Design Project Management

1. Design Project Management Voice of the Customer: Background Research and Affinity Diagrams Rochester Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Department Rochester, NY USA

2. Session Objectives • Introduce Affinity Diagrams • Discuss background research • Practice affinity diagram • Work time: review proposed interview list and questions with guide

3. Session Objectives • Introduce Affinity Diagrams • Discuss background research • Practice affinity diagram • Work time: review proposed interview list and questions with guide

4. Preview of next steps • Translate customer statements to needs • Organize needs into groups • Order groups in importance • Create functions that need to be accomplished • Create numerical specifications • Use engineering analysis to determine if these specifications are reasonable

5. Needs translation • Focus on whatit needs to do not howyou accomplish it. • Use positive statements • “I drop this thing all the time” • Correct: Product operates normally after being dropped repeatedly • Incorrect: The product is rugged • Incorrect: The product needs a magnetic holder so it does not get dropped • Incorrect: The product is made out of rubber so it bounces when dropped From Ulrich and Eppinger

6. Needs translation • Use positive, not negative statements

7. Are there any themes?(Affinity Diagrams, KJ method) • Write each need on a sticky note or card • Add more if something else come up when reading other’s notes • Group according to similarity • Take items that seem to belong together and group them in a clear space • It’s ok to move things around or rearrange others groups till it makes sense • No discussing notes or groups until all items are in a group (groups of one are ok) • Name groups (each person do this without discussion) (use nouns, “hand interface problems”)

8. http://www.adamatorres.com/gallery-project/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/l-640-480-0487ec2f-3871-4605-ac29-06bd03e243841.jpeghttp://www.adamatorres.com/gallery-project/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/l-640-480-0487ec2f-3871-4605-ac29-06bd03e243841.jpeg

9. Case Study from Spring 2011-3 Data sorted by stakeholder  Data sorted by common theme

10. By Stakeholder

11. By Theme

12. Questions?

13. Session Objectives • Introduce Affinity Diagrams • Discuss background research • Practice affinity diagram • Work time: review proposed interview list and questions with guide

14. Why do we need background research?

15. Why do we need background research? • Know what you’re talking about when you go to interviews • Current standards and regulations • Current state of the art (maybe still in research phase) • Don’t waste interview subjects’ time • Know who your competitors are

16. Where can you find background information?

17. Session Objectives • Introduce Affinity Diagrams • Discuss background research • Practice affinity diagram • Work time: review proposed interview list and questions with guide

18. Sources for Background Research • Wallace Library website: http://library.rit.edu/  • Wallace Library Database finder: http://library.rit.edu/dbfinder/index.php?query=*%3A*&fq[]=subject:%22Engineering+%2F+Technology%22 • ASME • ASTM • IEEE • Patent Office: http://www.uspto.gov/

20. Sorting Through Information • Narrow your search • Scan abstracts, not full papers • Look for “Special Issue” or conference from a professional society subdivision: • Ex: Not IMECE (ASME annual conference) but SBC (ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference) • Summarize results, sort by theme • Don’t go too deep yet • Wait until you know what your focus is!

21. Know your sources! • Journal article • Peer-reviewed, extensive work complete • Published standards • Peer-reviewed, consensus of practicing industry specialists • Conference paper • May be peer-reviewed, rapid publication, interim publication • Society magazine • Current topics, no peer review, ideas for other sources

22. Know your sources! • Patents • Extensively reviewed, may not have been put into practice • Web articles • Check for source: opinion piece, journalistic piece, reviewed publication? • Textbooks • Well-established information, much peer review, not cutting-edge.

23. Know your sources! • Other internet-based sources • Prior MSD team websites: https://edge.rit.edu/edge/Resources/public/Project%20Archives or current teams: https://edge.rit.edu/edge/Resources/public/CurrentProjects • Spec sheets, User guides/tutorials • Company websites • Trade shows or trade publications • Mass media • Newspapers, magazines • Radio, TV shows

24. Know your sources! • Classroom resources • Lecture notes • Recorded lectures/videos • Other student work • Thesis or dissertation • Seminars • Project reports

25. Session Objectives • Introduce Affinity Diagrams • Discuss background research • Practice affinity diagram • Work time: review proposed interview list and questions with guide

26. Next: Review with your Guide • Use the remainder of the class to plan with your team • Review stakeholder groups • Review representative stakeholders to contact • Review questions • Team follow-up on progress • Report back at end of class with list of stakeholders