Have you ever needed contract engineering services? In this article, I will describe in great detail everything you need to know about the industry. This guide will show you how to filter some of the confusing aspects of the industry and give you some helpful tips on the engineering service industry.
What is a Contract Engineer?
A contract engineer is an engineer who is hired on a temporary basis to complete specific technical engineering services for a company. These engineers are not employees of the company but work under a contractual agreement for generally a predetermined period of time. They are often brought in to work on projects that require specific knowledge or experience that may not be available within the company.
When companies hire contract engineers, they can quickly access the technical skills needed without committing to long-term employee costs. Depending on the project requirements, contract engineers can work independently or as part of the client’s team.
Contract engineers are commonly used in industries such as:
- Construction
- Automotive
- Technology
- Defense
- Pharmaceutical
- Food & Beverage
- Industrial Manufacturing
I have previously written an in-depth article detailing, what is a contract engineer, if you’d like to learn more.
Why do companies use contract engineering services?
Contract engineering services can incorporate a range of service offerings provided by contract engineering firms or self-employed engineers. These services are tailored to clients’ specialized engineering needs or project tasks.
Below, I list the four key areas on why companies use contract engineering services:
- Flexibility: One key reason companies use contractors is their flexibility. Unlike hiring full-time employees, companies can create a tailored short-term solution without having long-term labor costs. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for short-term projects and installation work when specialized skills are required for a limited amount of time.
- Multiple Services: Most engineering service companies cover a wide range of engineering disciplines that include industrial automation, program management, robot programming, design, electrical, welding, and controls engineering. These engineers can then provide on-site support for the development, validation, quality testing, maintenance, and production support of the product.
- Versatility: Companies will often turn to contract engineering service firms to help fill their skill gaps, support new installations, train current staff, and support current production while helping to alleviate pressure on their full-time employees. By leveraging these contract experts, companies can gain temporary access to their specialized skills and knowledge without the overhead costs of maintaining a full-time engineer.
- Cost Effectiveness: For startups and smaller businesses, using a contract engineering service company is a great way to gain quick access to professional engineering support without needing permanent hires. This can be particularly valuable for startups or businesses with fluctuating workloads. For larger companies, using contract engineering services is an easy way to quickly grow until you find full-time employees to replace your temporary staffing services.
What are the benefits of hiring contract engineering services?
Now, I’d like to explain the benefits of hiring contract engineering services. Hiring contract engineering services offers several benefits for businesses, such as:
- Easy Access to Technical Skills: Contract engineering services offer businesses access to a wide variety of engineers with specialized technical skills and experience that may not be available in-house. Access to this specialized talent allows companies to work more efficiently on complex projects that ordinarily they may not have had the skill set for. For example, companies will hire contract engineers with expertise in specific technologies or industries to help them develop new products or improve existing processes. By leveraging the expertise of contract engineers, businesses can enhance their capabilities and competitiveness in the market.
- Reduced Time to Market: By using engineering staffing services, businesses can accelerate project timelines and bring products to market faster. Contract engineers are experienced professionals who will understand a company’s project requirements. This reduction in training time can give a business a competitive edge by getting its product or service to market faster. Plus, using a contractor can help the company streamline its processes by reducing cycle time, identifying inefficiencies, and reducing waste.
- Focus on Core Competencies: Outsourcing engineering tasks to contract services allows companies to focus on their own staff’s core competencies so other parts of the organization do not fall behind. By offloading these other functions to the contractor, internal resources can be freed to focus on the money-making activities within the organization. This focus will ensure that the contractor adds the most value to the business.
- Reduce Risk: Contract engineering services will help reduce risks associated with operating new equipment or processes. For example, they will have experience and knowledge of running or using equipment that your current staff may have never seen before. This means less downtime, less training, and fewer chances for collisions, which break parts and cost the company even more money.
- Fresh Perspective: Contract engineers bring a fresh perspective to a company because of their past experiences in the industry. They bring diverse experiences with them to new industries, which sometimes helps companies find new solutions to their problems.
- Flexibility: Contractors are often very flexible and can usually adapt to their new role with ease. Contract engineers are accustomed to working in different environments, industries, and with different teams. This flexibility allows companies to tailor their project, ensuring an optimal outcome.
How to choose the right engineering service company?
Below, I list some key factors to consider when selecting a company or person to work with:
- Experience: Look to find an engineering service company with a proven track record of providing successful contract services for years in your specific industry.
- Reputation: Ask for client testimonials or project references to gauge their industry experience. If you are working with a company, read their Google reviews to see what their clients and contractors say about working with the organization.
- Specialized Technical Skills: Working with an engineering service company that specializes in the specific type of service you need help with is critical to the success of any project. Make sure the company has the necessary staffing resources and capabilities to handle your workload. Look for companies that have a history of experience working with unique technologies and methodologies that are relevant to your project to ensure a smooth and successful collaboration.
- Invoicing/Billing: Evaluate how the company manages invoicing their projects. Will you be invoiced for the whole project or charged per hour worked? Look for a company that has a structure that is transparent about its billing process, with clear milestones, deadlines, and communication channels. Working with a company that provides regular billing updates on the project will help make sure that the project does not go over budget.
- Communication: Effective communication between contractors, clients, and the service company is essential for the success of any project. Choose an engineering service company that values open communication between their workers and having employees who are willing to work closely with the client’s team to understand their needs and the project goals. You want to find companies who are responsive to your initial inquiries and are proactively updating you on the progress of your project.
- Cost: Cost should always be considered when looking for engineering services companies, but it should not be a main determining factor. Sometimes, self-employed contractors can be less expensive to use than an engineering service company and may provide a higher value. It is always good practice to get two or three quotes to get an understanding of market pricing.
How much do contract engineering services cost?
The average contract engineering rate in the United States ranges from $35 to $150 per hour. This depends heavily on the technical skills, experience, and location of the work. Contract engineering hourly rates can be higher for highly specialized or experienced engineers.
Contact us today to get pricing quotes for your specific engineering projects.
Learn about contract engineering services:
Do you want a better understanding of how JOINER Services can improve the contractor experience? Watch this video below to see how their contract engineers can help support your business.
Watch This Video!
Overview of contract engineering services:
In conclusion, Contract Engineering Services offer a valuable solution for companies seeking specialized engineering expertise for their projects. Contract engineers, hired on a temporary basis, bring a wealth of experience and skills to the table, helping companies tackle complex projects efficiently. By outsourcing engineering tasks, businesses can access these engineers without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time employees, leading to cost savings and project flexibility.
If your company is looking for support from a reputable company that uses experienced contractors, look into JOINER Services. JOINER Services provides engineering services for the industrial automation and manufacturing sectors. Their pre-screened engineers are some of the most experienced engineers in the industry. Contact them today to learn how your company can get support for your next project.
