Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of an analysis of product introduction. The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because it will focus on how to account for a new product launch, how to mitigate risk, and how to manage employees and customers in regard to the new product launch. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Recommend strategies that incorporate lean manufacturing principles and mitigate process constraints for fulfilling required cycle and takt time limits
Assess the labor and materials needs required to optimize production increase or new product introductions
Develop strategies that mitigate risk associated with production increase or new product introduction and best secure production goals
Develop strategies to manage cross-functional teams required to introduce new products or increase production volume
Utilize a total quality management (TQM) approach for fulfilling customer expectations regarding existing products or introducing new products
Prompt
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Overview: Provide a concise overview of the company you have selected. Frame your analysis by including pertinent information about the company’s new product launch.
Production Needs: In this part of the project, you will analyze your selected company’s facility layout and propose how to best address production of the new product.
Estimate the process cycle time for the new product introduction and compare against estimated takt time.
Determine process bottlenecks that may adversely affect cycle time of the new product introduction.
Explain how principles of lean management could be applied to the introduction of the new product to account for adverse effects on cycle time.
Recommend an appropriate strategy aligned with principles of lean management that the company could implement to improve cycle time of the new product introduction.
Assess the labor, equipment, and material needs of the company that would be required to support the new product introduction.
Propose a labor, equipment, and materials plan to support the new product introduction that could be implemented by the company.
Explain how your proposed labor, equipment, and materials plan will support the new product introduction.
Risk and Financial Impact: In this part of the project, you will analyze your selected company and offer guidance as to how to address potential risk factors associated with the introduction of its new product and what the overall financial impact of the new product will be on the company.
Identify potential risks to the company associated with the new product introduction.
Develop a risk mitigation plan to address the previously identified risks associated with the introduction of the new product.
Explain how your proposed risk mitigation plan will account for and address the previously identified risks.
Management Strategies: In this part of the project, you will analyze your selected company and offer guidance as to how to form and appropriately manage the launch of a new product as well as the team that will be involved with the launch of the new product.
Describe the key aspects and characteristics of the team that you would build to support introduction of the new product.
Select the stakeholder from the company that you would include on a cross-functional team to support the introduction of the new product.
Explain how your proposed team is cross-functional and how that assists them in supporting the introduction of the new product.
Develop a strategy you would use to manage the cross-functional team tasked with supporting the introduction of the new product.
Explain how you could apply principles of total quality management (TQM) in managing the product introduction.
Describe how you could utilize the total quality management (TQM) approach for fulfilling customer expectations associated with the new product.
Explain how each department in the company would approach assessing customer expectations of the product.
Milestones
Milestone One: Overview
In Module Three, you will identify an organization and include the reasoning for your selection. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Production Needs
In Module Five, you will explore more details about facility layout needs and any special considerations that may be required. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Risk and Financial Impact and Draft of Management Strategies
In Module Seven, you will further expand on plant considerations and how they apply to safety. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Analysis of Product Introduction
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
What to Submit
Your analysis of product introduction must be 12 to 15 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least 10 references cited in APA format.
Criteria Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Overview: Company Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates keen insight regarding important specifics of a new product launch Provides concise overview of the company and its new product launch Provides overview of the company and its new product launch, but description either lacks brevity or has gaps in the details Does not provide an overview of the company and its new product launch 4.1
Production Needs: Cycle Time Meets “Proficient” criteria, and comparison of process cycle time and takt time demonstrates nuanced understanding of product introduction Estimates the process cycle time for the new product introduction and compares against estimated takt time Estimates the process cycle time for the new product introduction, but does not compare to estimated takt time or estimates are illogical Does not estimate the process cycle time for the new product introduction 4.59
Production Needs: Bottlenecks Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides a comprehensive list of bottlenecks that may adversely affect cycle time Determines process bottlenecks that may adversely affect cycle time of the new product introduction Determines process bottlenecks that may adversely affect cycle time of the new product introduction, but determination is inappropriate or cursory Does not determine process bottlenecks that may adversely affect cycle time of the new product introduction 4.59
Production Needs: Lean Management Meets “Proficient” criteria and explanation demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the relationship between principles of lean management and cycle time Explains how principles of lean management could be applied to the introduction of the new product to account for adverse effects on cycle time Explains how principles of lean management could be applied to the introduction of the new product, but explanation either lacks accountability for adverse effects on cycle time, is inaccurate, or is cursory Does not explain how principles of lean management could be applied to the introduction of the new product to account for adverse effects on cycle time 4.59
