Y. Rong June 2008 Modified in Feb. 2009

 Industrial leaders  Initiation of a project (any project)  Innovative way to do: NABC ◦ Need analysis ◦ Approach determination ◦ Benefit/cost analysis ◦ Competitors

 How to identify/define a project ? ◦ 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  ??

 Why team ? ◦ 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

 How to start ? ◦ Understand/define problem  Need – tell story ◦ Understand the background  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

 Why is the process important ? ◦ Engineering project vs. student project ◦ Justify every steps ◦ Where are the details ?  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  How to communicate ? ◦ Intention ◦ Be prepared – with an objective ◦ Right questions – with expectation of response ◦ Then right people and right time

 What are good results from the project ? ◦ 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

 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 ?

 Engineering education ◦ Early age: experimental study ◦ Since 1970s: math modeling and numerical solutions ◦ Now: entrepreneurship  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

 Own the project ◦ Initiate necessary activities to conduct the project ◦ Make vague condition clear  Working with people ◦ Partners, advisors, and the sponsor ◦ Lab and shop people too  Seek help and keep progress  Help each other  Project planning - Progress control ◦ Change vs. plan  Change of condition  Change of the goal ?? ◦ How to deal with changes  Communication

 Problem definition ◦ From vague to clear ◦ Solution to seek  Current techniques ◦ Identify gaps of current technology and the solution of the problem  Define objectives and expected results  Decide methods and procedure  Do the work

 Problem ◦ A negative statement  Goal  Objectives ◦ Scope of the project  Method and procedure ◦ Tasks and plan  Expected results

 Need for new knowledge ◦ Where to learn ?  Problems in physical world ◦ What is the problem in general ? ◦ Why the problem is important ? ◦ What is current practice ? ◦ Then what is the problem specifically  Technical preparation ◦ 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 ?

 Problem formulation ◦ Customer need study ◦ Requirement list ◦ Technical specification  Conceptual design ◦ Ideas ◦ Comparison and justification ◦ State of the art ◦ Technical challenges  Detail design ◦ Structural design with parameters ◦ Analysis and feedback  Verification and prototyping  Ramp-up for mass production

 Problem formulation ◦ Company information ◦ Customer need study ◦ Requirement list ◦ Technical specification  Current “system” analysis ◦ Data collection – what should know ? ◦ Problem identification – any principle to use ? ◦ Roof-cause analysis ◦ Possible ways to improve  Generating solution ◦ Structural design with parameters ◦ Analysis and feedback  Verification and prototyping  Ramp-up for implementation

 Define  Measure  Analysis  Improve  Control  In comparison with NABC

 Difference from a project done by smart high students ◦ Systematic study ◦ Justification in each step ◦ ??  Different from competition type of projects ◦ Real problem ◦ Unknown results ◦ Accessed by application ◦ Both innovative and valuable, but different

 Introduction  Background  Method  Results  Conclusions  Reference  Appendices

 General area  Specific problem  Goal and objectives  Gap between the solution and current knowledge  Expected results

 Company  Product and processes  Problems – key technology  Areas of study - literature review  Current study – literature review  Relevant to objectives  Problems remained as a summary  ??

 Methods/procedure ◦ Against the objectives  Results ◦ For each objective in a logic way ◦ Evidence of conclusions (to prove)  Conclusions ◦ List each without evidence  Reference ◦ Not only the web-site  Appendix ◦ More detailed evidence  Need more details !!!!!!  Use “all” figures in the presentation

 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 ◦ ??

Students gain ability and skills on  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  Broad vision on global economy and culture  Better job opportunity  Confidence

 Everything can be a project  One important component of study ◦ Most important ?  How innovative could it be ?  Your opinion ?  Thanks for your attention

 Talk about your project in 5 minutes  Basically telling a story on what you are doing ◦ Why, what, and so what  Comments from audience ◦ Positive first ◦ Negative followed ◦ General comments  Need 3 volunteers