Need Help to Improve Your Company's Productivity?

We Would Like to Help

Continuing its tradition of working with and helping regional businesses, the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at North Dakota State University solicits potential projects for Project Management/Capstone course. The Department has a proven success record in working on projects for clients including manufacturing and healthcare and takes pride in using various opportunities to engage its students, staff, and faculty in projects helping businesses.

The Project Management/Capstone course provides students with unique experiences. The students enrolled in this course work with many regional firms in developing solutions for company problems that require them to draw upon the integral of the entire curriculum. The projects are conducted during spring semester and teams of students work concurrently on multiple projects related to various industrial and manufacturing subject areas. Such projects involve analysis of client needs, determination of requirements, research, design, development, documentation, and presentations addressing clients' needs.

We do realize the importance of your business to the economic health and prosperity of our communities, and we would welcome the opportunity to participate in your company's efforts to become more productive. Your company can benefit from interaction with faculty and students because of the multitude of ideas that can be generated through such projects. In effect, your company will be increasing its engineering and management staff through such cooperative efforts.

Project Types and Recent Clients

The following table is a summary listing of some of the areas that have potential for capstone/industry projects.

Plant Layout Design and Improvements Process Analysis and Improvements Material Handling and Ergonomics Issues Storage and Warehousing Quality/Reliability Monitoring and Improvements Logistics and Supply Chain Simulation and Modeling Production and Inventory Management

Paint Line Design and Improvements Order and Customer Service Processing Equipment Selection and Justification Product/Process Redesign and Improvements Automatic Identification System Analysis Facilities Utilization Analysis and Improvements Set-up Reduction Service Resource Utilization Improvements

The types of organizations served include, but are not limited to, manufacturing, retail, health care, mail distribution, packaging equipment, food processing, and insurance services. The document available through the students-business/industry projects link provides information about some the recent projects that the IME students have conducted.

Contacting Capstone and Industry Project Coordinator

Interested organizations are encouraged to contact the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Capstone Coordinator, Dr. Reza Maleki,to discuss their needs. If necessary, site visits will be made to better identify client needs and develop and/or refine candidate project proposals. It is highly recommended that potential clients contact the department as early as possible, and no later than one month before the start of the Spring semester.

Project Selection

Final selection of projects will take place during the first week of Spring semester. Projects will be selected based on the number and background of students enrolled in the Capstone course. The course is multidisciplinary and many times include students from various engineering and business programs. Depending on requirements, some of the projects might be assigned to students enrolled in other courses related to the areas of quality, work place design, simulation, etc.

Project Duration

The Project Management/Capstone class begins in the first week of spring semester and the selected project activities start during the second week of Spring semester. The Course concludes with the Capstone presentations and banquet during the last Thursday of April.

Final Product

The final product is a professional quality consultant's report and an on-campus presentation. If requested, additional presentations at the client's facility can be scheduled.

Client Responsibilities

Clients play an important role in the design of a solution to fit their needs. The client is responsible for providing appropriate contacts within the company to meet and discuss with the project group. Contacts should be available to provide pertinent content to ensure the project team continues on task within the given time constraints. The client organization can help to make the project a success by:

• participating in an initial meeting to review project background, goals, requirements, timing, budget, Statement of Work, etc.,
• providing the project team with access to pertinent information required for project completion,
• providing access to the client facilities,
• designating a contact person to provide project team members with timely feedback and help to acquire information and resources,
• participating in project team evaluation.

Project Costs

The costs of conducting projects are minimal. The client provides reimbursement for expenses directly related to the client project(s). This includes copies, paperwork, phone calls, and mileage expenses for out-of-town travel. In addition, a modest fee will be assessed. This fee is dependent on the intensity of the project and the resources that the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering has to provide in support of the client's project. The fee will be negotiated and agreed upon by the client and the Capstone Coordinator.

Per NDSU's requirement, the clients need to sign a Project Contract Agreement. The agreement outlines the clients and university responsibilities.

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering North Dakota State University

Committed to Community through partnership in your productivity and offering great programs in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering