ENMA 6040:  Lean Systems

 

Project Deliverables

 


Industry-sponsored student team projects form the core learning activity for this course.  As a team executes their project, they will hand in a sequence of project deliverables on the due days specified by the course schedule.  This web site provides information on how to prepare and submit project deliverables.

 

·         Project Deliverables Overview 

·         Deliverable Instructions 

·         Project Deliverables Detail 


Project Deliverables Overview

 

The following deliverables will be completed by each project team.  Details on how to complete each deliverable are provided in a following section.

 

1.      Project overview

2.      Process flow diagram  

3.      Waste identification 

4.      5-S assessment 

5.      Value stream map 

6.      Visual control – standardization 

7.      Process flow simulation 

8.      Final presentation 

9.      Supplemental materials 

 


Deliverable Instructions:

 

 


Project Deliverables Detail:

 

1.      Project overview

Your instructor will have provided you with a brief summary of your project and contact information for your project sponsor.  For this deliverable, the team will add the next level of detail to this description, including a clear, concise, complete statement of the specific problem to be solved for the sponsor.  The overview should also include information about the sponsor’s business, products, and markets, but should not contain any reference to the name of the sponsor’s organization.

 

2.      Process flow diagram

Using the nomenclature provided in the course lecture on process flow diagrams, the team will prepare a preliminary process flow diagram for their project’s process.  As the first deliverable for the team’s project, the diagram may not include all process details, so the team should consider this a living document and add details to the flow chart as the team learns more about their process over the course of the semester.  That being said, it is essential that the flow chart clearly delineate the scope of the project, i.e., which elements of the overall process are “inside” of the team’s project and which elements are outside of the boundaries of the project and will not be included in the process analysis.  The team is encouraged to construct the flow chart using either major step or swim lanes.  This deliverable should be prepared as Microsoft PowerPoint document, but the actual process flow chart(s) should be prepared using Microsoft Visio, and should be submitted as supplemental materials (see Deliverable #8).  The means whereby students can download a free student version of Visio is described in the course lecture on downloading Visio.  As outlined in the example provided in the process flow diagram course lecture, the diagram should be accompanied by a glossary of terms defining any terms that someone unfamiliar with the process might not understand.

 

3.       Waste identification 

For this deliverable, the team will walk through the process and note sources of waste using to the waste categories described in the course lecture on sources of waste.  The team should use their process flow diagram from Deliverable #1 as a map for conducting their waste identification walkthrough, with waste identification being done at each step in the process flow diagram.  A template has been prepared that can be used to document waste found at each process step.  The team should then make a copy of their Visio process flow diagram from Deliverable #1 and transfer information on the most critical sources of waste directly onto this second process flow diagram.  (This second process flow diagram should be prepared using Visio, and should be submitted as supplemental material.)  In order to complete this deliverable in a quality manner within the time allotted, the team may choose to focus on just one critical segment of their process, rather than the entire process.  Please note that the team is not expected to initiate correction of the identified sources of waste – that will be left to the project sponsor to pursue as they see fit. The deliverable presented by the team in class can be based on the PowerPoint presentation of Deliverable #1, with sources of waste added to the process flow diagram, and additional slides added to provide detail on the primary sources of waste that have been identified. 

 

4.       5-S assessment 

For this deliverable, the team will perform an assessment of the degree to which 5-S activities are being applied in the process they are analyzing.  The team will use the template provided to assess the level of 5-S activities currently in the process.  Upon completion of the assessment, the team will recommend one or more activities that can move the process to the next level of 5-S.  As with the waste identification deliverable, the team will not be expected to conduct 5-S activities – that will also be left to the sponsor’s discretion.  Rather, the team will focus on assessing the level of current 5-S activities and recommend next actions.  As with the waste identification deliverable, the team will note these recommendations directly onto another copy of the process flow diagram of Deliverable #1 (also submitted as supplemental material).  In order to complete this deliverable in a quality manner within the time allotted, the team may choose to focus on just one critical segment of their process, rather than the entire process.  The deliverable presented by the team can be based on the PowerPoint presentation of Deliverable #1, with 5-S recommendations added to the process flow diagram, and additional slides added to provide detail on the recommendations.

 

5.      Value stream map 

Using the nomenclature provided in the value stream mapping lecture, the team will use their process flow diagram as a basis for preparing a value stream map for their process.  By this time, the team should have a good grasp of their process, so the value stream map should form a complete and accurate description of their process.  The value stream map should include a clear identification of value-adding steps and non-value-adding steps, and estimations of times associated with each step.  Given the time available to complete this deliverable, only rough estimations of step times may be available at this point, and as with previous deliverables, the team may need to limit the scope of the value stream map to complete this deliverable in schedule.  The value stream map should be created as a Visio document and submitted as supplemental material.  This deliverable should be prepared as a PowerPoint presentation.

 

6.      Visual control – standardization 

Based on the information provided in the visual controls lecture, the team will prepare visual controls for their process.  Typically, these visual controls consist of graphic signage describing standardized work procedures for critical steps in the process.  The team will identify a segment of their process that could benefit from the development and/or documentation of work standards, and will design the needed visual controls.  The team will note on a copy of their process flow diagram from Deliverable #1 where the visual controls are to be added.  This diagram and the visual control designs should be submitted as supplemental materials.  The team’s visual control design and recommendations should be described in their PowerPoint presentation for this deliverable.   Again, the scope of this deliverable should be limited appropriately. 

 

1.       Process flow simulation

Based on the Arena simulation software tutorials for this course, the team will use Arena simulation software to simulate a critical segment of their process.  The process flow diagram of Deliverable #1 and the value stream map of Deliverable #4 will provide the basic structure and timing for the simulation.  The purpose of the simulation is to identify major flow bottlenecks in the process and points at which WIP accumulates in the process.  The actual Arena .doe model should be submitted as supplemental materials, and the structure of the model and results of the bottleneck and WIP analysis should be summarized in the PowerPoint presentation for this deliverable.  Again, the scope of this deliverable should be limited appropriately. 

 

2.       Final presentation

Teams will prepare a final presentation containing their findings associated with the preceding project deliverables, and will recommend specific next actions for their project sponsor based on these findings.  It is anticipated that each of the preceding deliverables will be integrated into the PowerPoint final presentation, with the presentation concluding with next step recommendations.  Project sponsors and interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend the final presentation.  Deliverables should contain no references to the name of the project sponsor, and should not contain any information that would allow the sponsor company to be identified, unless specifically requested by the sponsor.

 

3.       Supplemental materials  (description under construction)

 

In the process of completing the preceding project deliverables, teams will generate a variety of support materials that will not appear in the presentations that the teams will be giving in class for each project deliverable.  These materials should be put in the supplemental materials D2L folder for the project.  The primary purpose of collecting supplemental materials is to assist future project teams that may pick up the project.  The basic rule of thumb is this:  If YOU were inheriting this project from last semester’s project team, what would YOU find valuable for your project?  All supplemental materials should also be delivered to your team sponsor.

 


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