Engineering 185 EW

Week 1, Lecture 1
Jon Fong – Team Project
 Today’s Lecture
• Course overview & learning objectives
• My background
• Discuss the format and deliverables for
Engineering 185 EW
• Introduction to the Ethics and Engineering
(micro-ethics)
• Introduction to the Team Project
• Discovering the Unmet Need
• How to get an A
 Engineering 185 EW: Overview
• This course consist of two major sections:
– Jon Fong – Team Project & Ethics (micro ethics)
– Don Browne – Ethics in Engineering (marco ethics)
• Earned Point Distribution
– Essays (2) - 30%
– Team Project - 30 %
– Individual Participation – 10%
– Final – 30%
 Team Project: Earned Points
• Points are earned through the following
activities:
– Team Project (Stage Gated)
• 35% -Team Project Presentation & Report
• 15% -2nd Trimester review & update
• 10% -1st Trimester review & update
• 10% - Design History File (weekly)
– Participation
• 30% - in class quiz (weekly)
 Engineering 185 EW
• The learning objective for this course are:
– Developing writing skills
– Understanding ethics and the influence on the
decision making process
– Teamwork & interpersonal skills
– Enhanced team and technical communication
– Organizational skills: planning
 My Background
• BSME Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, 1981
• 35 years experience in R & D: emerging growth
consumer products
• Experience: Department Manager to Director of
Engineering
• Fortune 500 to start up companies; launched
over 200 products
• 32 Patents & 2 publications
• Consults with technology companies, founded
my own company and launching another is 2017
 How I Evaluate Employees: Technical

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Analysis Modelling Design Documentation Experimentation
 How I Evaluate Employees: Influence

10
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Teamwork Communication Agility Commitment Organization
 New Employees
• An individual who is technically strong might
only reach a 50% value
• The fastest rate of growth will be the
development of influence skills
– Teamwork
– Communication (oral & written)
– Agility
– Commitment
– Organization
 Influence
• These skills are also what is emphasized in the
185 EW learning objectives
• Success projects require these skills, the
sooner you incorporate these skills the faster
you will advance in your career
• Backstory…
 Engineering 185 EW
• The learning objective for this course are:
– Developing writing skills
– Understanding ethics and the influence on the
decision making process
– Teamwork & interpersonal skills
– Enhanced team and technical communication
– Organizational skills: planning
 Team Project & Ethics: Overview
• The Team Project is a model used understand
how ethical issues arise and the decision
making processes use to resolve these issues
• To be successful, you will need to utilize your
communication, teamwork and organizational
skills
• While it is not a design class, you will learn the
basics of project management
 Project Presentation & Report
• Companies make a vast majority of decisions
based upon oral presentation with a few
PowerPoint slides (extensive internal culture)
• Your team will give a 20 minute project
presentation (Overview)
• Your team will deliver a written report (Due
Diligence)
 The Team Project…
• Is a crazy because we are asking 4-6 strangers
to get together to develop a project proposal
in 10 weeks
• I will be instructing you on a New Product
Development process that you have never
used before
• Your primary form of feedback and
mentorship will be office hours, emails-Skype-
meetings and Trimester Reviews
 Team Project: Scope
• Your Team will be developing a project
proposal that will extend through the
prototyping phase
• Your team should select a consumer electronic
product that is multidiscipline in nature: Best
Buys, Sharper Image, Consumer Electronics
Show (CES), etc.
• Your product should be novel and address an
unmet consumer need
 Team Project: 2016-2017
• Robotic shower cleaner • Digital paint mixer for
• Bone conduction alarm artist (CMYK & W)
for roommates • Bicycle recovery system
• Water detecting • Portable beverage
bathroom tiles cooler
• iPhone 7 case with • Door stop for
extra battery, preventing crushed
headphone jack & fingers
wireless charging
 Team Project: Gates
• 1st trimester review (Week 4) – Unmet need,
price/performance chart, high level
specifications & IP clearance
• 2nd trimester review (Week 7)– Proof of
Concept, BOM, WBS & FMECA
• Final report and presentation (Week 10)
Quiz Example: Is it a consumer product
or B2B?
• Automatic pet feeder • Light encryption
• Smart shopping cart algorithm (security)
(fast checkout) • Refrigerator beer
• Biometric (thumbprint) monitor (checkout)
toilet paper dispenser • Smartpop: Popcorn
• Window washer for tall monitoring app
office buildings • Home Depot inventory
• Alarm that only wakes mapping monitor
up the user • Airbnb for pets
Quiz Example: Is it a consumer product
or B2B?
• Automatic pet feeder • Light encryption
• Smart shopping cart algorithm (security)
(fast checkout) • Refrigerator beer
• Biometric (thumbprint) monitor (checkout)
toilet paper dispenser • Smartpop: Popcorn
• Window washer for tall monitoring app
office buildings • Home Depot inventory
• Alarm that only wakes mapping monitor
up the user • Airbnb for pets
Ethics & New Product
Development (NPD)
 National Society of Professional
Engineers: Code of Ethics
• Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the
public.
• Perform services only in areas of their competence.
• Issue public statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
• Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees.
• Avoid deceptive acts.
• Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically,
and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation,
and usefulness of the profession.
 The Royal Academy of Engineering:
Statement of Ethical Principles
• Accuracy and rigour
• Honesty and integrity
• Respect for life, law and the public good
• Responsible leadership: listening and
informing
 Ethics Violations are Obvious
• Apple / Samsung IP battles (~$400M)
Respect for life, law and the public good

• Theranos (~$9B)
Accuracy and rigour

• Volkswagen (~$14.9B plus)

Avoid deceptive acts

• Subway Chicken (monitor)

Avoid deceptive acts
Accuracy and rigour
 Ethics Violations are obvious?
• Christal McGee is facing
multiple charges after
crashing her Mercedes and
seriously injuring another
driver, while allegedly using
the Snapchat app's 'speed
filter'.

• FaceTime / Snapchat /
Facebook Live
Respect for life, law
and the public good
Ethics Violations are Obvious?
•A class action law suite has been
filed because Lean Cuisine pizza
contain citric acid
•More than a million tons of citric
acid are manufactured every year.
•Because it is one of the stronger
edible acids, the dominant use of
citric acid is used as a flavoring and
preservative in food and
beverages, especially soft drinks.
Avoid deceptive acts
Honesty and integrity
 Ethics Violations are Obvious?
• Fitbit is being accused of
misrepresenting how
accurately its devices
monitor users’ heart rate
during physical activity

• The accuracy of Fitbit's

sleep tracking technology,
specifically allegedly
misrepresentative claims on
Hold paramount the safety, health, and
Fitbit Flex packaging, are
welfare of the public
the subject of a class action
lawsuit. Accuracy and rigour
 Ethics
• We typically notice ethical cases because:
– Human lives are at risk
– Large amounts of money involved
– The audacity of a company /client claim
• Ethics is not always black & white, there many
shades of gray
– Cultural acceptance
– Not detected before
– Look at the Code of Ethics
 National Society of Professional
Engineers: Code of Ethics
• Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the
public.
• Perform services only in areas of their competence.
• Issue public statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
• Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees.
• Avoid deceptive acts.
• Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically,
and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation,
and usefulness of the profession.
 Team Projects & Ethics
• For the Team Project, we will be reviewing
project / decisions at the Trimesters with
hypersensitivity to ethics
• About 1/3 of the projects will face ethical
challenges
• Office Hour meetings as well as Peer reviews
are highly encouraged
 NPD: Check & Balances
• Specifications & Metrics
• Peer & Design Reviews
• FMECA’s
• Verification Process (this is why Quality
Departments should be a 3rd party
organization)
• Personal Judgment – the Smell Test
 Team Projects & Ethics
• The project development process has several
areas where your team may be facing ethical
situations:
– Specifications (performance claims)
– Intellectual Property clearance
– Proof of Concept
– Failure Modes Effects Cause and Analysis (FMECA)
• Team Projects will be assigned a difficulty
factor based (Trimester) upon the scope of the
project
 The Unmet Need
• The Unmet Need is something that a
customer wants and is currently not being
addressed
• For the Team Project, we are looking for new,
innovative product opportunities: the unmet
need can be viewed as a problem statement
• The product should be consumer electronics
based and be able fit in a car
• The product should not be entertainment or a
service (B2B product)
Unmet Need: Class Example

An example of an Unmet Need is

bicycle theft
 Discovering the Unmet Need
• See what customers are currently using for a
solutions: look at the competition
• Read product reviews and customer feedback
• Find forums and blogs that talk about the
unmet need
• Start to identify the top 4-6 key product
attributes that customers are looking for
 Quantifying the Unmet Need
• A simple way to quantify the unmet need is
to create a price performance chart for
similar solutions
• Characterize the performance for the Y
axis (subjective)
• Evaluate the overall price for the X axis
• Does the chart make sense?
 Performance
• Find products that address the unmet need
• Review the specifications, reviews and
feedback
• Generate a prioritized (and weight) list of 5-6
key attributes that the customers value
 Price
• Price can be dependent on a number of
factors
– Initial cost
– Consumable cost
– Maintenance / reoccurring cost
– Cost of ownership
• Examples: cars – razor blades
 Electric Car
Performance Price
• Prestige • Purchase price
• Volume/Passenger Size • Fed & State rebate
• Mileage range • Charging station
• Acceleration • Eliminate cost of gas
• Safety
• Re-charge time
Price Performance
 Unmet Need
• Market leading products are usually above
the line (up and to the left) and typically
generate more revenue
• Disruptive product and services are
generally quite far “above the line”
• If your product is near the “line” you will
need to improve the feature sets in order
to move it “up” or the “left”
Price Performance

