CASE STUDY: Lewton Telecom – Engineering Prototype Project

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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

1. Project Artifacts and Quality Management Plan Development

In the initial phase, the project manager has the following artifacts:

  • Customer-detailed specification: This provides the technical requirements and performance expectations for the amplifier.
  • Overview statement of work: This outlines the project scope, deliverables, and key milestones.
  • Project manager experience: The project manager’s past successes with similar projects inform the planning and risk assessment.
  • Internal resources: Knowledge and expertise of Lewton Telecom’s engineers and scientists are valuable assets.
  • Production capabilities: Existing manufacturing facilities and supplier relationships provide context for cost and quality decisions.

These artifacts serve as the foundation for the quality management plan (QMP). The project manager can use them to:

  • Identify critical quality characteristics (CQC): Extract key performance metrics from the customer’s specification and translate them into measurable qualities the team can focus on.
  • Define quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) processes: Establish procedures for inspecting materials, components, and assemblies throughout the development and production of both prototypes.
  • Develop a testing plan: Design tests to verify form, fit, and function of the prototypes with both US and Asian-based materials.
  • Set clear acceptance criteria: Define parameters for evaluating whether each prototype meets customer expectations and cost targets.
  • Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies: Leverage past experience and knowledge of supplier capabilities to anticipate and address quality issues.

2. Data Analysis Methodologies in the QMP

The project manager can incorporate various data analysis methodologies into the QMP to monitor and improve quality. Some examples include:

  • Statistical Process Control (SPC): Use control charts to track key quality metrics, identify process variations, and prevent defects.
  • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): Systematically analyze potential failure modes, assess their severity and likelihood, and implement preventive measures.
  • Design of Experiments (DOE): Conduct controlled experiments to identify optimal material and process combinations for achieving desired quality and cost targets.
  • Data Visualization: Use charts, graphs, and dashboards to present quality data in an accessible and actionable format for the team.

These methodologies can help the project manager:

  • Make data-driven decisions: Base improvements and adjustments on factual evidence rather than intuition or guesswork.
  • Identify trends and patterns: Detect early signs of potential quality issues before they lead to costly rework or delays.
  • Optimize processes: Continuously refine manufacturing and assembly methods to achieve consistent quality and efficiency.
  • Document lessons learned: Capture valuable insights from data analysis for future projects.

3. Concerns with the Triple Constraint

The triple constraint of project management (scope, cost, and schedule) poses significant challenges for this project. The addition of the Asian-based prototype adds complexity and potential trade-offs:

  • Scope: Maintaining quality with new materials may require adjustments to the design or testing procedures, impacting the initial scope.
  • Cost: Achieving customer price targets with Asian-based materials may require cost-cutting measures that could affect quality.
  • Schedule: The second prototype introduces additional tasks and potentially extends the overall project timeline.

The project manager must carefully balance these factors throughout the project lifecycle. Strategies might include:

  • Early supplier involvement: Engage Asian-based suppliers early in the design phase to ensure their materials and processes can meet quality requirements.
  • Value engineering: Explore alternative materials and manufacturing methods that maintain quality while reducing costs.
  • Flexibility in testing: Consider phased testing and iterative adjustments to optimize the second prototype without significantly impacting the timeline.

4. Quality Metrics for Project Lifecycle

Throughout the project, the following quality metrics can be used to track progress and adjust processes as needed:

  • Production yield: Percentage of components and assemblies conforming to specifications.
  • Defect rate: Number of non-conforming items identified during inspection and testing.
  • Rework rate: Amount of effort required to correct defects or non-conformances.
  • Test pass rate: Percentage of prototypes successfully passing functionality and performance tests.
  • Supplier quality performance: On-time delivery, compliance with specifications, and defect rates from Asian-based suppliers.
  • Customer satisfaction: Feedback from the customer on prototype performance and price competitiveness.

Monitoring these metrics regularly helps the project manager identify areas for improvement, assess progress towards meeting quality goals, and demonstrate value to the customer.

5. Comprehensive Quality Management Plan

Here’s a potential outline for a comprehensive QMP for this project:

1. Introduction:

  • Project overview and objectives
  • Importance of quality and customer satisfaction
  • Roles and responsibilities of project team members

2. Quality Policy:

  • Statement of Lewton Telecom’s commitment to quality
  • Focus on meeting customer expectations and exceeding industry standards

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