Engineering consultants offer a diverse range of services to solve complex engineering challenges. From analysis and planning to design and implementation, professional engineering consultants use their industry knowledge, project management experience and specialized skills to provide consulting services tailored to your company's engineering issues. Whether focused on civil, mechanical or industrial engineering consulting, design engineering consultants analyze project components, identify design parameters and utilize innovative technology to achieve results for their clients.

Before beginning your search for engineer consultants, it is important to define your needs. Clearly identify the goal of your design engineering consultancy, including project scope, services needed, time frame and budget. This information will help your select the best professional engineering consultants to meet your specific needs.

When selecting industrial, mechanical or civil engineering consultants for your organization, research each firm and evaluate the following:

1. What kind of experience do the civil or mechanical engineering consultants have in your business or industry?

2. What engineering and project management services do the civil engineering consultancy firms provide to increase efficiency and productivity for your business?

3. How much should your business invest in industrial, civil or mechanical engineering consultant services?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hire engineering consultants that specialize in your industry

Select design engineering consultants who are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in your business or industry. Ask to see a list of past and present clients, and request references.

I recommend: Inch-inc. is an award-winning product design engineering consultancy that provides an online client list featuring companies like Sony, Knoll and Lucent. Solutions Cubed specializes in electronic engineering for small businesses, large corporations and private investors, and offers a partial online client list. ASR Corporation is a mechanical engineering consulting firm with extensive experience in aerospace, automotive, turbomachinery, power generation, consumer products, electronic packaging, automated machinery and electro-optical products.

Choose engineering consultancy firms with demonstrated skills

Review the services provided by each engineering consulting firm and select a firm specializing in the engineering services you need, whether civil, mechanical, structural or industrial. Evaluate each firm's experience, qualifications and certifications, and request successful engineering examples similar in scope to your proposed project.

I recommend: CCA offers a wide variety of services in structural, mechanical, civil and geotechnical engineering. ChemTech Consultants provide chemical, mechanical, civil, structural and electrical engineering services as well as value-added offerings like process control, project management, procurement, instrumentation and construction consulting. Anderson & Associates offers a broad spectrum of engineering services, including transportation, municipal, utility, environmental and hydraulics.

Select engineering consultants that meet your budget

Many engineering consultancy firms operate on a project-based or hourly fee structure, while other utilize a retainer with reduced hourly rates for long-term relationship clients. Your engineer consultants cost will depend upon the scope of your services.

I recommend: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne prefers a fixed price level of effort contracting method, but also offers not-to-exceed, firm-fixed price and time and material contracts. Get a free engineering product analysis at PDO Designs, an engineering and technology consulting firm for product development and implementation.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  It is tempting to save time by interviewing just one design engineering consultancy firm. However, it is in your company's best interest to contact and interview several engineering consultants to discuss your potential project. Two or three choices will provide you with the best possible match in skills, services, price and rapport for both you and the engineering consultancy firm.