How to motivate someone will vary greatly based on the person they are and what drives them. If you are a manager in this situation it is on you to figure out what motivates that person and then use that…   Read more»

I think that the two are unrelated. The reasons that you work and the reasons to leave a particular employer can be vastly different. People work because they want a challenge, which I believe is an inherent human trait. But…   Read more»

I think the biggest learning for me in this class came from the simulations. Working together with a group of people towards a “real world” goal is something that I do not have much experience with as much of my…   Read more»

I think the biggest reason that people work themselves so hard is that they fear what will happen if they do not. Management has become so accustomed to attempting to cut costs wherever they can that manpower has become one…   Read more»

Different from what many people here have said, I currently want to remain in an R&D/engineering role for as long as possible. To me the process of taking a problem and creating a solution is one of the most rewarding…   Read more»

As you mentioned, retaining key employees is critical to project and company success. The amount of effort put into retaining an employee must match the value that they bring to the company. If you have a person who is critical…   Read more»

It is important to attempt to prevent a situation like this by ensuring that people on the team are not going to just leave without notice, and that management is not constantly shuffling people around. But such things are inevitable…   Read more»

I did a co-op at J&J, and the group that I was working with was looking at sourcing completed products that J&J could sell under one of their brand names. In this case it was facial cosmetics, and I was…   Read more»

Using different components from the same company does not completely solve the issue of dual sourcing, because those two components are not completely independent. Most likely the two chemicals are made in the same location. So if something happens to…   Read more»

Like any relationship in the world, communication is key. It is important that you understand the obligations of each team member, but it is just as important for them to be open with you about their obligations, both to the…   Read more»

Metrics are an important way to measure how healthy a project is. High level metrics like cost and progress allow the company to track the work that has been done and make decisions about the future of a project. There…   Read more»

Monitoring the difference between planned value and actual value/costs is critical in ensuring that the project will maintain its viability. In a more perfect world, these projects would happen because there are things people need to be healthy, but in…   Read more»

For my master’s thesis there are three key people with input in the design, myself, my advisor, and our clinical collaborator. The clinical collaborator is the least involved in the day to day of the project, so during the planning…   Read more»

Design validation is critical to the life-cycle of a project as it is when you test to make sure that the product or deliverables meet the requirements specified by the client. In any company regardless of the industry it is…   Read more»

I have run into these problems on a smaller and more personal scale. I am currently completing my master’s thesis, which revolves around the early design and development of a medical device. I am far enough along in the thesis…   Read more»

The planning phase of a project is one of the most critical stages in my opinion, because proper planning can make or break a project. If we take the example of time allotment like you have in your post, if…   Read more»

I would disagree that the portions you listed are the most important. I think some of them, like the managing of vendor relations, are key components to the whole process, but I think a disproportionate amount of value is placed…   Read more»

I have found that both this class and Dr. Simon’s other class to be very insightful and useful. The knowledge gained from this class has helped me several times through my classes. I am currently completing a masters thesis revolving…   Read more»

Risk is something that is very hard to quantify and accurately describe before the product goes out into the public because it is impossible to prepare for every single eventuality. The grey area is also something that is really hard…   Read more»

Scope management is used to ensure that a project does not just keep expanding and expanding until it becomes impossible to take to market because it is so massive. Scope management means that throughout the life of a project the…   Read more»