Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Cabanatuan City
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CASE 2: R.E. CONSTRUCTION: Its Now or Never

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED BY:
ESTEFANIE MARIE D. TORRES
BCSE-3D

When Engineer Romeo Estabillo finished his Civil Engineering course at

Mapua Institute of Technology, he took the board examination and passed it
in 1981. Wanting to start independently, he went back to his hometown
(Santiago City) to organize his own construction firm. In his first few years of
operation, he accepted contracts for the construction of residential houses.
As he gained experience, his clients grew in number, and even the most
prominent persons in the province of Isabela availed of his services.
At the start, he hired two assistants to help him in his daily routine as a
contractor. One of the two assistants, Mr. Silvino Santiago, was a third year
civil engineering student who had stopped schooling due to financial
difficulties. His main task was a draftsman. His duty was to produce all
documents relating to the physical requirements of the various contracts
entered into by his boss. Among, these documents are the building plan,
specifications, bill of materials, building permit, etc. his additional duty was
to assist Engineer Estabillo in supervising the foremen and workers at the
various construction sites.
The second assistant, Mr. Romulo Mamaril, was assigned to coordinate
purchasing bookkeeping, and other related administrative activities.

At the third year of operations, Engineer Estabillo was already directing

operations in his newly constructed office inside his residential compound. By
this time, two more female employees were hired to assist in the various
tasks performed in the office.
By 1994, Engineer Estabillo reviewed his companys payroll. It
indicated that he has in his employ six full time civil engineers, two
draftsmen, ten administrative personnel, one messenger and one security
guard. The foremen and laborers working at the various projects were
contractual.
By June 1996, Engineer Estabillo felt that business was continuously
growing, so he will have to secure the services of four civil engineers on a
full-time basis. As he was directly supervising all operations, he now feels
that he may not be able to perform his functions effectively if he will push
through with the plan. He wants to make a decision, but he is apprehensive.
He thinks operations are now more complex that decision-making must be a
little scientific. With this thought, he pondered on how he will go about
solving the problem.

I.

PROBLEM

A.

Major Problem

Does Engineer Estabillo have to secure the services of four additional civil
engineers on a full-time basis?

B.

Minor Problem

If he decided to push through with the plan of adding four full-time civil
engineers, will he be able to perform his functions effectively?

II.

OBJECTIVES

A.

Major

Make a decision whether to employ four full-time civil engineers or not.

B.

Minor

After making a decision, strive more to be able to perform his functions

effectively.

III.

ANALYSIS

Areas of Considerations:
1.

Demand

External the number of clients who demand and avail of the services

of Engineer Estabillos construction firm

Internal the demand for more manpower to perform all the tasks and

operations in the firm to serve all the needs of the clients

2.

Competition

External all other construction firms especially those that are located

in his hometown

Internal all of his employees who are striving for higher position and

salary
3.

Current Status

External the companys prominence in the construction industry

Internal Engineer Estabillos current status as the owner of a

construction firm particularly his competence in his work

4.

Possible Earning

External the money that the company will possibly gain if he decided

to add four full-time civil engineers

Internal the effect of adding four full-time civil engineers in the wage

of other employees

IV.

SUGGESTED COURSES OF ACTION

After analysing the situation of Engineer Romeo Estabillo, we suggest that

he, being the owner of his own construction firm, should first enhance his
decision-making skill in order to make his business more efficiently
operational. As the head of a continuously growing company, he should be
competent enough to know what action to take in any circumstances.
To help Engineer Estabillo in the process of decision making, the analysis
mentioned in part III of this case analysis provides different areas of
consideration where he can focus himself to know what courses of action to
do in the future.

V.

CONCLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the story of Engineer Romeo Estabillo, that a great leader must not
only know how to play a game safely but must also know when to take risks
to be able to see whats there outside the boundaries. He must be flexible
and knowledgeable enough to handle any situations. A leader is a man of
wise decisions.

Making a decision is being one step closer to the goal so here are some of
the recommendations considered:
a.

Engr. Estabillo should take an action now and decide to employ four

additional full-time civil engineers. As his company grows, the operations

become complex so it is just reasonable to hire more employees.
b.

To further gain knowledge and to perform his functions more

effectively, while managing his own business, he should pursue the Masters
Degree of Civil Engineering course.

Reference:
Renante Lapiz
COO-Project Engineer
Knew-Way Realty & Leasing

Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Cabanatuan City
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CASE 3: MOTORBUS COMPANY: Que Sera Sera

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED BY:
ESTEFANIE MARIE D. TORRES
BCSE-3D
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The MOTORBUS Company: Que Sera Sera is a route of bus from Manila via
Isabela. Que Sera Sera means What will be, will be. Engineer Hermogenes
Anchetahas just received his appointment papers from his new immediate superior, the
Vice-President for Operations; he has been promoted from Assistant Manager to
Manager of the Maintenance Department. After congratulating him from his promotion,
his boss gave him a verbal directive that he should put some order in his department
and make and make it work in the most effective and efficient manner as possible
without incertitude. Engnineer Ancheta has just passed the board examination for
Mechanical Engineering when he joined Motorbus Company in 1993. By June 1995, he
informed his former classmates at the University of Santo Tomas that he has promoted
as Assistant Manager for Maintenance. He had promoted from Assistant Manager to
Manager when Engineer Gaudencio Iductivo, who in turn to be at 62 years old. After the
approval from VP for operations, the next day after the approval of Engineer Inductivo
retirement, Engineer Ancheta received an appointment papers promoting him to be a
Manager. By the time on his duty as a manager he inspect the storage room and he
found the uneven supply of parts. Some parts were in excessive quantities and some

important ones were inadequately stocked and the corner room contains a big volume
of obsolete parts. The problem now is that how he handle the operation most effectively
when hes just new to his job, while there are 50 more buses added in the route for 100
buses will servicing the various routes assigned to Motorbus Company.

