Aside from learning about the fundamental process groups and knowledge areas of project management, this course taught me that even following the body of knowledge cannot prepare a team for certain obstacles.  Sometimes a project will encounter such a hardship…   Read more»

I am actively pursuing a career in product development for a medical device manufacturer and this course has provided an excellent foundation of project management. Prior to this course, I was unaware of the project management institute and the body…   Read more»

At this particular point in my career, working in a position that provides career growth and development is of utmost importance to me. I am just beginning my career and I am willing to sacrifice fair pay, benefits, and working…   Read more»

My company provides repair and maintenance service for general biomedical equipment, so we deal with a lot of parts and suppliers. Every now and then we come across a brand-new component that is defective or damaged. In this case, we…   Read more»

From my experience, I have found that projects often have more than one priority. I am currently working on a recall remediation project that has three distinguished priorities. The recall affects a specific component within infusion pumps that were manufactured…   Read more»

During my senior design capstone project our sponsor changed the designated project manager multiple times which caused delays throughout our design process. Our team could not sacrifice delays because our project course had very strict deadlines for grading purposes. Unfortunately,…   Read more»

Assuming this situation has been anticipated months in advance, I believe the company should consider hiring a temporary or contract employee to fill in for her. This temporary employee would begin before she leaves for maternity leave in order to…   Read more»

Although my team eventually found success in our senior design capstone project, we faced many hurdles throughout the year that were brought on by inadequate communication. We developed and implemented a communication management plan during the preliminary planning phase of…   Read more»

I believe it is important to understand how the employee is being unresponsive and what may be causing them to not cooperate. Once this is established, arrange a time to speak with the employee about your expectations and see if…   Read more»

Assuming the schedule variance and cost variance are both very high values, I would rather have a negative schedule variance and positive cost variance. I believe it is easier to catch up on a project schedule than it is to…   Read more»

When breaking down a project into the five fundamental project management process groups, I can’t help but designate the executing phase as the most important. I understand that the initiation and planning phases are important for setting up the overall…   Read more»

Design validation is important in product development because it provides evidence that the user needs are met. The fundamental purpose of any project is to produce a product or process that aligns with the requirements of the user. Therefore, user…   Read more»

Regardless of industry or project size, metrics are essential for successful product development for a number of reasons. Metrics can be used to assess and improve productivity in a project or process. Measurements are taken in a variety of aspects…   Read more»

My company was recently contracted to perform corrective remediation service on recalled infusion pumps for a well-known manufacturer. This project spans the course of 18 months and will remediate over 40,000 recalled infusion pumps. With a project of this magnitude,…   Read more»

My job as a biomedical equipment technician is to work with a team in order to complete work orders for over a dozen different types of medical devices. Recently my team and I underestimated the time period of a project…   Read more»

One of my jobs as a biomedical technician is to maintain inventory so my coworkers and I can provide a consistent stream of work. Depending on the device, manufacturer, or supplier I am dealing with, the maximum cost may vary….   Read more»

My only experience with a work breakdown structure was during my senior capstone project as an undergraduate. My group could have certainly developed a more detailed work breakdown structure which would have avoided delays and dead ends. For example, our…   Read more»

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, I did not feel as prepared for interviews as I do now after taking one of Dr. Simon’s courses. About halfway through my undergraduate study, I had the impression that…   Read more»

My only experience working in product development was during my senior capstone project as an undergraduate. My team was tasked with developing a testing apparatus for surgical staplers that simulated associating force profiles expected when using the stapler. We followed…   Read more»

I work as a biomedical equipment technician for a company that services medical devices in hospitals throughout the country. My company deals with external environmental factors by implementing and maintaining ISO 13485 certification processes. We also implement visual standards within…   Read more»