CASE STUDY: Lewton Telecom – Engineering Prototype Project
Lewton Telecom is a midsized company that develops telecom products for the cellular phone industry based in the United States. This company has two locations one is the headquarters where corporate management, accounting, and human resources, as well as all engineering and development, reside, and a second small production facility. After a review of a customer-detailed specification for a new cellular phone base station amplifier, it has been determining the project will be approved for the development of a prototype amplifier.
A project manager has been identified at Lewton Telecom and has been given the task of developing a project management plan to manage the goal of creating the prototype amplifier. The project manager starts with a comprehensive and detailed specification provided by the customer, and a brief overview statement of work that was developed by the initial evaluation team at Lewton Telecom. As this project manager is one of the senior project managers at Lewton Telecom, she has managed several projects a very similar type and based on her experience with again be the best selection for the project manager in accomplishing this project objective. Lewton telecom has several design engineers seasoned in power amplifier development as well as an extensive staff of both manufacturing and process engineers that have seen these type of projects to high-volume production. There is also research scientists, battle hold PhD’s specific to this type of product, that are tasked with the development of new technologies required to meet various customer demands.
As Lewton Telecom has accomplished these types of prototypes several times in the past, the project manager sees little challenge with items that are unknown in developing the overall project plan, the challenge will be to meet the customer’s price expectations in volume production and this may influence how the prototype is created and evaluated. The project manager and project team has decided to create the original prototype as usual with US-based manufactured products to verify form fit and function for product approval. Lewton telecom has most of their products in high-volume production using their own manufacturing center and Asia and this has been to keep prices will adopt to compete competitively with other US-based manufacturers. The project manager and project team have determined that in addition to the first prototype, a second prototype should be made using the agent-based suppliers materials to confirm quality, as well is form fit and function. The project manager will be challenged with maintaining quality of the second prototype to ensure Asian-based suppliers can provide materials that will meet quality expectations of the customer. Typical products used in this base station amplifier would include; a machined aluminum housing typical of US-based machine shop, versus a cast aluminum housing that would be used in high-volume production, circuit boards, RF cables as well as ribbon electrical cables.
The project manager now has an added challenge of a second prototype that will need to be made and qualified with Asian-based materials to confirm not only the product conformance to all customer specifications, but confirmation that it will meet price targets in volume production. This creates an added challenge of time as well as project cost and a very high sensitivity to product quality to ensure the sustainability of this product for the organization and the continued good relations between the customer and Lewton Telecom.
Questions
1. What project artifacts does the project manager have in the initial phase of the project based on the case study in this chapter, and how would they be used in developing a quality management plan.
2. What type of data analysis methodologies with the project manager design into the quality management plan and how would they be used?
3. What components of the triple constraint will the project manager be most concerned with during the development of both prototypes required for this project?
4. Based on the case study in this chapter, establish quality metrics that would be used throughout the project lifecycle.
5. Developed a comprehensive quality management plan for this project.
Sample Solution
Project Artifacts:
In the initial phase, the project manager has access to the following key artifacts:
- Customer-detailed specification: This provides the technical requirements, performance expectations, and acceptance criteria for the prototype amplifier.
- Overview statement of work: This document outlines the project scope, deliverables, and high-level activities.
- Internal expertise: Lewton Telecom possesses experienced design engineers, manufacturing and process engineers, and research scientists, capable of tackling complex technical challenges.
- Past project experience: The company has a successful track record in developing similar prototypes.
Full Answer Section
These artifacts serve as the foundation for the quality management plan (QMP), informing project activities, setting quality standards, and establishing metrics for success. Data Analysis Methodologies: The QMP should incorporate various data analysis methodologies to monitor and improve quality throughout the project lifecycle. Here are some suitable options:- Statistical Process Control (SPC): Monitor key quality characteristics (KCs) like component performance, assembly tolerances, and test results using control charts to identify and prevent defects.
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): Proactively identify potential failure modes, assess their severity and likelihood, and implement preventive actions to mitigate risks.
- Design of Experiments (DoE): Conduct controlled experiments to optimize design parameters, materials, and processes for optimal performance and quality.
- Data Visualization: Utilize charts, graphs, and dashboards to provide stakeholders with clear insights into quality trends and performance metrics.
- Scope: Balancing the customer's detailed specifications with cost and time constraints, particularly with the additional Asian-based prototype.
- Time: Managing two prototypes within the planned schedule, considering additional lead times for Asian-based materials and supplier coordination.
- Cost: Meeting the customer's price expectations in volume production might require cost-reduction initiatives in the prototype stage, influencing material choices and processes.
- Defective rate: Track the percentage of components, assemblies, and prototypes with detected defects to identify problem areas and implement corrective actions.
- Process adherence: Measure compliance with established quality procedures and specifications to ensure consistent and reliable outcomes.
- On-time delivery: Monitor the timely completion of project milestones and deliverables to maintain project schedule and stakeholder confidence.
- Customer satisfaction: Conduct surveys and gather feedback from the customer throughout the project to gauge their perception of quality and address any concerns.
- Cost performance: Track project expenditures against budget to ensure efficient resource utilization and adherence to cost targets.
- Quality policy: Define the organization's commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
- Quality objectives: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for project quality.
- Roles and responsibilities: Assign clear ownership and accountability for quality-related tasks among team members.
- Quality procedures: Document standardized processes for design, manufacturing, testing, and inspection activities.
- Control plans: Specify the methods for monitoring key quality characteristics, identifying deviations, and implementing corrective actions.
- Training: Implement training programs to ensure team members understand quality principles, procedures, and expectations.
- Quality audits and reviews: Conduct regular audits and reviews to assess the effectiveness of the QMP and identify areas for improvement.
- Continuous improvement: Implement a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging process improvement initiatives and incorporating lessons learned from previous projects.