How can you write a technical proposal for an Engineering Design project?

When preparing technical proposals for engineering projects, it is vital to identify the background and objectives as early as possible so that stakeholders and reviewers understand the context and necessity of the work. By providing succinct but complete explanations of the problem scope and technical requirements, all parties are assured that the boundaries and priorities guiding the design are understood. Overall, focusing on the project's objective and balancing pragmatic restrictions with empathic end-user concerns provides a good foundation for an effective and fundable engineering plan. Moving forward, we can create designs that responsibly solve problems within budget and on time through iterative cooperation with transparency.

TP begins with an intro, problem outlining or need for project and its significance. Specific measurable & realistic objectives. Midsection covers methodology, analysis, prototyping & testing. TP like standards & materials that provide understanding of project, timeline, budget breakdown & planning. Organogram reflects key members, their roles & responsibilities. It emphasizes confidence in project's success & includes appendices with supporting documents, reinforcing proposal's credibility. Final review ensures clarity, coherence & alignment with stakeholders' expectations. Proposal serves to secure approval and funding by demonstrating expertise, strategic planning, and a thorough understanding of the project's technical requirements.

The strength of technical proposal lies in the ability to provide options. There is no one way of doing things, so when you ensure value addition to clients they will be more likely to look at it differently. The technology differentiation and value engineering will be key elements. Never use PROBLEM as a word to clarify the scope but always put gap analysis which allows clients to understand objectively.

One of the key factor is defining the problem to success to solve the problem and here u might need to involve the SME and project core team to frame the problem and understanding the cause and analyze the criteria, the frequency and procedures

Adopting the progressive elaboration technique is essential in meticulously identifying project requirements, ensuring that your technical proposal is not only clear and detailed but also grounded in realism, resulting in a proposal that not only meets client expectations but also builds trust. Many technical proposals falter during review due to a tendency to sugar-coat project details, a flaw easily discerned by industry professionals. To mitigate this risk, it is crucial to transcend reliance on literature reviews and actively engage with experts in the field. Seeking their professional advice and drawing from recommended practices ensures a well-informed, authentic proposal.

When crafting a technical proposal, whether for an EPC contractor or directly for a client, it's vital to consider the specific requirements and market dynamics. For EPC contractors, the emphasis is often on meeting minimum technical requirements at the lowest possible cost, as they are generally accepted based on their technical competence. However, when preparing a proposal for an end client, the approach shifts towards optimizing the scope while balancing technical adequacy and budget constraints. This requires a nuanced understanding of the client's needs and the competitive landscape, ensuring the proposal is both technically robust and financially viable.

he second step is to review the existing literature and research on the problem and the possible solutions. You should conduct a systematic and comprehensive search of relevant sources, such as academic journals, books, reports, patents, standards, and best practices. You should summarize and evaluate the main findings, methods, and gaps in the literature, and compare and contrast different approaches and solutions. This step helps you to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise on the topic, and to justify your proposed solution based on the current state of the art

Literature review could be helpful especially on current products, equipment, and technologies but you must have experience on this type of project before. You must have some previous design experience and work on epcc type of projects, in order to understand the scope of works .

Reviewing the existing literature is one of the key features of investigating the problems and is essential to get a solution within the timeline, which may prevent extra cost expenses. If existing literature demonstrates potential solutions, these should be linked to standards, best practices, or academic research, which ensures the technical basis of the solutions.

Couldn’t agree more. But I guess I can add that you need to bring in your own engineering skills, skills, know how and not merely rely on available littérature. Thank you

In my experience, it is not a solution that is proposed but a range of possible solutions. Different stakeholders might have different priorities. A solution that is needed in a three months might look different than a solutions that is needed in two years or three years. Often initial objectives and stakeholders change. Often the budget and schedule are not established until after solutions are proposed and considered. Proposing a range of solutions will often lead to a compromise among stakeholders.

Crafting a technical proposal is like painting a vivid picture of your solution. First, lay out the big picture – the key features and benefits, and how it nails the project's criteria and constraints. Then, dive into the nitty-gritty: the why behind your approach, the assumptions you're making, and how your solution stands out from the crowd.

Ich denke mit Hilfe einer Powerpoint Präsentation würde sich ein Engineering-Design-Projekt sehr gut beschreiben und darstellen lassen. CI an den Kunden anpassen, alle wichtigen technischen Merkmale kurz und OnPoint darstellen und beschreiben. Darin, die Bauteilkosten korrekt kalkulieren. Die Kalkulation umfasst verschiedene Komponenten von Kosten- und Zeitfaktoren wie Rohmaterial, Arbeitsmittel, Werkzeuge, Werkzeugverbrauch, Arbeitsstunden, Laufzeiten der Maschinen, Rüstzeiten und mehr. Es gibt verschiedene Methoden zur Angebotserstellung, je nachdem ob es ein einfaches oder komplexes Projekt ist. Die Kunst, eine vollständige und zuverlässige technische Schätzung zu erstellen, ist einerseits eine Abwägung von Zeitaufwand zum Nutzen.

