Doing Project and Innovation

1. Doing Project and Innovation Y. Rong June 2008 Modified in Feb. 2009

2. Innovative, entrepreneur, and global valuable engineers • Industrial leaders • Initiation of a project (any project) • Innovative way to do: NABC • Need analysis • Approach determination • Benefit/cost analysis • Competitors

3. Questions (1) • 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 • ??

4. Questions (2) • 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

5. Questions (3) • 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

6. Questions (4) • 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

7. Questions (5) • 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

8. Summary 1 • 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 ?

9. Another angle: Education goal • 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

10. Doing good projects • 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

11. Doing/how to start a Project • 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

12. Project planning (an overlap) • Problem • A negative statement • Goal • Objectives • Scope of the project • Method and procedure • Tasks and plan • Expected results

13. Background preparation • 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 ?

14. Design Projects – compare with NABC • 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

15. Industrial Projects: need focused • 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

16. Six sigma methodology • Define • Measure • Analysis • Improve • Control • In comparison with NABC

17. Engineering projects • 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

18. Report format – thesis ? • Introduction • Background • Method • Results • Conclusions • Reference • Appendices

19. Write a good introduction • General area • Specific problem • Goal and objectives • Gap between the solution and current knowledge • Expected results

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

21. Other components in report • 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

22. Gain from doing projects • 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 • ??

23. Gain from doing projects – a overlap 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

24. Summary • Everything can be a project • One important component of study • Most important ? • How innovative could it be ? • Your opinion ? • Thanks for your attention

25. Homework assignement • 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