First-Year Engineering Program

Brainstorming&

Project Management

First-Year Engineering Program

Brainstorming

Proposing new ideas Free flowing exchange of ideas No judgment No decisions Build on others’ ideas Silly is good – Can trigger creativeness A note-taker is needed

Definition

First-Year Engineering Program

Brainstorming

OLD FACTORY

NEW FACTORY

A company has built a new, clean factory on some land it owns. Unfortunately, …

Exercise

First-Year Engineering Program

Brainstorming

RIVER

To bridge- 50 miles

To bridge- 60 miles

OLD FACTORY

NEW FACTORY

…there is a river between the town and the new factory.

Exercise

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Management

Project Management is an important function used in projects to plan and manage the cost and schedule of projects.

Definition

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Management

1. Define project2. Create plan3. Implement plan4. Monitor progress5. Complete and document

Project Management Cycle

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Management

Create a Project Plan Make a Project

Schedule Track the schedule Revise the schedule

Organize all documentation in a Project Notebook

Hold team meetings

Anticipate problems Solve problems Meet the deadlines

Main Tasks

First-Year Engineering Program

Create a Project Plan

Step 1: Identify all tasks Read the project description

document. Look at course website to see what

your weekly assignments will be. Brainstorm in your group the tasks

your project will require. After you have identified these tasks,

break them down into small enough parts to be able to measure progress weekly.

First-Year Engineering Program

P. 9

Sample Task Breakdown

Document

Project

DetermineRequirements

Design Build Test

Read project description

Brainstorm

Initial PaperDesign Etc. - add additional

tasks as needed

First-Year Engineering Program

P. 10

Create a Project Plan - Sample Schedule

Group X Roller Coaster Project Schedule

Last updated: 9/27/2014

Task Assigned Person

PlannedStart

Actual Start

PlannedComplete

Actual Complete

Completion Percent (%)

Browse course website and read project description All 9/12/2014 9/12/2014 9/14/2014 9/16/2014 100%

First team design brainstorming session All 9/28/2014 9/27/2014 9/28/2014 9/27/2014 90%

Start project notebook R. L. K 9/27/2014 10/1/2014

Initial paper design All 10/11/2014 10/16/2014

Etc.

First-Year Engineering Program

Update and revise your schedule weekly.

Instructional staff will check these updates weekly when they check your notebook. (for points!)

If the project schedule begins to fall too far behind, you should re-plan the remaining tasks to complete on time.

Project Schedule

Updating Schedule Weekly

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Notebook

Use a 3-ring binder. Provide clearly labeled

tabs for each section. Assign a project manager

to maintain the notebook throughout the semester.

To Start….

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Notebook

Create the following (8) sections:

1. Table of Contents – List of sections organized and labeled properly.

2. Project Description Document – Copy of Project Description Document.

3. Team Working Agreement – Signed copy of agreement (created at beginning of project).

4. Project Schedule – More details to come….

Notebook Content

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Notebook

5. Initial Design & Documentation – Include the graded Initial Concept Design and all initial brainstorming records.

6. Lab Documentation – This section should be organized sequentially and include the following:• Graded lab assignments (memos,

performance test summaries, etc.)• Meeting notes – member attendance, date,

time, duration, tasks, discussion• Brainstorming• Sketches

Notebook Content

First-Year Engineering Program

Project Notebook

7. Final Design & Documentation – Include copies of Final Report Draft and Final Report (including final drawings).

8. Handouts – Any handouts or research done for this project not included in other sections.

Notebook Content

First-Year Engineering Program

• Record all weekly meeting notes.• Collect and organize all graded lab

assignments, graded design documentation, and handouts received that week.

• Update the project schedule based on work done that week and work to be completed.

• Have your notebook checked weekly.

Project Notebook

Updating Notebook Weekly

First-Year Engineering Program

PROJECT NOTEBOOK Bring notebook to lab every week since circuit

prototyping lab Final notebook due before the oral presentation

lab

PROJECT SCHEDULE Initial schedule due per course website Bring to lab weekly in notebook

Assignments