Il est important de proposer des solutions innovantes au problème traité dans la thématique. Ce sont ces solutions qui donneront une crédibilité au projet technique

Proposing a solution should be based on best practices by following standards/literature, and it should be done after considering technical and commercial perspectives. At first glance, any solution will be emphasized as more expensive and it reduces the priority of the technical details, in such cases the solution provider must explain both technical and commercial aspects in conjunction, also the conclusion must demonstrate long-term cost savings which will result in the proposed solution.

Create a detailed project plan that outlines the entire process from conception to completion. Include specific dates, resource needs, and associated dangers. Prioritize tasks and show a systematic approach to project execution.

Wow excellent . Make a plan to your solution. You mentioned outline the main tasks. I would say divide the project into smaller task and make what they call a work break down structure for your project ( WBS ). The rest is excellent as far as making schedule , cost, resources, risks , are concerned .

A properly planned project demonstrates the engineer's insight and organisational abilities. My strategy is to divide the project into digestible phases, each with its own set of deliverables and milestones. This not only assures a disciplined workflow but also allows for excellent project monitoring and control, both of which are hallmarks of top-tier engineering methods.

La planificación debe ser flexible, a veces ocurre que tomas el reto pero tienes todo menos las herramientas (software, aplicaciones, equipos) y echas por tierra todo lo planificado, debes tener un margen de corrección en el tiempo de ejecución.

La réussite d'un projet dépend d'une bonne planification. Donc cette partie est très importante dans le processus. Je le trouve parfait.

Nope. I have to disagree with this point . You don’t evaluate the solution after you make the plan . I guess this should be before making the plan, unless I m missing something. But reading further it talks about metrics and progress measurement, so it should probably be titled as “ solution progress indicators “ or “ progress measurement “

Create a solid evaluation framework to objectively examine the performance of the offered solution. Define important KPIs and testing procedures to confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution. Prepare for any difficulties during the evaluation process.

To create a technical proposal for an Engineering Design project; ✅ Clearly define the specific problem your project tackles. ✅ Emphasize the uniqueness of your solution. Explain how it differs from existing approaches. ✅ Break down your plan into steps. For each step, explain the methods and tools you'll use. (Software, Hardware, Methodologies). ✅ Outline deliverables and expected timelines for each phase. ✅ Proactively identify potential risks and clearly articulate alternative methods. ✅ Provide a realistic and detailed budget breakdown with justifications for major expenses. ✅ Show the return on investment by quantifying the project's benefits.

L'analyse des résultats permet de mesurer l'efficacité des solutions dan de temps et de proposer des mesures d'amélioration.

I agree, at this stage of planning, the solution should have been decided upon and move forward to implement the project. Iteration must be completed earlier

Lo importante es siempre tener claro el alcance del trabajo, no importa que tan molesto pueda llegar a ser para ti o para el cliente, controla ese deseo de cerrar el trato y deja muy en claro qué es lo que estás dispuesto a hacer y qué costo tiene cada actividad. Una vez tengas claro el alcance documenta claramente cual es la normativa técnica que abarca cada parte de lo solicitado e inclúyelo dentro de tu propuesta, de esta manera si existe un requerimiento diferente por parte del cliente en cuanto a normativa tendrá que ser considerado antes de realizarse el contrato. Con alcance, costo y normativa ya encierras todos los requerimientos básicos para tu propuesta.

Create a clear and compelling communication plan to effectively communicate the idea. Customize your message for each stakeholder, balancing technical facts for engineers with larger implications for non-technical audiences. Use visual aids to help comprehension.

One thing that I have found is helpful is foresight for the room for variables. Somewhere between proposing a plan and evaluating, the solution will have certain aspects that may be added or removed from it. It is of vital importance that a rough estimation of effects, of such addition or subtraction is analysed from the start, as they will impact all the resources, as well the results of the project. A neck to neck project may require changes, that may increase the overall cost exponentially if the project planning is not done properly.

When writing proposals for upgrading brown field facilities always remember that existing equipment and operating procedures have to dove tail with your new project proposals. Modifying existing equipment such as power switchgear with newer controls, alarms, possibly added arc flash protection will always go slower and cause more issues than anticipated. Allow for this in the proposal and the project schedule and get vendor input as early as possible.

The success of an Engineering Design Project will often depend on what has been considered in determining the optimum solution. No matter how well conceived and how good each aspect of the project has been researched and developed it is quite often what has not been considered that can undo all the hard work and turn a success into a failure. Put the time and effort in to fully consider what will influence the design and review this as the project develops to capture any changes.

There's one key thing I always keep in mind: the human element. It's easy to get lost in the technical details and forget who your solution is for. I remember a project where we were so focused on the technical specs that we overlooked user experience. It was a wake-up call. Your proposal should not only be technically sound but also resonate with the people who'll interact with it.

Der Faktor Mensch spielt eine wichtige Rolle. Ich kann mich an ein Projekt erinnern in welchem wir die Übersetzung in "technischer" englischer Sprache über ein Büro generiert hatten. Leider konnten die Arbeiter die später die Maschine bedienten kein technisches englisch lesen. Ergo, das User Interface und der Schaltplan konnten vom technischen Personal nicht verwendet werden. Die Übersetzung musste aktualisiert und mehr Icons integriert werden. Der Faktor Endanwender ist ein wichtiger Punkt welcher in der Planung und Umsetzung evaluiert und validiert werden sollte.