Production Needs: Strategy Meets “Proficient” criteria, and recommendation demonstrates a nuanced understanding of how principles of lean management can be applied to cycle time Recommends an appropriate strategy aligned with principles of lean management that could be implemented to improve cycle time of the new product Recommends a strategy aligned with principles of lean management, but strategy is either inappropriate or overgeneralized Does not recommend a strategy aligned with principles of lean management that could be implemented to improve cycle time of the new product 4.59
Production Needs: Needs Meets “Proficient” criteria, and assessment outlines in significant detail the labor, equipment, and material requirements that result in a highly efficient process Assesses the company’s labor, material and equipment needs that would be required to support the new product Assesses the company’s labor, material and equipment needs that would be required to support the new product, but assessment is inaccurate or overgeneralized Does not assess the company’s labor, material, and equipment needs that would be required to support the new product 6.12
Production Needs: Plan Meets “Proficient” criteria, and the plan demonstrates insight into the labor, equipment, and materials required to support new production Proposes a labor, equipment, and materials plan to support the new product introduction Proposes a labor, equipment, and materials plan to support the new product introduction, but proposed plan is inappropriate or overgeneralized Does not propose a labor, equipment, and materials plan to support the new product introduction 6.12
Production Needs: Support Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates a nuanced understanding of how the labor, equipment, and materials plan supports the launch Explains how the proposed labor, equipment, and materials plan will support the new product launch Explains how the proposed labor, equipment, and materials plan will support the new product launch, but explanation is inappropriate or cursory Does not explain how the proposed labor, equipment, and materials plan will support the new product launch 6.12
Risk and Financial Impact: Potential Risks Meets “Proficient” criteria, and response demonstrates insight into the potential risks associated with new product introduction Identifies potential risks to the company associated with the new product introduction Identifies potential risks to the company associated with the new product introduction, but risks are inaccurate or overgeneralized Does not identify potential risks to the company associated with the new product introduction 6.12
Risk and Financial Impact: Risk Mitigation Plan Meets “Proficient” criteria, and the plan demonstrates insight into how mitigation plans can reduce risks to product production Develops a risk mitigation plan to address identified risks associated with introduction of the new product Develops a risk mitigation plan to address identified risks associated with introduction of the new product, but plan is inappropriate or overgeneralized Does not develop a risk mitigation plan to address identified risks associated with introduction of the new product 6.12
Risk and Financial Impact: Address Meets “Proficient” criteria, and the plan demonstrates insight into how mitigation plans can reduce risks to product production Explains how the proposed risk mitigation plan accounts for and addresses identified risk Explains how the proposed risk mitigation plan accounts for and addresses identified risk, but explanation is inappropriate or cursory Does not explain how the proposed risk mitigation plan accounts for and addresses identified risk 6.12
Management Strategies: Key Aspects and Characteristics Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the key aspects and characteristics of a team that would support the introduction of a new product Describes the key aspects and characteristics of the team that would be built to support the introduction of the new product Describes the key aspects and characteristics of the team that would be built to support the introduction of the new product, but description of team is inaccurate or cursory Does not describe the key aspects and characteristics of the team that would be built to support the introduction of the new product 4.59
Management Strategies: Stakeholders Meets “Proficient” criteria, and selection demonstrates a nuanced understanding of stakeholders within a company who would be best qualified to support the introduction of the new product Selects the stakeholders from the company to be included on a cross-functional team to support the introduction of the new product Selects the stakeholders from the company to be included on a cross-functional team, but selection is inappropriate or illogical Does not select stakeholders from the company 4.59
Management Strategies: Cross-functional Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates keen insight into how a cross-functional team interacts and supports the new product launch Explains how the team is cross-functional and how this assists in supporting the introduction of the new product Explains how the team is cross-functional, but not how this assists in supporting the introduction of the new product, or explanation is cursory Does not explain how the team is cross-functional 4.59
Management Strategies: Strategy Meets “Proficient” criteria and strategy demonstrates a nuanced understanding of how to manage a cross-functional team Develops a strategy to manage the cross-functional team supporting the introduction of the new product Develops a strategy to manage the cross-functional team, but developed strategy is inappropriate or overgeneralized Does not develop a strategy to manage the cross-functional team 4.59
Management Strategies: Managing Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates insight into the relationship between principles of total quality management and product introduction Explains how principles of total quality management could be applied in managing the product introduction Explains how principles of total quality management could be applied in managing the product introduction, but explanation is inaccurate or cursory Does not explain how principles of total quality management could be applied in managing the product introduction 6.12
Management Strategies: Customer Expectations Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates insight into how the TQM approach helps fulfill customer requirements Describes how the TQM approach could be utilized to fulfill customer expectations Describes how the TQM approach could be utilized to fulfill customer expectations, but description is inaccurate or cursory Does not describe how the TQM approach could be utilized to fulfill customer expectations 6.12
Management Strategies: Department Meets “Proficient” criteria, and explanation demonstrates insight into departmental characteristics and the assessment of customer expectations Explains how each department approaches the assessment of customer expectations Explains how each department approaches the assessment of customer expectations, but explanation is inappropriate or cursory Does not explain how each department approaches the assessment of customer expectations 6.12
Articulation of Response Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 4.1
