Self-Introduction
I have done mechanical engineering from Hyderabad after which I joined the project management course in this college with an aim to enhance my practical knowledge of the engineering projects so that I can prepare myself for handling big automobile engineering projects. I want to work in a big automobile manufacturing organization such as Honda, Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen groups and near future and develop my capability as a project manager who can efficiently completely automobile company projects specially new product development as I like innovation and new car models as well as the technology behind excite me. I am a very technology savvy person and little reserved who spends most time reading auto magazines and my books. Despite being reserve, I can gel well with people when I talk because I can understand their problems and communicate well. This would help me manage teams on big projects. I have an experience of being a part of a new product development project in an automobile company where I participated as a trainee engineering in the operations team that was working on a new model development project. I was involved in overseeing the activities involved in manufacturing and assembling of the new automobile and checking if the parts used served well in terms of quality and fitting in the vehicle. While working, I got to know project management as the person who guided me was the project manager. I had asked him for guidance and he suggested project management certification.
I explored some trends in the autombile manufacturing organizations that are prevailing today. Granularity is one such trend which is prevailing in target groups which is pushing companies to use modularization in manufacturing so that they can produce specific vehicles and variants as per the requirements of the target customers. However, this adds complexity to the manufacturing and many companies need to integrate new technologies to enable high level of modularization which can be expensive (Rieger, Scheef, Becker, Stanzel, & Zobel, 2005).
The importance of safety features in cars is also increasing as the regulators have become strict after scandals like the 2015 emission scandal of Volkswagen. Thus, standards for safety, emission and fuel efficiency are rising which pushes companies to use custom quality assurance processes in Research and development (Lucky & Takim, 2015).
Another trend that is observed in the company is the increasing stress on the use of electronics in the automobiles through the use embedded devices and software such as autonomous driving, autonomous parking, infotainment systems, and so on. IOT technologies are being used with the embedding of sensors and devices in automobiles which can enables vehicles communicate with each other on road making it possible for companies to produce self-driving cars (Sabadka, 2013).
Mega Trends and Challenges
When considering the industry structures, it has been observed that investments in original equipment manufacturing are increasing and more and more industry alliances are emerging. The OEM capabilities and industrial alliances today determine the dominant position of the automobile organizations (Sarangi, Bano, & Pant, 2014).
For enhancing the manufacturing efficiencies, organizations are using shared platforms like chassis and power trains such that automobile manufacturers can now design as well as build engines and transmission equipments with focus on reliability, quality and style to maintain consistency and quality of the vehicle (PREMALATHA, 2014).
Climate friendly manufacturing and car production is another prevailing trend as companies are pushed by industry regulators to work on systems in order to reduce greenhouse gases emission through production of more environment friendly vehicle. Electrical vehicles are replacing some of the traditional engine based vehicles today as they cause fewer emissions and are more environment friendly. However, this not just needs improvement in car but in the entire infrastructure of a country where electrical cars may run. Considering the poor infrastructure of India, this can be very challenging (Barthel, et al., 2015).
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MACRO – ELEMENT |
Reference |
|
|
Political |
Indian government automotive policies promote integration and self-sustained growth of the industry. Fuel policy demands meeting emission standards from car manufacturers. 100% FDI is allowed in the automobile industry. |
(Tiwari, 2009) |
|
Economic |
There are economic pressures so companies are reorganizing their industrial structures especially sales. Government supports exports with reduced interest rates on financing and thus, companies are doing well in exports. The economy is growing at a decent rate of 8.5% and per capital income is also on rise. Thus, buyer capabilities have increased and the industries are seeing a rise in first time automobile buyers. |
(Verma & Rathore, 2013) |
|
Social |
With improved life style of people living in India, the purchase of four wheelers has also increased and the automobile organizations are seeing increase in their customer base. Growth in urbanization puts India at 4th position in ppp index. |
(Pooja, 2015) |
|
Technology |
Newer technologies like self-driving vehicles and electric vehicles have come up. Companies doing R&D are supported through tax exemption of up to 150%. |
(Tayal, Sharma, & Sharma, 2014) |
|
Demographic |
Economy is growing and financial is available to buyers easily. The average annual income of middle class segment has increased which enables the category of citizens purchase vehicles |
(Sharma, 2015) |
|
Natural |
The infrastructure of the country is not efficient which affects the use of automobiles. More environment friendly vehicles are in demand |
(Rieger, Scheef, Becker, Stanzel, & Zobel, 2005) |
After studying Mega trends and challenges in the industry, I can say that the opportunities are ample as the importance of new product development is rising with newer models and variant produced. Increasing focus on R&D and new product development gives rise to newer projects that would demand more workforces including those taking part in manufacturing process and those managing this workforce. The project management certification with focus on automobile projects can be very useful for me today as I would equip myself to assist the big companies on big automobile projects using professional capabilities. I already have an experience of working on new product development which would again help me get a job in project management for NPD in automobile organizations. The challenges faced by companies due to modularization and restructuring of supply chains further increase the importance of having efficient staff at higher levels of the organization who take the right decisions. I can clearly see a good growth path for me in the sector with engineering and project management skills combined. I can target companies to apply in based on the recent trends in the industry. These would include companies coming up with new models and variants more frequently and those involved in new product development and new technological advanced in the industry. I would gain more of the technological skills in project management to be able to assist the organizations and gain an edge over other job seekers. This is one area where I need to gain more expertise.
