A
- AISC
- American Institute of Steel Construction. Standards body whose specs (AISC 360, AISC 341, etc.) govern structural steel design in U.S. building codes.
- ASME
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Sets the standards (BPVC, B31, etc.) that govern pressure vessels, piping, and mechanical equipment.
- AASHTO
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The bridge and highway design standards used by every state DOT.
B–C
- BIM
- Building Information Modeling. 3D model-based design + coordination workflow. Revit and ACC Build are the dominant platforms in U.S. AEC.
- Black Belt (Six Sigma)
- Process-improvement certification at the project-lead level. Master Black Belt (MBB) is the trainer/mentor tier above it.
- cGMP
- Current Good Manufacturing Practice. FDA regulation governing pharma, medical-device, and food manufacturing quality systems.
- Contract-to-hire
- Engagement model where a contractor works on W-2 for a defined period (often 1,040 hours) before being eligible for direct conversion.
D–F
- DBE
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. State-level supplier-diversity certification, often required on federal-funded transportation work.
- Direct placement
- Permanent hire engagement. Staffing partner sources, screens, and presents; client hires directly. Typically priced as a percentage of first-year base.
- EIT
- Engineer-in-Training. Engineer who has passed the FE exam but not yet the PE. Typically 4–6 years from earning the PE.
- FE Exam
- Fundamentals of Engineering exam. The first step toward PE licensure, typically taken senior year of an ABET-accredited engineering program.
G–L
- GD&T
- Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (ASME Y14.5). The language of mechanical engineering drawings — essential for any designer doing manufacturable parts.
- HUB
- Historically Underutilized Business. State-level supplier-diversity certification (especially Texas), recognized in state & municipal procurement.
- LEED AP
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Accredited Professional. Sustainability credential for AEC professionals.
M–N
- MBE
- Minority Business Enterprise. Supplier-diversity certification — NMSDC is the gold standard at the national level. 3i People is NMSDC-MBE certified.
- MSP
- Managed Service Provider. The vendor that manages all contingent labor sourcing on behalf of an enterprise. Operates the VMS, supplier base, and rate card.
- NAICS
- North American Industry Classification System. Federal procurement uses NAICS codes to define service categories for set-asides and contract vehicles.
- NCEES
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Administers the FE and PE exams in the U.S. Maintains the Record service for multi-state PE comity.
- NERC CIP
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection. The cybersecurity reliability standards that govern bulk-electric-system assets.
- NABCEP
- North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. The gold-standard certification for solar PV designers and installers.
O–P
- OSHA 30
- 30-hour OSHA construction safety training, typically required for site supers and safety leads on commercial and industrial projects.
- PE
- Professional Engineer. State-licensed engineer authorized to seal/stamp engineering drawings. Licensure is state-by-state — comity is granted via NCEES Record.
- P6 / Primavera
- Oracle Primavera P6. The dominant scheduling platform for capital projects, infrastructure, and EPC delivery.
R–S
- RPO
- Recruitment Process Outsourcing. A staffing partner takes over part or all of your TA function — typically high-volume hiring or niche-skills sourcing.
- SE
- Structural Engineer. A specialized PE license required for designing significant structures (high-rises, hospitals, schools, essential facilities) in some states.
- SOC 2
- Service Organization Control 2. AICPA audit standard covering security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy controls.
- SOW
- Statement of Work. A fixed-scope, fixed-price engagement model with defined deliverables and acceptance criteria. See our SOW page.
T–Z
- T&M
- Time and Materials. Hourly bill rate, weekly invoicing. The standard engagement for staff augmentation when scope is evolving.
- UEI
- Unique Entity Identifier. The federal government’s identifier for entities doing business with the government — replaced DUNS in 2022.
- VMS
- Vendor Management System. The software platform inside an MSP program (Beeline, SAP Fieldglass, IQNavigator, etc.) that runs req intake, submittal, timesheet, and billing. See VMS integrations.