CASE BACKGROUND
Engineer Hermogenes Ancheta as a Mechanical Engineering Graduate he then
work in a Motorbus Company as Assistant Manager of Maintenance Department. By the
year 1993 when he joined the Motorbus Company, he passed the Board Examination
for Mechanical Engineering course. He then informed his former class mate from
University of Santo Tomas by year 1995 as he promoted Assistant Manager for
Maintenance. The former Manager of the Department Engineer Gaudencio Inductivo,
joined the company since it started the operations in 1989. A total of ten buses began
plying the Manila-Isabela route. A maintenance unit was put up the Manila in Sampaloc.
Another unit serves the Ilagan, Isabela terminal. Each unit has a full-time mechanic and
one assistant. When a company bus comes in for repair, the mechanic diagnoses the
various automotive systems in the bus and later produces a list of parts needing
replacement. The mechanic sends the list to Engineer Inductivo, who, in turn, forwards
the same to the company accountant for approval of the purchase request. Often
times, Engineer Inductivo performs the actual purchasing himself. Later, he sends the
purchased items to the mechanic who made the request. The maintenance units were

operating normally until 40 new buses were procured by the company in 1993. Since
then, every maintenance was so busy that they threatened to quit their jobs unless
additional mechanics and assistants were recruited. By the end of 1993, each unit has a
personnel complement of 5 mechanics and 5 assistants. But with current
developments, the old method of purchasing was not improved. Purchase request
started to embroiled, the file endorsed becomes discreet. Mechanic and drivers began
complaining to the VP for Operations about the delays in the delivery of needed parts.

The VP (Vice-President) for Operations immediately sent a note to Engineer

Inductivo ordering that the problem should be resolved immediately. Engineer Inductivo
was hard pressed and he could not offer an immediate solution. The next day, Engineer
Inductivo informed the VP for Operations that he is requesting for the approval of his
application for retirement as he is already 62 years old. The VP forwarded the request to
the President with an endorsement justifying the request. On the same day, the request
for retirement was approved. The next day, Engineer Ancheta received his appointment
papers promoting him to Manager. During his first appointment as a Manager the first
thing Engineer Ancheta did was to inspect the storage room for parts. He found out that
the room was full of uneven supply of parts. Some parts were of excessive quantities,
while some important ones were inadequately stocked. A corner of the room contains a
big volume of obsolete parts. At the end of the day, Engineer Ancheta was informed by
the VP that the company will be fielding an additional 50 new buses within 30 days. This
will mean that by next month about 100 buses will be servicing the various routes

assigned to Motorbus Company. Engineer Ancheta is now mulling over how he will
make the operations of his department as efficient and effective as possible.

ANALYSIS
What will be, will be, this is the meaning of Que Sera Sera was derived from a
Spanish song . So, this is the word that really binds in his mind with the luck that came
up with Engineer Hermogenes Ancheta that he became appointed Assistant Manager
to Manager. For that case it will happen someday in advance that Engineer Ancheta will
become the Manager of the Motorbus Company and that what will be happened after
the retirement of Engineer Gaudencio Inductivo. For what happened to Engineer
Ancheta is a time of luck that he knew someday he will become a Manager for the work
a good Assistant Manager so the company President trusted him so much that he will
be the next to be appointed as a Manager of Maintenance Department because he
already knew how to run and operate the business pertaining to Motorbus Company
most effectively in good service. As a new appointed Manager Engineer Ancheta work
literally honest in his field of work so that the VP for Operations trusted him and for that
time, the company will be fielding of 50 new additional buses. This means that the
business was keep on growing for the President put the trust on Engineer Ancheta to
handle the operations to make efficient and good service for the various routes using
100 buses assigned to Motorbus Company. This is what really the analysis that Engineer
Ancheta is a successful upon doing his Job

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION

For Engineer Ancheta since hes just new on the job as appointed Manager, he
must pondered on focusing in the operations of the Motorbus Company to be adequate
enough to work with it efficient and more effective bus servicing through the
Philippines. As a manager he must need to know the employee under his supervision
like mechanic, assistant that they might work with no other reasons for them to give
their support to the company. This is just giving him the idea that he need a better
employee which has no other alternatives just to work with the company with their full
time basis. For that reason they may work efficiently if they work together in helping
each other in the company to support their needs to have a better foundation of
Motorbus business infrastructure. They must conduct an additional training for the new
employee that they may hire, just to make sure that the bus route will do a better
service in travelling back to back to its destinations. The mechanic should have their
support as maintenance that every unit must be checked before they move on to their
destinations. What will be, will be, that
s the theme that this company apparently symbolized. The determination of
continuous focus on the job is the best thing to do.

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION

There you can see to it that the business shown an increase in numbers of buses and
same as usual with the profit they will also gain a better than what they had recently
when Engineer Inductivos in charge with the Management of the Motorbus Company.

Aside from that, when Engineer Ancheta is appointed as a new Manager hes now on
his way to make a decision like a real boss of the company, for that case his order is the
way that the President of Operations will be respected. For the President knew that he is
an honest manager to be appointed to handle the operations pertaining with the
Maintenance Department. Furthermore, I recommend that they must need another
hired of new employee since the addition of a 40 new buses to be added on the route
assigned to Motorbus Company. No one should be able to quit, that he must need to
convince his employee under his supervision as a result of a good performance in the
part of a workforce.

Reference:
GERONIMO F. ASONZA
Engineer III, BAC-Chairman
DPWH-Bulacan First District Engineering Office