Y. Rong
June 2008
Modified in Feb. 2009
Industrial leaders
 Initiation of a project (any project)
 Innovative way to do: NABC
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◦ Need analysis
◦ Approach determination
◦ Benefit/cost analysis
◦ Competitors
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How to identify/define a project ?
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Problem to solve – need (not only to learn)
Need from industry (background)
General area of study
Specific problem to solve
What is a good project ?
◦ Interesting problem – meaningful
◦ No answers
◦ Right scope
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??
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Why team ?
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Or virtually you work with people in the area
More ideas
Multiple expertise
Task division
Learn big picture / other people’s work
Practice real working conditions
What is leadership ?
◦ Be responsible
◦ Own the project
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How to start ?
◦ Understand/define problem
 Need – tell story
◦ Understand the background
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 The state of the art – tools to use vs. developing tools
Set goal / objectives
Decide methods
Make a plan
Estimate the outcomes – impact ?
◦ Innovation theory
 NABC
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Why is the process important ?
◦ Engineering project vs. student project
◦ Justify every steps
◦ Where are the details ?
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Why is communication important ?
◦ Understand the problem, ideas/method, and ……
◦ Do the things need to be done (only)
◦ Make your thought understood, adjusted and accepted
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How to communicate ?
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Intention
Be prepared – with an objective
Right questions – with expectation of response
Then right people and right time
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What are good results from the project ?
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Solution of the problem, and also general hopefully
Innovative and feasible/can be realized
Impact/improvement of current operation
Failure vs value of the project ??
◦ Measured and determined by the objective
definition !!!
◦ Acceptance by customer (who ?)
◦ Academic value is determined at the project
planning stage
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Different from classroom learning
Not for taking exam, but to prepare for real
work
Academic and non-academic achievements
How to evaluate ?
◦ Telling stories ?
◦ Follow up study ?
◦ And ?
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Engineering education
◦ Early age: experimental study
◦ Since 1970s: math modeling and numerical
solutions
◦ Now: entrepreneurship
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Decision making
Multi-objectives
Many tools developed and available
Tool selection, knowledge integration
Decision making through communication
Task oriented and pull strategy
◦ Need for globalization
 Global economics, global research and development
 Global education
 Working with people from different cultural environment
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Own the project
◦ Initiate necessary activities to conduct the project
◦ Make vague condition clear
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Working with people
◦ Partners, advisors, and the sponsor
◦ Lab and shop people too
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Seek help and keep progress
Help each other
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Project planning - Progress control
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◦ Change vs. plan
 Change of condition
 Change of the goal ??
◦ How to deal with changes
 Communication
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Problem definition
◦ From vague to clear
◦ Solution to seek
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Current techniques
◦ Identify gaps of current technology and the solution
of the problem
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Define objectives and expected results
Decide methods and procedure
Do the work
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Problem
◦ A negative statement
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Goal
Objectives
◦ Scope of the project
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Method and procedure
◦ Tasks and plan
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Expected results
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Need for new knowledge
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Problems in physical world
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Technical preparation
◦ Where to learn ?
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What is the problem in general ?
Why the problem is important ?
What is current practice ?
Then what is the problem specifically
◦ What techniques are needed to solve the problem ?
◦ How the technology has been developed ?
◦ What is the current status of the technology ?
 What can and cannot do with it ? Why ?
 What tools are available ?
◦ Then what is the gap ? Possible to get there ?
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Problem formulation
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Conceptual design
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Detail design
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◦ Customer need study
◦ Requirement list
◦ Technical specification
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Ideas
Comparison and justification
State of the art
Technical challenges
◦ Structural design with parameters
◦ Analysis and feedback
Verification and prototyping
Ramp-up for mass production
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Problem formulation
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Current “system” analysis
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Generating solution
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Company information
Customer need study
Requirement list
Technical specification
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Data collection – what should know ?
Problem identification – any principle to use ?
Roof-cause analysis
Possible ways to improve
◦ Structural design with parameters
◦ Analysis and feedback
Verification and prototyping
Ramp-up for implementation
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Define
Measure
Analysis
Improve
Control
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In comparison with NABC
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Difference from a project done by smart high
students
◦ Systematic study
◦ Justification in each step
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Different from competition type of projects
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Real problem
Unknown results
Accessed by application
Both innovative and valuable, but different
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Introduction
Background
Method
Results
Conclusions
Reference
Appendices
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General area
Specific problem
Goal and objectives
Gap between the solution and current
knowledge
Expected results
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Company
Product and processes
Problems – key technology
Areas of study - literature review
Current study – literature review
Relevant to objectives
Problems remained as a summary
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Methods/procedure
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Results
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Conclusions
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Reference
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Appendix
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Need more details !!!!!!
Use “all” figures in the presentation
◦ Against the objectives
◦ For each objective in a logic way
◦ Evidence of conclusions (to prove)
◦ List each without evidence
◦ Not only the web-site
◦ More detailed evidence
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Personal ability
◦ Technical development
 Project initiation
 Logic thinking
 Problem solving – skill ?
◦ Communication
◦ Writing
◦ Presentation
 Logic drive – lean
 More figures, less words
 Phrases, not sentences
◦ Team work and leadership
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Students gain ability and skills on
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Communicating effectively in various contexts
Understanding of professional & ethical
responsibility
Understand solution impacts and sustain/exploit
benefits
Project management and relationship management
Quick response to changes, etc.
Impact on the students
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Broad vision on global economy and culture
Better job opportunity
Confidence
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Everything can be a project
One important component of study
◦ Most important ?
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How innovative could it be ?
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Your opinion ?
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Thanks for your attention
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Talk about your project in 5 minutes
Basically telling a story on what you are doing
◦ Why, what, and so what
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Comments from audience
◦ Positive first
◦ Negative followed
◦ General comments
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Need 3 volunteers