Process Management and Improvement Center to Help Tighten Bottom Line
Monday, December 15 2008
Dec. 15, 2008 Written by Joni Kirk MOSCOW, Idaho – How much money can you save if an employee does a routine task three seconds faster? Scott Metlen, associate professor of operations management at the University of Idaho, and his production and operations management students can determine the exact amount, as well as scrutinize work processes at the minute level to determine where those three seconds can be saved. "Process management is a very complex and daunting task for an organization to undertake," said Chad Boucher, a senior from Great Falls, Mont. "It is characterized by the design and implementation of a process that meets the goals of the cross-functional organization while including process constraints and quality measures." Students don't just learn theory in University of Idaho classrooms, they receive practical application skills in the workplace with real clients. Teams of students are assigned to companies to look for efficiency adjustments and financial savings that improve process effectiveness. "It makes execution a reality," said Metlen. "The students aren't just focused on strategy – they're actually implementing ideas." "This semester, one of our projects is designing a more effective control process for one of Boeing’s production mills. This control process will help to ensure the milling process is working as designed," he said. "Due to the strike at Boeing, our students could not visit Boeing to analyze the milling process or the current control steps, but three members of Boeing’s management team came to Moscow to discuss the situation and outline project scope." Metlen said the student team then applied theory and concepts such as statistics, statistical process control, feedback control and feedback control mechanisms to create a control process that could save Boeing hundreds of thousands of dollars by reducing scrap, rework and inspection costs. This process would be accomplished by changing several business rules based on sound statistical principles and applying new measurement technology. The students recently traveled to Boeing and presented their ideas to plant management. "My team and I developed a simulation model of Boeing’s high speed plate milling and forming processes using Rockwell’s 'Arena,'" said Boucher, who will receive a degree in business information systems this month, and will complete a second degree in production and operations management in May. "These simulation models allowed us to mimic Boeing’s current processes, diagnose constraints to process flow and model improvements." Other client work includes: analyzing a cleaning process for Glambia Food's production plant in Twin Falls; reviewing the special orders process at ATK Ammunitions Special Group in Lewiston; and evaluating Micron's forecasting process and production build plan in Boise. The student work also helps with job placement. "In many cases, our students, who have a fresh perspective relative to current employees, see avenues of improvement not recognized by those who are busy keeping the fires at bay under current operations. These displayed perspectives help management of firms easily make positive employment decisions for our students," said Metlen. "This work prepared me to deal with the huge amount of variables that are present in the real world," said Boucher. "I believe that the unique opportunities Scott Metlen has arranged for his classes are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that result in bringing confidence and experience to knowledge-hungry students." A $61,000 grant from The Micron Technology Foundation will help Metlen create a Process Management and Improvement Center that will allow the university to partner with companies for improved process management. Metlen's students look at the design of processes, implementation, management and control, and continuous improvement of process to improve effectiveness. Metlen said the gift from The Micron Technology Foundation also will be used to help drive a center to manage other business outreach projects that cut across disciplines. "This model takes current resources and classes, and twists the curriculum a bit to provide practical experience for students and a business service to clients across many industries," said Metlen. "The results are well worth it. It's a good deal for the companies, and it's a great opportunity for the university."
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About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 150 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.
Contact: Joni Kirk, University Communications, (208) 885-7725, joni@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.