WHAT REQUIREMENTS DOES AN ORGANISATION NEED TO MEET TO ACHIEVE AEO STATUS?
The Authorised Engineering Organisations (AEOs) was designed to manage the competence of engineering staffs internally and to also manage the assurance of their engineering services concerning the asset lifecycle of NSW Transport Assets on behalf of TfNSW.
ASA requirements for Authorised Engineering Organisation (AEOs) represent statements of expected activities to be in place in accordance with the expected relevant industry practice as appropriate to the scope of authorisation. Its requirements are grouped into 11 engineering management capabilities as follows:
- Engineering management process and planning
- Requirements management
- Service or solution engineering
- Assurance, verification, and validation
- Configuration Management
- Competency Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Resources Management
- Supplier Management
- Performance Measurement and Evaluation
- Continual Improvement Management
Adherence to these requirements is examined during the authorisation assessment.
Let us highlight each capability to have a full knowledge of each one of them with their possible evidence.
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND PLANNING
It demonstrates engineering management activities for the systematic execution of those activities that need to be performed to the delivery of services within the sphere of authorisation is compliant with relevant standards whilst satisfying TfNSW needs. The requirement evidence states that Authorised Engineering Organisations (AEOs) shall have perfect plans which demonstrate how they consistently carry out their services in the absence of relevant processes.
MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS
This requirement shows engineering management activities, revealing, and also analysing and allocating service or solution requirements as well as managing traceability and fulfilment of those requirements through the service delivery cycle. Some of its requirements evidence include:
- Requirements management plan
- Requirements database
- Stakeholder engagement plan
- Stakeholder register
- Stakeholder engagement meeting records
- Stakeholder needs statement
SERVICE OR SOLUTION ENGINEERING
It demonstrates engineering management activities and arrangements that support the application of the relevant engineering principles and practices in developing engineering products, services or solutions as appropriate to the scope of authorisation. Broken down into the following management:
- Interface management
- Integration Management System
- System Architecture
- Sustainability in Design
- Ram Management
- Human Factors Integration
- Electro Magnetic Compatibility
Its requirements evidence includes:
- Interface management plan or process (system) or section in an overall system engineering management plan or engineering management plan
- Systems integration plan
- Proof of deployments such as sustainability integration plans, sustainability workshops, or completion of a sustainability tool such as NSW Sustainable Design Guidelines published by TfNSW.
ASSURANCE, VERIFICATION, AND VALIDATION
It shows Engineering Management activities and arrangements that support the delivery of the quality engineering product, system or service by providing confidence that relevant processes were followed, requirements are met, and the Final product or service meets its intended purpose. Verification and validation management arrangements should typically be supported by the following evidence/facts:
- Organisation level verification and validation arrangements
- Project-level verification and validation arrangements
- Verification and validation plans
- Verification and validation processes and procedures
CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
Next on the list is the Configuration Management, demonstrating the Engineering Management activities and that ensure the integrity of network product or service being delivered and that all changes to assets over the system life cycle are managed across a defined set of baselines, including all related information and records. With documentary evidence that falls broadly into the following:
- A cohesive documented system
- Configuration items that are known and recorded
- Changes to configuration items that are appropriately controlled
COMPETENCE MANAGEMENT
This is a type of requirement that demonstrates Engineering Management activities and arrangements that ensure that only engineering staff with the appropriate Know-how, skills are engaged to execute activities defined for a specific job.
An Authorised Engineering Organisation (AEO) should be able to show its ability for knowledge capture, storage, and redeployment that is due for the organisational scope of authorisation and business model.
With Evidence of the following:
- Planning to identify, obtain, retain and deploy knowledge, skills and knowledge assets
- Arrangements to qualify and control it
- Proof of the knowledge sharing to have been executed within the spheres of the organisation and with the ASA.
STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT
As the name implies that the Engineering Management activities and arrangements to establish and to also maintain the stakeholder’s involvement in the work within the scope of authorisation.
With typical evidence that could be:
- Various organisational processes
- Plans that goes in line with stakeholder management
- Records of relevant activities such as minutes of meetings
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
A type of requirement that demonstrates arrangements that ensure that all tangible and non-tangible resources are in place (which will later be used to support the engineering service provision within the scope of authorisation).
Possible evidence for the type of requirement would include the following:
- Engineering intranet home page with links to standards
- Links to TfNSW and ASA standards
- Standards change briefing notes or emails
SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT
This type of requirement demonstrates arrangements that allow management of acquisitions from both internal and external suppliers as necessary for the scope of permitted services.
Evidence of process execution that covers the scope of authorisation (disciplines and lifecycle phases) as suitable are important, therefore are required.
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION
A type of Engineering Management that shows an arrangement supporting the consistent, repeatable service and/or product delivery by providing objective quantitative information on the organisational processes performance and quality of the particular product or services.
Evidence of this means that Authorised Engineering Organisations (AEOs) are expected to demonstrate the following:
- The relevance of the selected performance framework to business objectives
- The rationale behind the adopted measurement baselines
- Measurement models and methods being used
CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT MANAGEMENT
It ensures sustainable and growing organisational efficiency and effectiveness by the deployment of measurable improvements.
Evidence that includes the following:
- Systematic identification
- Objective evaluation of business needs and best industry practices
- Prioritisation using established criteria or process as suitable
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