Delivering the goods. The responsibilities of engineers in contracts

The purpose of this article is to assist professional engineers when their day-to-day duties for their employers involve work with representatives of the `other side´ in the fulfilment of contracts. While primarily addressed to engineers employed by suppliers, much of what is said applies with equal force to those employed by customers. While this article makes no pretence at being a legal treatise, it is nevertheless necessary for engineers to be aware of the legal framework as it affects both customer and supplier, if only to avoid inadvertent modification or amendment to the contract as agreed between the parties