Engineering Archives - Brian Wagner

A 5 part Framework for GREAT Quality Deliverables

As a professional service firm that creates and provides clients with deliverables, you are more than just a consultant or service firm. You are more than simply an opinion, clients are paying for a product that they will use to make decisions, apply for permits, or construct from among hundreds of other possibilities. Like any purchase we make, you will certainly judge your experience. A positive experience, a GREAT Quality deliverable, will create the opportunity to bring you back for more but a negative experience will make you think twice. A poor experience is two to three times more likely to receive an angry review which would require 12 positive reviews to offset the side effects of one negative review.

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Engineering / Quality Management

Three Simple ways Your ISO 9001 Certification is Falling Short

The International Organization for Standardization known as ISO has a family of quality management systems (QMS). The set of standards are known as ISO 9000 series and we are specifically talking about ISO 9001:2015. This standard specifies requirements for an organization’s QMS. Certification requires the candidate company to demonstrate its ability to provide consistent services to meet client requirements and is designed to enhance the customer experience.

ISO 9001 is used by more than one million companies in more than 170 countries around the world. These range from manufacturing, pharmaceutical, construction, and civil engineering firms among many others. Having experience working for civil engineering firms both under the guidelines of ISO 9001 and without it, I offer my take on how your certification may be falling short for you and your clients.

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Engineering

The Challenges of Waiting on Your PE Exam Results

You just put yourself through the experience of taking the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. You spent countless hours studying and preparing followed then an exhausting day working through the 80 questions that stand between you and licensure as a Professional Engineer. Now you wait. As I think about my experience waiting weeks for the exam results, I think about the roller coaster of emotions I experienced in the time between giving it my all and passing the PE exam.

First off, no matter the discipline you choose, sitting for the exam is an accomplishment in itself. Whether it was 4-years of college, a decade or more of experience, or a combination of different paths, give yourself credit. Your hard work has provided you with an opportunity to advance your career. You earned it, don’t forget that!

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Engineering

3 Thoughts for a New Professional Engineer

CONGRATULATIONS to you if you recently sat for the Professional Engineer (PE) exam. Just getting to the testing room is an accomplishment, and should you be one of the many that pass, you will be one of the newest engineers in the world and you should be very proud of your accomplishment.

The FE and PE exams were two of the hardest things I ever did. After spending countless hours trying to prepare for the test, I believe the only thing that allows you to pass is your ability to be an engineer and execute under stress. I spent about 12 hours on-site the day of my PE exam. It was exhausting and stressful. I remember walking out and sitting in my car, reflecting on the day after I loading my two crates of books into the trunk. At that moment I had a new appreciation for anyone who has passed that exam.

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