Engineers want to get employed and stay employed. "An Engineer's Guide to Solving Problems" targets engineering students and recent graduates. The transition from engineering school to real world problem solver can be rough. Suddenly, there is not just one correct response for a problem. There might be an infinite number of correct solutions, where some are simply better than others. Some problems are so layered and twisted that their solutions seem absurdly complex. Arm yourself for success with the methods in this book: * The Five Questions every problem solver must answer. * The best and worst ways to communicate your ideas. * New ways to see what other observers miss. * Mastering the right tools. * Six warnings to heed when you think you have a solution. * Critical challenge questions you must answer before you declare victory. Employers and customers cherish engineers who consistently meet their toughest challenges. This book delivers simple methods, practical advice, and entertaining stories to help you sharpen your skills. This book is intended for mature readers. The author occasionally uses strong language to humorous effect or makes references not intended for children. The Second Edition includes some updates plus a new cover and shorter title. The first edition was originally published as "The Dog Barks When the Phone Rings: An Engineer's Guide to Solving Problems."

Going far beyond "plug-and-chug" solutions, this relatable guide simplifies the scientific principles and breaks down the art of efficient problem-solving. Andrew Sario breaks down years of experience into digestible tips. Boost your career with 10+1 steps to solve real-life engineering problems effectively. Can engineers improve their problem-solving skills? Sario guides readers through ten steps of practical problem-solving with each step including engineering stories from his career as a lead systems engineer in the critical infrastructure and operational technology fields. The 10+1 Steps are an unorthodox way of looking at things but spend its efforts on improving your average time to solve. 1. The Question 2. The Obvious 3. Eyes 4. Check Yourself 5. Doctor G 6. The RTFM Protocol 7. Strip 8. What about the environment? 9. Phone-A-Friend 10. PrayThe last step? The Secret step. The steps are designed so that they can work with formal engineering methods giving you ways to improve your approach. 10+1 Steps to problem-solving provides that extra "+1" step for those situations when you have run out of options. The book shows the reader how their problem-solving skills can lead to better pay, more respect and land bigger projects. By following the guiding principles in this book you can confidently help solve problems regardless of current skill and experience.

Thinking: A Guide to Systems Engineering Problem-Solving focuses upon articulating ways of thinking in today’s world of systems and systems engineering. It also explores how the old masters made the advances they made, hundreds of years ago. Taken together, these considerations represent new ways of problem solving and new pathways to answers for modern times. Special areas of interest include types of intelligence, attributes of superior thinkers, systems architecting, corporate standouts, barriers to thinking, and innovative companies and universities. This book provides an overview of more than a dozen ways of thinking, to include: Inductive Thinking, Deductive Thinking, Reductionist Thinking, Out-of-the-Box Thinking, Systems Thinking, Design Thinking, Disruptive Thinking, Lateral Thinking, Critical Thinking, Fast and Slow Thinking, and Breakthrough Thinking. With these thinking skills, the reader is better able to tackle and solve new and varied types of problems. Features Proposes new approaches to problem solving for the systems engineer Compares as well as contrasts various types of Systems Thinking Articulates thinking attributes of the great masters as well as selected modern systems engineers Offers chapter by chapter thinking exercises for consideration and testing Suggests a "top dozen" for today’s systems engineers

Avoid wasting time and money on recurring plant process problems by applying the practical, five-step solution in Process Engineering Problem Solving: Avoiding "The Problem Went Away, but it Came Back" Syndrome. Combine cause and effect problem solving with the formulation of theoretically correct working hypotheses and find a structural and pragmatic way to solve real-world issues that tend to be chronic or that require an engineering analysis. Utilize the fundamentals of chemical engineering to develop technically correct working hypotheses that are key to successful problem solving.

Did you know that engineers are people who design things to solve problems? They use math, science, and creative thinking. Learn more in How Engineers Solve Problems, a title in the What Engineers Do series.

Engineers want to get employed and stay employed. The Dog Barks When the Phone Rings: An Engineer's Guide to Solving Problems targets engineering students and fresh graduates. The transition from engineering school to real world problem solver can be rough. Suddenly, there is not just one correct response for a problem. There might be an infinite number of correct solutions, where some are simply better than others. Some problems are so layered and twisted that their solutions seem absurdly complex. Arm yourself for success with the methods in this book: * The Five Questions every problem solver must answer. * The best and worst ways to communicate your ideas. * New ways to see what other observers miss. * Mastering the right tools. * Six warnings to heed when you think you have a solution. * Critical challenge questions you must answer before you declare victory. Employers and customers cherish engineers who consistently meet their toughest challenges. This book delivers simple methods, practical advice, and entertaining stories to help you sharpen your skills. This book is intended for mature readers. The author occasionally uses strong language to humorous effect or makes references not intended for children.

Whatever their discipline, engineers are routinely called upon to develop solutions to all kinds of problems. To do so effectively, they need a systematic and disciplined approach that considers a range of alternatives, taking into account all relevant factors, before selecting the best solution. In Problem Solving for Engineers, David Carmichael demonstrates just such an approach involving problem definition, generation of alternative solutions, and, ultimately, the analysis and selection of a preferred solution. David Carmichael introduces the fundamental concepts needed to think systematically and undertake methodical problem solving. He argues that the most rational way to develop a framework for problem solving is by using a systems studies viewpoint. He then outlines systems methodology, modeling, and the various configurations for analysis, synthesis, and investigation. Building on this, the book details a systematic process for problem solving and demonstrates how problem solving and decision making lie within a systems synthesis configuration. Carefully designed as a self-learning resource, the book contains exercises throughout that reinforce the material and encourage readers to think and apply the concepts. It covers decision making in the presence of uncertainty and multiple criteria, including that involving sustainability with its blend of economic, social, and environmental considerations. It also characterizes and tackles the specific problem solving of management, planning, and design. The book provides, for the first time, a rational framework for problem solving with an engineering orientation.