TECH 50800 Quality and Productivity in Industry and Technology
Project Instructions
Fall 2015
Overview:
The project for this course is an opportunity to apply the materials and tools from the course on the
completion of a “real-world” problem. The project requires utilization of the DMAIC framework to
address the project problem and students will demonstrate their understanding of the various tools
within the framework by their application on the project. The project will be evaluated by the instructor
as well as other students/groups in the course. The combination of instructor and peer reviews will be
used to determine final project grades.
Project Contents:
Each project will consist of the following (submitted via Canvas):
1.
2.
3.
4.
Champion/Define presentation (tollgate review)
Measure presentation (tollgate review)
Analyze presentation (tollgate review)
Improve/Control presentation (Note: it is not expected for the project to get into Control phase,
but you must create tools, etc. as if this were the case)
5. Final Project Report
As this course is distributed online, the materials that are created for this project must also be shared
with the other students online. Presentations must be comprehensive but concise. Consider the
audience to be the senior leaders in your organization. This will be very much like the real world. You
must show that you know what you are talking about and that you have done your work. This is your
chance to shine (or not…) and you only get one chance. (Note: Use of audio with the presentation is
required if we do not gather as a group for tollgate reviews.)
Project Selection:
You have great latitude in selection a project, the only requirement being that it involves process
improvement using the Lean Six Sigma techniques discussed in class. Projects may be completed by
teams or individuals. Please use the chat capability in Canvas to contact other class members to
determine if they are interested in a team project. Note that the project scope for team projects must
be appropriate for the number of team members.
Project ideas on Monday September 14th.
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Presentations:
Four project presentations and a final project report are required for each project. The project
presentations should be approximately 10 minutes in length using audio integrated into PowerPoint.
Each presentation will build on the previous presentation(s). Example: Presentation #2 will include
presentation #1. Presentation subject and due dates are as follows:
Presentation #1: Tools and Methodologies used in the DMAIC Champion/Define Phases
Due Date: Monday October 5th
Presentation #2: Tools and Methodologies used in the DMAIC Measure Phase
Due Date: Monday October 26th
Presentation #3: Tools and Methodologies used in the DMAIC Analyze Phase
Due Date: Monday November 23rd
Presentation #4: Final Project Presentation (15 minutes) includes DMAIC Improve/Control Phases
Due Date: Friday December 11th
PowerPoint templates and evaluation rubrics will be posted for each of the four presentations.
Presentations will be evaluated in terms of use of lean six sigma techniques and tools discussed by your
reading and class materials. Additionally, presentations will be posted to the Canvas site for peer review
by your classmates.
Final Report:
Each student or project team will submit a final written project report based on the application
project. This report should not exceed 20 pages, double-spaced, including figures and graphs and should
follow the document template provided by the instructor. Final report is due during finals week on
Friday December 11th.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do the projects have to come from manufacturing?
No. Ideas can come from any sector.
Can I use something that I’m already working on?
Yes, but only if the work has not already been completed. It may be related to your work/role,
but you cannot submit a process improvement project that you’ve done in the past.
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Where do project ideas come from?
Students in the course will come up with project ideas from their current work, community
service group, etc. and submit them to the instructor. During class or chat sessions, discussions
will take place about the appropriateness of an idea for a course project.
What if I cannot come up with a project idea?
If you are unable to come up with a project idea, send out an email to the other students in the
course to see if any of their project ideas require additional students. If this is unsuccessful,
contact the instructor to see if he/she has any available projects or ties that may be of
assistance.
How many students can work on one project?
Students may work on a project as an individual or a group, however, the scope of the project
must fit the size of the group. The scope of the project will be assessed by the instructor and
final approval for group size will be needed prior to initiating the project.
How will grades be assigned?
Working in a group means obtaining a grade as a group. It is an expectation that all team
members contribute to the project in a meaningful way. If issues arise within the group, it is
also expected that the initial action to resolve the issues are taken within the group. If, at that
point, the issues cannot be resolved, the next step is to contact the instructor for further
mediation.
What if I don’t have control over the issue and they don’t want to implement the improvement ideas?
This is a real problem that comes up with process improvement activities all the time.
Improvement isn’t only about going through the tools; it is also about dealing with the human
dynamics, trying to get buy-in and ownership from key stakeholders, and being able to get the
improvement going even when the people may be resistant. How you deal with these situations
will be as much of a determining factor in the success of your project as your ability to use the
tools/framework. During the project selection stage, you may want to assess whether the
area/culture is ready for this type of work and whether the leadership is supportive of this work.
What if the people I’m working with don’t understand Lean/Six Sigma?
You may need the help of others to get your project off and running. If they are completely new
to Lean/Six Sigma, you may need to give them an overview of the methodology and what they
can expect to have happen during the project. You are welcome to use any of the materials that
are available within the course for the purposes of educating others. Be Prepared: Being the
teacher requires knowledge at a higher level (Bloom’s taxonomy) and therefore will stretch your
skills and understanding of the topics.
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What if I have questions?
Always use the instructor as a guide during your projects. Even though he/she may not be a
subject matter expert in the specific field of your project, they are an expert on the process and
will be able to ask questions and answer questions so that you can get back on track.
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