Goals
My goals for my future development include:
Short term goals
- Learn technologies used in automobile organizations for project management before joining a company
- Learn skills of project management through the research done on use of PM for automobiles before completion of the curriculum
Medium term goals
- Get a job in a big companies in the new product development project within 2 months of graduating
Long term goals
- Get to the senior management position in an automobile organization by the 3rd year of my employment
- Get the project management certification and pass the project management professional certification earning 100 PDU’s by 4th year of job.
By the word ethics, I understand that if an activity is carried out such that it ensures that the needs of stakeholders are met and at the same time they are not harmed in any way, the activity can be called as ethical. I have developed my own way of practicing ethics and that is by thinking about the whole community or the nation while operating and not just about self. I would ask myself questions like – Is my action harming anyone? Is my action harming the environment? And eh satisfactory answer will guide me on what is ethical and what is not.
I studied the literature on ethics and found that it is defined as moral principles that form a set of customs and traditions that are derived from the social practices. Ethics have gone through evolution over the past few years. Professional organizations have published some ethical codes such as done by American Library Association in 1938 (Koehler, 2003).
Some professional values have been defined by Garda sociana in its declaration that can be useful in understanding professional values. These include respect for dignity of every human, protection of human rights, adherence to legalities, accountability for responsibilities and duties, adherence to principles of proportionality and necessity, maintenance of confidentiality, opposition to the unethical or illegal behaviour, delivery of obligations and commitments, acceptance of personal responsibility for a development (Bryne, 2015).
The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPA) defines codes of ethics for engineers and it says that an engineer must have honesty, fairness, impartiality, equity, and dedication towards the protection of the public wealth, welfare, and safety. While taking decisions, engineers can use Josephson’s steps for taking ethical decisions which involves an understanding whether the product has any colliding values between two organizations, then characters are reviewed based on respect, trust, and citizenship and lastly, the decision is taken considering the fact that situation can determine the future of the environment (Lawson, 2014).
In the automobile companies, ethical dilemmas are faced when companies have to decide between the performance and the environment friendliness of a vehicle. For instance, petrol vehicles perform better on roads but cause emissions that spoil environment. Considering these dilemmas, solutions have been sought to solve them through new technological developments such as electric cars (Krakoff, 2013).
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SKILLS |
RANK |
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1 |
Analytical skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
2 |
Creative thinking skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
3 |
Critical thinking skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
4 |
Decision making skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
5 |
Interpersonal skills (talking, listening, networking etc) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
6 |
Organising skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
7 |
Planning skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
8 |
Problem Solving skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
9 |
Self-confidence |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
10 |
Teamwork |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
11 |
Technology (IT – computers) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
12 |
Time Management skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
13 |
Verbal communication skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
14 |
Written communication skills |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
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SKILLS |
Definition |
Reference |
|
|
1 |
It is an internal motivation to get engaged with the problems for taking decisions using critical mind |
(Lai, 2011) |
|
|
2 |
Analytical |
A person with analytical skills can identify as well as define problems , extract information from available data, and come up with solutions to problems identified |
(Royer, 2012) |
|
3 |
Interpersonal |
Interpersonal skills are those skills that help a person to communicate effectively with other individuals or groups of people. |
(Shepherd, Braham, & Elston, 2010) |
|
4 |
Team Work |
A person good in team work is able to work well in groups and collectively achieve a common goal |
(Rico, Hera, & Tabernero, 2011) |
|
5 |
Technology |
A person having good command is the one having good knowledge of how IT systems work |
(Dupont, Instance, & Benavides, 2012) |
Ethics and Professional Values
I have chosen these skills as top skills as they are needed in most jobs and they ensure that the person performs at work. As per the job descriptions and advertisements, the key skills needed for a project management profile in companies include planning, decision making, presentation, team work, project management knowledge, IT skills, critical thinking, leadership skills, and interpersonal skills. The job descriptions and job advertisements also reveal that IT skills, team skills, and interpersonal skills are valued by the organizations looking for people to manage their projects. The companies have mentioned these as their requirements in the job advertisements as well as the job descriptions reveal applications in the work scenario. These three skills match with my top skills but critical thinking, decision making, and leadership skills are some skills that I am not very good at and thus, I need to develop them. For developing these skills, I will read books, take online courses on the subjects and would try to interact more with my fellow students, teachers, as well as the industry experts outside the education environment to learn and practice these skills. I will get a practical exposure in the company I would work for and I would take this opportunity to practice what I learnt in college and from courses.
