The Commercial Engineer

Anyone in a technical discipline needing to understand the wider commercial context in which they operate day-to-day.

In the past delegates attending this course have come from a wide range of backgrounds including:

• Project managers
• Supervising engineers
• Quality managers
• Technical cost and estimating managers
• Production managers
• Product managers
• Sales and marketing managers
• Business development managers
• Contract managers

Objectives
This course will:

• Ensure you have the vital commercial awareness you need to be successful
• Give you an understanding of how contract law effects everything you do
• Demonstrate how you can contribute more to the commercial management of your organisation
• Ensure you have a grasp of the financial side of the business
• Provide you with the tools to recognise and mitigate commercial risk
• Enhance your ongoing career development

1. Introduction

• Developing a vital sense of commercial awareness

2. Understanding estimating

• The various approaches available to estimating
• The key lements of estimating
• The planning sequence
• Different types of estimating and their uses
• Dealing with contingencies

3. The marketing and proposals process

• Business development
• Bid or not bid decisions
• Qualification of pre-tender
• ITB / ITT / RFP
• The stages of the proposal cycle
• Preparing proposals
• The contents of the proposal

4. Contract strategy

• Understanding the key elements of contract strategy
• Division and performance of the work involved
• Dealing with contracts risk – the 3 options for contracts
• Pros and cons of different contract strategies
• Evaluating the best contract strategy
• Making alliances and forming partnerships

5. Managing commercial risk

• Model for risk management
• Analysing Risk
• Categorising risks
• Managing and mitigating risks
• Qualitative and quantitative methods of risk management

6. Defining the payment terms

• Payment options – Lump sum / reimbursable contracts
• Scheduling and payment timings
• The procedures for payments
• Payment methods

7. Negotiating commercial agreements

• Negotiation principles
• Tips and techniques for negotiating
• Understanding different roles in negotiation

8. The organisation and its commercial environment

• Orgamisation aims
• Management of the organisation
• Overall objectives
• The various responsibilities
• Awareness & knowledge
• Functions & skills
• Ethics
• Understanding organisational risk
• The vital importance of teamwork
• Rules
• Relationships

9. The commercial & legal environment

• Law and lawyers
• Commercial contract law
• Intellectual property rights – protecting rights and maximising value

10. The financial environment – cost, profit and price

• Accountants
• Cost, margin, profit, price
• They key to cash flow
• Financial risk
• Receivership and bankruptcy / loan agreements / guarantees

11. Contract conditions

• Why are contracts so important?
• Privity explained
• Standard conditions of contracts
• Model conditions and the options available
• Using standards / models – pros and cons
• Understanding express / implied terms
• Dealing with unfair contract terms
• What to do when it goes wrong

12. The contractual environment – handling contracts

• Responsibilities, duties and authority of the players
• Contract placing – the inaugural meetings
• Contract control and monitoring
• Handling claims and disputes

Are you interested in running this course for your team or organisation?

This programme can be delivered on a date of your choice and at a location of your choice, in other words exactly where and when you need it!

From the outset we will provide you with expert advice and you will be assigned your own personal training adviser who will stay with you throughout the process. Every team is different so we will provide you with a tailored training programme, designed around your team’s needs and focused on your desired outcomes.

All courses are followed up by a full training evaluation report and certificates of learning for each delegate. For groups of up to 12 delegates per course, our in-company training is a very cost-effective way to develop your people and improve team performance.

Get in touch today for a full quotation to suit your budget.

To discuss your requirements in more detail with one of our friendly advisers please call on 0845 130 5714 or email one of the team at info@contractlawtraining.co.uk. Alternatively you can complete the short contact form below.