Two-Minute Drills
Teaching engineers to give the quick answer
Ron Graham
with Harley Myler
  • Suggest an engineering-related use for JavaScript.
  • Choose three competing products in some industrial market and explain which of the three (if any) stands out and why.
  • Does the USA need to extend more visas to international high-tech temporary workers? Why or why not?
  • How can a professional society improve its advocacy efforts for its members? Choose one and demonstrate.
  • Should fastening and joining be considered early in the mechanical design phase for an engineered system? Why or why not?
  • Is rapid prototyping cost-effective? Why or why not?
  • Which work environment promises the best career growth for the engineer? Choose from (small, medium, large); and from (government, private industry, academia, self).
  • Are engineers made or born?
  • Justify the purchase of a new desktop software application.
  • Describe drawing standards for a new design project.
  • Justify R&D expenditure for a potential new product line.
  • Differentiate between what an engineer must report to a line manager and to a project manager.
  • How do you decide what goes into a major company Web site upgrade?
  • An OSHA representative has scheduled an inspection of your manufacturing processes. Do you have any reason to be concerned?
  • You have to purchase a solid modeling program for your design department. On what basis do you choose?
  • You have a long-standing relationship with a vendor who supplies you with critical components, and who's going out of business. What will you do next?
  • You are establishing a design database for your engineering department. Should it be handled in-house or by a contract firm?
  • You're the manager of an engineering group whose most experienced project manager has just passed away. What strategy do you propose?
  • You're having problems with PC board failures resulting from short circuits caused by fasteners getting too close to chips. Any ideas?
  • Define "quality."
  • How would you determine whether a new design project (engineering drawings) should be handled in-house or via contract?
  • You've experienced a prototype failure during testing. How do you report it to management?
  • You need a major piece of machinery (say, $250K US to buy). How would you decide whether to buy or lease?
  • Justify a safety factor in new construction.
  • Define "reliability."
  • Resolve a manufacturing bottleneck.
  • Justify "flex-time" for a programming group.
  • Your product has a 10% rejection rate by customers. DO something!!!
  • Propose and justify a preventive maintenance schedule for your machinery.
  • Provide an "appropriate use of the Internet" policy for your employees.
  • Your shop has a problem with misplaced tools. DO something!!!
  • You're seeking a manufacturer for a new product -- one you can't produce yourself. Describe what you're looking for.
  • What's the single most important skill you want in your next new employee?
  • Two engineers sharing an office disagree on points of religion. Resolve the conflict.

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