Tesla 3
Price Performance

Tesla 3

Chevy Bolt?
 Research
• To evaluate the unmet need, you will need
to do market research: find the
competition!
• Create a price performance chart
• Determine how your feature sets are
better than the competition at addressing
the unmet need
• Do a reality check just to validate your
estimates
 How to evaluate performance
• Look at the comparative products
specifications, data sheets and marketing
material
• Look up product reviews by independent
parties (Consumer Reports, Reviewer (blogs),
etc)
• Look at customer reviews
• Look at forums
 Difficulty Factor
• A difficulty factor will be assessed based upon the
effort required to resolve ethical questions
– iPhone case ~1.0
– Crowded IP field ~1.1
– Detailed Proof of Concept ~1.2
– WiFi Infant baby monitor for biometrics and SID ~1.2
or more
• The higher the difficulty factor, the more you will
experience ethical dilemmas
 How to get an A in the Team Project
• Talk to me!
• Attend the Lecture & Discussion Sessions
• Turn in the required documentation on time
• Clearly define the Unmet Need as all other
deliverables flow from there
 How to get an A in the Team Project
• Talk to me: I developed the Team Project course
and have guided 44 teams through the process. I
am well versed in the New Product Development
Process. Office hours are right after class,
however; I am usually on campus and available M
(sometimes W) from 8-10 and can meet teams at
the Bomb Shelter. Additionally, I am available for
phone and Skype conferences. In many cases, a
five minute discussion will save your team hours
of work.
 How to get an A in the Team Project
10,000 foot view
• The New Product Development process is something that you have
probably never done before. There is a huge difference between hearing
about the concept in lecture and the actual project execution. There are
probably a dozen new terms or concepts that you have not heard of
before. Review your notes, the lecture slides, support documentation and
ask questions. The TA’s are very good, but have not been trained in the
NPD process.
• The course requires you to select a consumer based, mutli-discipline
project (electro-mechanical-SW preferred). These are products that can
be purchased through Amazon, Best Buys, Bed, Bath & Beyond. Business
to Business products will not be accepted.
• Have your initial project approved prior to the 3rd week
• Pick a project that maximizes the contribution of your team. The Team
Project will be cross discipline so make sure that your project matches
your team’s skill set
 How to get an A in the Team Project
10,000 foot view
• Make sure that the scope of your project is well bounded and can
be reasonably accomplished in 10 weeks
• This is not a design class and you are not being graded on technical
ability. You are being graded on following the New Product
Development process and adherence to following the Code of
Ethics. In particular, care should be taken with respect to accuracy
and rigour of both your analysis and communication
• We recommend that you select a project that has a “clear space” on
the Price Performance Chart
• If you stay on track (via the DHF) the main body of your project will
be completed in the first 7 weeks. Information from the 1st & 2nd
Trimesters will fold into your final presentation with minimal effort.
 How to get an A in the Team Project
Easy Points
• The entirety of the Team Project is worth 100 points, of that, 30 points is
earned through quizzes which are given during lecture. Over the 19
lectures, approximately 13 quizzes will be given randomly through the
quarter: some during Jon’s lectures and some during Don’s. The material
covered will come directly from the lecture. The lowest 3 quiz scores will
be eliminated. There will be no excuses granted so use those 3 extra
quizzes wisely.
• Turn all documentation in on time! Both the Design History File and all of
the documents for the Trimester Reviews are due on specific time periods.
Missing the deadline will truncate your maximum potential earned points.
In the cases mentioned above, the maximum earned points will be
reduced to 85%.
• The Design History file is a folder that captures all of the material needed
to keep your Team Project on Track. Turning in all of these documents on
time is an easy way to earn 10 points.
• The Team Presentation is worth 10 points. The key metrics for success are
continuity, confidence & an effective presentation.
 How to get an A in the Team Project
Details
Engineering Projects are living, breathing bodies of works. It is easy to
see which projects are on track and which projects are behind. For a
team to be successful there needs to be a continuity of engineering
effort. Team Projects must be built on a strong foundation and that
starts with the Unmet Need. The Unmet Need drives the Price
Performance Chart which drives the ConOps which Drives the
Specification which Drives the Proof of Concept.
• Clearly define and articulate the Unmet Need. Simply stated: what
does a customer want today that they cannot get or is not
available? Hindsight being 20/20, SodaStream & Keurig are great
examples of products that filled an unmet customer need. Be very
careful on how you define the unmet need. A case in point is a
method of keeping your bicycle from being stolen. One
methodology is to develop a deterrent (lock), a second is to develop
an interruption (alarm) and a third is focused on recovery (tracking).
 Lecture: Review
• We are using the Team Project to meet the
learning objectives
• Points are earned and the format has been
published
• Ethical decision making occurrences in the
new product development process
• Clearly define the Unmet Needs as this will
drive the Price / Performance chart
 Discussion Session
• Each person to come up with 3 project
ideas: end of week 1
• Form a team (5-6 people)
• Project Team to review all idea and select
a project concept by the end of week 2
• Start doing research to identify the
competitive products
• Send out a meeting agenda for next week