Improving Cross-Program Communication, File Storage, and Test Procedure at iRobot Corporation

1. Improving Cross-Program Communication, File Storage, and Test Procedure at iRobot Corporation Brittney Kawa & Audra Sosny

2. Background • iRobot is still a young company • Founded in 1990 • Currently ~500 employees • Moved headquarters ~2 years ago • iRobot follows a matrix structure • Three main divisions, each with several programs • Several competencies across all programs • Electrical, Mechanical, etc • SEIT, the focus of this project • Employees given a range of freedom • Document control • May abstain from collaborating

3. Introduction • iRobot Corporation has experienced substantial growth in past few years • Increased government contracting • Additional programs, competencies, employees • Greater need for communication and sharing between coworkers

4. Goal To improve cross-program interactions concerning testing by bridging the lines of communication and streamlining the exchange of information between programs at iRobot Corporation.

5. Process Overview • Investigating how documents fit into the overall process

6. Process Overview (cont) • Definition Phase • Understand the customer needs, Document in Systems Requirement Document • Plan the entire program and establish cost target • Ends with System Requirements Review (iSRR) • Architecture Phase • Define system performance and update requirements • Develop functional architecture • Ends with System Functional Review (iSFR) • Preliminary Design Phase • Synthesize functional architecture into the physical design • Ends with Preliminary Design Review (iPDR)

7. Process Overview (cont) • Detailed Design Phase • High level design with sufficiently mature system product drawings • Ends with Critical Design Review (iCDR) • Relevant Documents: IV&V Test Strategy • Implementation and Integration Phase • Fabricate design and integrate into a complete system • Verify and validate activities and configure prototype • Ends with Test Readiness Review (iTRR) • Relevant Documents: IV&V Plan • Verification and Validation Phase • Test system to requirements and ensure needs are met • Evaluate shortcomings and prepare for production • Ends with Production Readiness Review (iPRR) • Relevant Documents: IV&V Test Report

8. Doc Control / Storage Tools • DOORS • Access granted on a person-by-person basis • Test Procedure Docs • iRobot Server (Attic) • Network accessible for whole company • Similar to a WPI toaster drive • Personal Computer • Easy access to personal files • SVN • Controlled Documents • Windchill • Access granted on a person-by-person basis • Contains user generated content • QMS • Moderated for quality • Latest versions of documents

9. General Test Procedure Content • Introduction • Relevant Documents • Integration, Verification and Validation Testing (IV &V) • Data Requirements, Reduction, and Analysis • Procedures • Test Data Records • Comments

10. Methodology • Developed Survey topics & questions through • Observations • Informal interviews with iRobot employees • Meetings with advisors • Survey administered through Surveymonkey.com • From 12/2 – 12/15/2009 (two weeks) • 19 questions • Two major population filters • Length of employment • Program of employment

11. Methodology • After analyzing data from surveys • Design implementation plan(s) for what to do with results • Design should focus on systems aspect • Implement designs in a controlled environment • Utilize a focus group of G&I employees , specifically in the Warrior program • Gather feedback and update plans accordingly

12. Survey Outline • Informed Consent Agreement • Analysis only includes participants that consent to participate • iRobot Corporation Employment Background • Length of employment • Competency • Program • Training and Usage • Attended any training programs • Frequency of use • Number of Steps

13. Survey Outline (cont) • Satisfaction and Ease of Use • Preference • Satisfaction with style • General satisfaction • Employment and Cross-Program Interactions • Identification by name across competency • Location of employees across competency • Interaction with employees across competency outside program • Comfort level switching tools • Recommendations • Updated organization chart • Updated website for competency • Decrease document location time • Promote cross-program interactions

14. Preliminary survey results

15. How long have you been employed by iRobot Corporation? • 57 started • 32 completed (56.1%)

16. Have you ever attended any training for the following product document control / storage tools?

17. How many steps (in terms of mouse clicks) does it take you to locate a product document by browsing the folder structure using the following tools?

18. Rank your preference of the following tools for product document control / storage from 1 (most preferred) to 6 (least preferred)

19. I have interacted with __% of employees within my competency outside of my program for work related purposes

20. A regularly updated organization chart for my competency would help me to identify more employees

21. A regularly updated website for my competency with links to relevant resources would help me perform my job more efficiently

22. Test Procedure Matrix

23. Preliminary Recommendations • Universality • In naming documents or storage tools • Creates consistency • Makes document control tools easier to navigate • Reduce the amount of locations • Increasing collaboration • Encourage contact outside of e-mail • Organization charts (seating and “Facebook”) • Wikis • Are there any incentives?

24. Implementation Plan • How are we planning to use final analysis? • Document control • Universal naming • Find commonalities between docs (i.e. procedures, equipment) • Moderated database • Used for searching / storing documents • Possibly as a website • Organization charts • Facebook • Seating charts • Competency websites / logs

25. Information to Gather • What is the real n?’ • Of iRobot’s ~500 employees, how many employees are engineers? The survey is not relevant to all employees • Approximately how many iRobot employees are on the activities@irobot.com email mailing list?

26. Thank you! Questions?