Global Product Development and Management MSc

Specialised module to introduce industry prototyping design processes. This module will also introduce the facilities/workshops available at Cranfield.

• Design thinking and creativity.
• Collaborative Innovation.
• Understanding the value and use of prototyping for innovation. 
• Introduction to technology readiness levels (TRL’s).
• How to identify and write good requirement for design
• Hands-on use of professional CAD/CAE software.
• Design skills workshops (sketching, CADCAE, mechatronics, 3D printing)
• Knowledge of advanced materials and processes (smart materials, bio-inspiration, nano & micro technologies, additive manufacturing)

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• On successful completion of this module, a learner should be able to: 
• Identify, analyse and evaluate user needs and technical considerations to write good design requirements for a new product, service or system. 
• Critically evaluate and apply industrial best practice tools and techniques for converting an idea into commercially viable solutions. 
• Develop and build low fidelity proof-of-concept prototypes, using design best practice methods and agile innovation techniques. 
• Evaluate knowledge of advanced materials and processes appropriate for a new product, service or system. 
• Propose a viable Breakthrough Innovation proposition through the synthesis of best practice design methods and the application of advanced materials, processes and prototyping.

• Professor Harris Makatsoris

To introduce core factors of managing operations.

• An introduction to manufacturing and service activities
• Capacity, demand and load; identifying key capacity determinant; order-size mix problem; coping with changes in demand
• Standard times, and how to calculate them; process analysis and supporting tools; process simplification
• What quality is; standards and frameworks; quality tools; quality in the supply chain
• Scheduling rules; scheduling and nested set-ups
• Roles of inventory; dependent and independent demand; Economic Order Quantity; uncertain demand; inventory management systems and measures
• Information systems – at operational, managerial, and strategic levels; bills of material; MRP, MPRll and ERP systems
• Ohno’s 7 wastes; Just-in-Time systems (including the Toyota Production System, and Kanbans)
• Class discussion of cases, exercises, and videos to support this syllabus

• Dr Ahmed Al-Ashaab

As Master level course this module has to develop knowledge, critical scientific thinking and hands-on experiences for developing a product. A scholarly approach of product development, project management and evolution, as well as the use of the most suitable material and technology, are expected. Research appropriately into customer and market requirements and their analysis to translate the requirements into product specification.

• Introduction to Product Development (PD)
• Concurrent Engineering
• PD Tools and Methods
• Lean Product Development
• Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE)
• SBCE Industrial Case Studies
• PD in Knowledge-based Environment
• Trade-Off Curves to enable SBCE
• Tutorial PD Project

• Dr Clive Savory

This module presents innovation management as a key strategic competence, and aims to equip students with practical tools and hands-on experience enabling them to contribute to the management and improvement of innovation in industry. Innovation management theory and practice are demonstrated using team based learning and discussions around research, practical examples, case studies and a new product development simulation exercise.

• Introduction to innovation management as an organisational capability
• Introduction to the dimensions of innovation: products, services, business processes and business model.
• Innovation Strategy
• Technology development and innovation
• User-centred innovation
• Business model innovation
• Service innovation
• Management of New product development projects

• Professor Tetsuo Tomiyama

This module introduces the core concepts, systematic methods, and tools for design-driven innovation of product-service systems through group assignments. It emphasises formal treatment of product-service systems as well as systematic methods for exploring the design space creatively and exhaustively. Through exercises given during the module, the student will develop the ability to compare and compose appropriate building blocks for the delivery of value creation, and to build shared understandings for managing and implementing the innovation process effectively. The assignment topic will be given in collaboration with an industrial partner.

• The definition and typology of design driven innovation
• Design thinking and design process modelling.
• Function modelling
• Product-service systems
• Creative design methods
• An exercise of design-driven innovation (group assignment)

• Dr Yuchun Xu

To give an introduction to some of the key general management, personal management and project management skills needed to influence and implement change.

• Management Accounting Principles and Systems;
• Personal style and team contribution, interpersonal dynamics, leadership, human and cultural diversity;
• Project Management: structure and tools for project management
• Introduction to standards: awareness of standards, relevant standards (quality, environment and H&S), value of using standards, management of the standard and audit.

• Dr John Ahmet Erkoyuncu

To extend the student’s ability to evaluate integrated knowledge systems within the context of the wider enterprise environment through the application of modelling and simulation tools, techniques and methodologies.

• Introduction to modelling: taxonomy, overview of methods and techniques;
• Enterprise Modelling and lean concepts and architecture
• Structured Systems Analysis methodology, Process description capture tools and techniques, Object state transition network;
• Discrete-event simulation, Systems dynamics and Agent-based simulation techniques and methodologies;
• Case study analysis, use of industry-based software tools

• Dr John Ahmet Erkoyuncu

In competitive business environments, it is important to understand the relationships between different business factors, to forecast trends, to appreciate the risks arising from multiple decision paths actions, and to optimise strategies. As decisions are often taken under considerable uncertainty and time pressure it is important to be able to grasp the range of uncertainty and make rational decisions. This course aims to enhance student ability to apply structured methods to decision making.

• Regression Modelling
• Statistical Sampling
• Risk Analysis
• Optimisation
• Predictive analytics