ENGR 482 Lecture 7

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Effective Communications in Engineering

The Kyle Field collapse that didn't happen

There were cracks in one of the angle corners of the 2nd deck support wall.

The reinforcement rods were not of the right dimenions; they weren't specified in the drawing:

• Ambiguity? (harder to spot)
• Icompleteness? (usually more obvious)

Common Weaknesses

• Ambiguity: reader can't tell what is meant
• Incompleteness: significant details omitted
• Unsupported Finding/Position: missing or unconvincing data/logic
• Poor organization: logic is not obvious
• Egocentric: Assumes other viewpoints can't be supported
• Spelling, Grammar, style errors: leads to loss of credibility
• Too long: reader doesn't have time to absorb it

Elements of Technical Writing

• Engineer must write so as NOT to be misunderstood.
  • redundancy
• Clear statement of thesis, findings, or recommendations
• Logical, convincing, sufficiently complete arguments or data supporting said thesis/findings/recommendations

Communication must be

• complete, unambiguous
• convincing
• concise
• correctly presented
• commitment: support your own position
• consider the audience

How to write/communicate:

1. Start early
2. Think about the problem
3. Outline you paper first
4. Keep thesis or findings in mind as you write
5. Critically review your work after first draft; ask others to review
6. Edit and rewrite carefully.

Writing Specifications

AT&T laid first Optically-Amplified Fiber-Optic Undersea system (3000 km)

Previously-used, optical-electrical-optical conversion repeaters hadn't been tested on land before putting them in the water.

"Concurrent Development" System and components had details that were TBD for as long as possible. Statistics were used, and the average value of impairments were specified.

However, vendor threw in some "trash" components; average covered up outliers.

Communication Style

Female: connect, negotiate, feelings Male: achieve/maintain social status, impart knowledge, "report-talk"

NASA Lost Climate Orbiter

One team used metric, the other used English units. Unit discrepancy caused the orbiter do crash and burn on September 23, 1999. It cost $125 M.

Root cause was failure to use metric in coding ground software file. Here were some contributing causes:

• undetected mismodeling spacecraft velocity changes
• Navigation team unfamiliarity
• Trajectory correction maneuver #5 not performed
• Failure to communicate
• etc...

Recommendations:

• Verify corect use of units
• Double check (audit) all transferred information
• Improve communications

Persuasive Writing

1. State position in topical sentence/paragraph
2. Build argument carefully, citing/referencing most important supporting data/facts
3. Tie facts to position
4. Address/rebut any obvious opposing positions
5. Summarize position and strongest support
6. Consider how much detail to provide given time and space constraints.
7. Present committed attitude.

Emails

Can be (much) less formal, but not informal

• Formality of style varies with circumstances.
• Subject line is very important.
• Clear, unambiguous, and concise
• Humor can be difficult to convey
• Copy relevant earlier correspondence, but edit for brevity
• Provide name and contact info in a signature block

Hyatt Regency Disaster (1981)

Two suspended walkways overlooking lobby of Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, MO, collapsed, killing 114 people and injuring 200 more.

Structural design flaw in box beam-hanger rod conections supporting the walkway.

Series of communication failures between structural engineer and steel fabricator.

As a result, engineers should develop more effective foresight.

Summary

"Lack of Communication" appears so many times and can be used as a scapegoat, but it's best not to let it happen!

Communicate so you can't be misunderstood.