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Skills |
Deficiencies Why |
Solution |
|
1 Critical Thinking |
I cannot analyse arguments very critically |
I will learn critical thinking from books, courses and would practice application with peer discussions |
|
2 Decision Making |
I cannot take decisions fast |
As I improve my critical thinking skills, I will work on problem solving and decision making skills by learning strategies that I will also practice. |
|
3 Leadership |
I do not tend to take the lead but follow guidelines |
I will try to take initiate to lead groups in future assignments |
|
Strength |
I have good Communication and Interpersonal Skills, Good team player, Have good knowledge of technology and I am analytically sound. These strengths would help me perform better and ensure projects are executed effectively |
|
Weakness |
I take time to take decisions because of lot of analysis that I do before taking decisions because of which my leadership skills are also affected as I give opportunity to others who initiate and lead while I remain with the team as a co-worker. One reason why I take time to decide is lack of critical skills which I am working to develop. |
References
Barthel, K., Böhler-Baedeker, S., Dispan, J., Fink, P., Koska, T., Meißner, H.-R., et al. (2015). THE FUTURE OF THE GERMAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY . WISO DISKURS.
Bryne, M. P. (2015). Declaration of Professional Values & Ethical Standards. Gardana Sociana.
Dupont, H., Instance, D., & Benavides, F. (2012). The Nature of Learning. OECD.
Koehler, W. (2003). Professional Values and Ethics as Defined by “The LIS Discipline”. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science , 99-119.
Krakoff, J. (2013). ETHICS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES. University of Pittsburgh.
Lai, E. R. (2011). Critical Thinking: A Literature Review. Pearson Group.
Lawson, H. (2014). AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING ETHICS: THE IN-WHEEL MOTOR . University of Pittsburgh.
Lucky, B. O., & Takim, S. (2015). Manufacturing defects in the automobile industry, a case study of the remote causes and effects of Toyota?s transmission malfunctions in cars. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences (IJEAS) , 15-29.
Pooja. (2015). ANALYSIS ON INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY & FACTORS AFFECTING DEMAND OF PASSENGER VEHICLES IN INDIA. INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT AND COMMERCE , 26-37.
PREMALATHA, U. M. (2014). GLOBAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES IN INDIA. GALAXY International Interdisciplinary Research Journal , 194-204.
Rico, R., Hera, C. M., & Tabernero, C. (2011). WORK TEAM EFFECTIVENESS, A REVIEW OF RESEARCH FROM THE LAST DECADE. Psychology in Spain , 57-79.
Rieger, G., Scheef, J., Becker, H., Stanzel, M., & Zobel, R. (2005). ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS CHANGE ACCIDENT ENVIRONMENT OF VEHICLES SIGNIFICANTLY – A CHALLENGE FOR VEHICLE DESIGN. Volkswagen AG .
Royer, M. (2012). Information Technology Core . NWCET.
Sabadka, D. (2013). NEW TRENDS AND CHELLENGES IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY LOGISTICS OPERATIONS . International Scientific Journal about Logistics , 15-19 .
Sarangi, P. K., Bano, S., & Pant, M. (2014). Future Trend in Indian Automobile Industry : A Statistical Approach. Journal of Management Sciences And Technology , 28-32.
Sharma, D. C. (2015). Industry Sector Profile Report. SESEI.
Shepherd, T., Braham, J., & Elston, C. (2010). Listening and Interpersonal Skills Review. University of Leeds .
Tayal, D. T., Sharma, D. A., & Sharma, D. R. (2014). Sectoral Trends Patterns and Prospects of Auto Component Industry in India . Information and Knowledge Management , 1-6.
Tiwari, S. (2009). PESTLE ANALYSIS OF AUTOMOBILE SECTOR OF INDIA. LOVELY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT.
Verma, R., & Rathore, S. (2013). PEST Analysis for Indian Luxurious Car Market. International Journal of Management and Social Sciences Research (IJMSSR) , 22-26.
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