractors and subcontractors
• Partnerships and partnering
• Consortia and joint venture companies
• Preliminary agreements
• Full agreement
• Ancillary agreements
• Multi-party agreements
• Licences
• It’s a ‘people thing’!
• Conclusion
• Checklist

Negotiation

• Introduction
• Who are the negotiators?
• What is negotiation?
• Prior events
• Purpose and importance
• Serious matters
• Preparation
• The negotiation plan
• Follow the leader
• Questions and information
• Rough and tumble
• Win/win
• That ‘people thing’
• Examples
• Checklist

Conclusion

The author

Tim Boyce is the author of several successful titles including The Commercial Engineer, Successful Contract Negotiation and Commercial Risk Management. “Tim Boyce has the highest command of the commercial domain. His great technical skills in this area have been applied in the most complex of commercial negotiations. His experience in the cut and thrust of business, whether as customer, supplier or partner in the supply chain has given.”