Code of Ethics?
Code of Ethics?
(OP)
We are manufacturer of electrical equipments.Some customer require a function test at the filed on these equipments after installation.
At the moment we don't have any equipment to perform the test.I have come up with a design on my own time which can be used to perform the test.
I am wondering how I can sell the device to our customers and still obligate professional engineers code which could be a conflict of interest.
At the moment we don't have any equipment to perform the test.I have come up with a design on my own time which can be used to perform the test.
I am wondering how I can sell the device to our customers and still obligate professional engineers code which could be a conflict of interest.





RE: Code of Ethics?
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Code of Ethics?
If your company has such a clause, then you are obligated to give them the right of refusal.
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Code of Ethics?
I can develop and make the test equipment in my basement and sell it to the customers through the company, or I can sell it to the company and let them sell it to the customers!!
I am not sure how I can discuss this with my Manager,
RE: Code of Ethics?
Mixing the two will get tricky to say the least.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Code of Ethics?
If you go through your boss, he may put one hell of a lot of his own spin or opinion on it even though it may have little to do with him.
If you are to sell anything to your employers customers, even on your own time, IT MUST BE WITH THEIR DETAILED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPLICIT APPROVAL as you are using their data and time to generate the leads and as you work for them, anything you do involves their reputation.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm
for site rules
RE: Code of Ethics?
Let us assume you make this test gear.
Option 1: You set yourself up as an independent manufacturer (you may need to be a separate entity able to test competitor equipment or other company's products).
Now that you've sold this to your employer or to the end user, what happens when you fail a piece of equipment and it costs your (former) employer money?
Who is your client?
Who is going to make you life the most difficult?
Now you could find yourself in a three cornered legal battle as to what the whether it is your tests, your equipment or the employer's equipment that is really at fault. This may end up in litigation and cost you more than you can afford who ever is right.
Your employer may decide in future to include an exclusion clause in their sales contract that specifically excludes any liability for or dependence on test conducted with your equipment.
At any time the employer may decide the cost is adding to the overall cost burden on a project (the customer has to pay) and decide to make their own test gear and leave you high and dry.
We could go on to construct a few different options.
In virtually any option there are just so may ways for things to go wrong that you really need to very best you can get of good will from your employer.
If they think you are taking advantage, they will mess you up good. They may let you have enough rope to hang yourself but they will mess you up.
Don't ever delude yourself that managers/employers will only ever work in the best interests of the company and that what you are doing is in the best interest of their company and you are safe. Management can turn vindictive and self destructive and get away with it. You may not survive it.
So if there is even the slightest chance that your employers will feel themselves taken advantage of, even losing profit that could have been theirs but is now yours, you can bet they may take it on the chin for the short term but mess you up in the longer term.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Code of Ethics?
RE: Code of Ethics?
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Code of Ethics?
I am a full time employee and to get paid I need to be a contractor or maybe there is another way??
I cant go after customers and sell it to them as it raises the issues of conflict of interest unless it is by my employer consent which I doubt they will grant me that.
The issue with liablity if the equipment fails is another concern, but if it's sold through the company then it will be their responsibility ,it will not create any life threatning concerns though.
RE: Code of Ethics?
Few salaried engineers are into seven figures and up. Other fields than engineering are more likely to make you rich.
RE: Code of Ethics?
> Sell anyway
> Quit, and then sell
> Work the company to get approval to sell
> Forget about it
Seems to me that it's just a question of you picking a choice that you can live with, and only you can make that decision.
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Code of Ethics?
Is it possible that you're using your position to the detriment of your employer? In essence, if you use any knowledge of customers or orders to use that on the outside to enrich yourself, wouldn't you be having your employer finance your marketing?
If this test equipment is related to your employer's business, even more so, if related at all to your duties, by witholding your know-how from the employer, and then making it available to the employer's customers at a price seems like a breach of your duty to your employee, absent the employer's express consent.
You could always short circuit the problem by quitting, and going into business on your own.
RE: Code of Ethics?
However, this is not part of my normal duties and responsiblities to do such a thing. Nobody has asked me to do this, it takes me away from my normal duties therefore I need to work on it outside the normal business hours, since it's not a primary function of our business.
I am just providing some extra services that can bring us business and satisfy customers.
I have offered this to my manager but it seems to take him forever to come up with a solution.
RE: Code of Ethics?
Just send "official" correspondence to the effect that you'll start your marketing activities on December 1, and if there is no response from the company, you'll assume that they have given their approval.
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Code of Ethics?
So you've disclosed, and you've offered.
And if it's not part of your paid duties, do it.
At least that seems to cover the ethical side. The legal side is something else. I'm not a lawyer so I wouldn't know that.
RE: Code of Ethics?
Having said that the company would be pretty dumb not to consider marketing your device, what benefit you get from that could vary from zip to their blessing on your venture.
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Code of Ethics?
From a practical point of view your wife might market the product from leads you stole from the companies market knowledge.
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm
for site rules
RE: Code of Ethics?
Sadly, dumb is a common commodity with managers, as is vindictiveness and plain stupidity.
Oh, and "Zip" isn't the worst response.
The worst response is to fire you and try to see you never work again in the industry, even if the company goes down in flames trying to achieve it. It's happened.
Never happy with the "If I don't hear from you I'll assume....".
So what else is new?
If you expect management to make decisions about new things, or to answer you immediately, you need to try harder.
He has to authorise spending money.
That always involves lots of gazing into chicken entrails and lots of time.
He may only actually make the decision by himself if his job is threatened or when there are no choices left.
If you act he may react. Badly.
Your boss knows you think you have a solution.
But, he may have tasked someone whose job it is to do these things to do just that and he may not have bothered to explain that to you.
You'll look pretty silly if you burn some bridges and discover you have nothing to show for it.
So talk to him again and find out what he thinks about your proposal.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com