Technical Management & Services

The Technical Management and Services (TMAS) program is designed for emerging technical professionals who have competed a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a technical program such as applied sciences or information technology.

Whether participants have industry experience or are just starting their career, this program equips emerging professionals with the skills needed to address supervisory and managerial needs in a technological environment. The technical manager's role is viewed as the link between business management and technical expertise and involves matching resources in uncoordinated areas, working through people and making and implementing management decisions, while simultaneously formulating technical strategies.

The TMAS program combines management and business administration concepts within the context of managing in technical product development, technical services (ie. engineering, environmental sciences, information technology) or operations and manufacturing environments. The TMAS program consists of five general management courses (15 credits) that allow participants to develop business-related critical thinking and analytical, communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills. Students will attain a solid understanding of how to interpret and synthesize core business, financial and performance data to make informed decisions in a technical business environment. Following this, participants will complete six courses (18 credits) of focused TMAS content.

The six TMAS courses develop a student’s ability to apply best-in-practice processes and tools to a wide range of business and management issues and opportunities to support informed decision making in technical business situations and environments.

TMAS graduates will:

  • Demonstrate the ability to develop a technology plan or technical services plan (or program) that aligns with the overall business plan
  • Exercise their responsibilities in the management of cost-effective systems, product development, or technical services by leading and participating in interdisciplinary teams
  • Apply their in-depth knowledge of leading a diverse technical team in analysis, administration, and project management within any technical industry
  • Apply an ethical understanding and perspective to business situations both locally and globally, and apply the newest theoretical and practical approaches with respect to social responsibility and sustainability
  • Analyze the performance of their organization (financial, products, services, practices and systems) to identify ways to improve the performance of organizations and help meet marketplace needs

Upon completion of the TMAS program, students will have a strong applied management knowledge base with the ability to apply business and management processes, tools and strategies as part of seeking or maintaining their professional accreditation or designation (via professional development credits).

Department's website: kpu.ca/business/technical-management-services

Registration in some course sections is restricted to students in particular programs. See Timetables - kpu.ca/registration/timetables - for current section information.

Visit the BC Transfer Guide - bctransferguide.ca - for information about course transfer in B.C.

TMAS 5100  3 credits  
Business Planning and Performance for Technical Businesses  

Students in this course will explore and learn the concepts, issues, and themes related to analyzing business performance, business planning, strategy, and entrepreneurship. Students will develop their ability to analyze business performance and develop business plans that are aligned with the organizations strategic and financial goals. Various life phases of organizations will be explored to build an understanding of the impact on business performance and planning. Students will be encouraged to combine and apply their creativity and technical skills to develop a business strategy including, strategic and financial objectives for a technology or technical service based organization. Note: This course may be offered in compressed mode. Consult the current timetable.

Level: UG

Attributes: BUSI, F2A9

TMAS 5110  3 credits  
Managing Technical Business Growth  

Students will explore and evaluate challenges in the management of technology, engineering and technical services organizations as a business grows and develops in the face of growing complexity. Students will assume the roles of senior technical managers dealing with typical problems in a department within an environment of rapid change and growth: developing and implementing new infrastructure (business models, systems, processes, policies, practices), managing the deployment of resources, management of change, and managing project/technical professionals. Note: This course may be offered in compressed mode. Consult the current timetable.

Level: UG

Attributes: BUSI, F2A9

TMAS 5120  3 credits  
Business Law for Technical Management and Services  

This course addresses legal issues commonly encountered by technical professionals, best practices in identifying and mitigating legal risks, as well as strategies to avoid costly legal errors and to recognize when professional legal advice is necessary. Students will develop legal reasoning skills by examining various areas of the law that can interact to affect a single business transaction in a technical business environment. Note: This course may be offered in compressed mode. Consult the current timetable.

Level: UG

Attributes: BUSI, F2A9

TMAS 5130  3 credits  
Consulting and Client Management Practices  

Student will use an applied approach in developing practiced knowledge of the methodologies, tools, techniques and standards required for the professional consultant. The five stages of the consulting process will be leveraged while working as part of a consulting team. Students will develop an understanding of and practice the skills required to effectively work with external and internal clients. Emphasis will be placed on the particular consulting skills required to manage client interactions and engagement. Note: This course may be offered in compressed mode. Consult the current timetable.

Level: UG

Attributes: BUSI, F2A9

TMAS 5140  3 credits  
Sustainable Operations  

This course develops students ability to define and analyze sustainable business practices within the value chain of the product or service in order to develop and integrate sustainable practices at each step of the value chain. Students will learn how to measure and account for sustainability initiatives as a means of creating value at the operations management level within an organization. Students will be challenged to consider the sustainability challenges from the different stakeholder perspectives and priorities in developing and implementing sustainable operational practices and initiatives.

Level: UG

Attributes: BUSI, F2A9

TMAS 5150  3 credits  
New Product and Services Development  

Students will learn and apply the new product and service development processes, as well as the tools and techniques associated with launching them. They will learn how to select and apply quantitative and qualitative approaches for analyzing market opportunities, as well as the approaches and methods to design, test, and introduce new products and services. Students will learn how to lead the organization and its stakeholders in the new product and services development process.

Level: UG

Attributes: BUSI, F2A9

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