Internship Proposal 1

Internship Proposal

Charlie K. Pregler

Fort Hays State University

LDRS890 6/7/2018
Internship Proposal 2

Abstract
I have had the good fortune of just joining the Manufacturing Excellence Professional

Program with my employer. In totality I will be sent to three locations within my employer’s

transportation division, to take three different roles each one year in duration. The first role is at

Fort Worth Ohv/Locomotive site. The project I chose to take on involves feedback loops in their

system. During my first rotation I assessed the problems occurring at line level at the Ohv plant.

I found that that many of the problems could be resolved with proper feedback systems. The

current issue involves part serialization being disruptive to the assembly line. This however was

just a preliminary look, much more data needs to be generated and gathered to get the entire

depth and breadth of the problem. Then a solution needs to be obtained from research and

tailored it to suit the needs of assembly and support staff. The critical part is to make the solution

so it benefits both parties as well as the overall company.

Table of Contents

Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Assessment of the Need ............................................................................................................................... 3
Statement of problem/Review of literature ................................................................................................. 3
Vision/Mission .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Plan/Objectives/Action Steps/Timeline ........................................................................................................ 6
Project Outcomes and Measurement........................................................................................................... 8
Learning Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 8
References .................................................................................................................................................... 9
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Assessment of the Need

One of my first things I did when I started this rotation was to work in each assembly

station with the current assemblers. The conversations I had with the individuals at each station

provided me with the data I needed to properly assess the need. I then combined this data with

the records from the Quality global system to determine if each concern was validated with

historical evidence. I need to do this again and for longer duration to capture the relevant data as

well as gather feedback from the individuals completing the work.

The need was abundantly clear that there are issues with feedback loops in the system.

This is creating a burden for the support staff as well as line level. These issues cause extra work

to have to be done to fix issues. It also causes downtime and missed customer commitments. All

adding up to losing a competitive advantage to other suppliers. The issues have been going on

for a great deal of time because of the scope of the problem. The solution will need to be one that

will inject itself both assembly side as well as support staff side. This will ensure proper adoption

of the fix.

Statement of problem/Review of literature

The first step to stating the problem is to understand what a feedback loop is in a system.

Comparing it to a thermostat in a room is one of the best ways I have seen it illustrated. Knowing

how positive and negative feedback loops interact with systems is critical to understanding the

problems that exist.

Consider a thermostat regulating room temperature. This is an example of a negative

feedback loop. As the temperature rises, the thermostat turns off the furnace allowing the

room to rest at a predetermined temperature. When the temperature falls below that
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predetermined temperature the furnace reignites to return the room to its equilibrium

state” (“An Introduction to Feedback Loops,” 2016).

Every part on the assembly line is serialized and then placed in sequence upon production

lines. In a perfect world with the current system there would be no issues. Each serialized part

would feed in at each station. The parts would become part of a group or assembly and travel

down the line until completion. The issues arise when parts or assemblies have issues and require

teardowns. Since the parts are serialized and put into a quality computer system they are

allocated to that particular component. If a part is bad there is no feedback loop to trigger a break

in the quality archive system.

A feedback approach is different from event-oriented thinking because it strives for

solutions that are ‘sympathetic’ with their organizational and social environment. Problems do

not stem from events, and solutions are not implemented in a vacuum. Instead, problems and

solutions coexist and are interdependent (Morecroft, 2015, p. 34).

So, with production deadlines causing out of process work. The next part is taken off the

shelf that belongs to another assembly. This creates an issue for the operators as it triggers alerts

in the system for which they have line level leadership temporarily bypass. The quality team is
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then tasked with realigning the serial numbers to the correct final assemblies. “Two interrelated

suggestions are to reduce the cost and increase the benefit of participation. A feedback system is

recommended for understanding five components: the purpose, people, process, tools, and

environment into which the ICTs are Closing the Feedback Loop” (Gigler, & Bailur, 2014, p.

30).

With the speed of the production line it means hours of tedious computer work to get the

serilization fixed. This issue is one surrounding time lags in feedback loops. “Our study

responds to this assertion by investigating the dynamics of the SPC in a retail setting, and

extends findings from previous studies by more fully considering time lags and feedback

loops” (Evanschitzky, Wangenheim, Wünderlich, 2012, p. 357).

Time lags are something that needs to be addressed with this project. Each time a part is

taken out of sequence it creates a snowball effect in which more and more data becomes wrong.

“These feedback mechanisms take many forms including immediate feedback after being

observed or delayed feedback after specified periods (weekly or monthly feedback sessions are

popular). Finally, BBS systems incorporate some combination of antecedent and consequent

manipulation to drive safe behavior” (Dagen, 2010, p. 13). I think this resource illustrates what is

lacking in the current system. Some sort of feedback loop is needed. The interesting take away is

that it can be implemented in various time frequencies. In regard to my situation it could be

hourly, daily, twice daily etc.

Another interesting take on implementation of feedback loops was done in 2003 in

Garden Grove, California when they had a speeding problem. Having tried various strategies

such as issuing speeding tickets and other signage. They came up with an idea for feedback loops

by implementing digital signs that gave vehicles their speed. “So, city engineers decided to take
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another approach. In five Garden Grove school zones, they put up what are known as dynamic

speed displays, or driver feedback signs” (Goetz, 2011). It’s an interesting approach to the

problem that needs to be given thought to how it can help the serialization problem. Currently no

such displays exist to give active feedback to the assemblers of part serialization to part staging.

Vision/Mission
It is my hope and intent to develop a system that incorporates proper feedback loops into

the current way of manufacturing. Implementation of a feedback system will enable the company

to save a great deal of time waste as well as avoid potential issues with serial numbers not being

correctly resolved. When recalls occur it is extremely important to have the correct components

being addressed. Without proper serialization a targeted recall could be targeting the wrong

components, while leaving the suspect components in use. In this industry that could mean lives

at risk because of the inherit risk associated with locomotives and off highway vehicles.

I envision a solution that will benefit but is not limited to assemblers, customers, and

support staff. The hope or ask is that the solution is one that can be adopted by all parties

involved as to obtain a solution that will have long term impact. The solution must be something

that will be carried on long after I have moved onto other roles. Making it self-sustaining

because it in itself is a good fit for the company.

Plan/Objectives/Action Steps/Timeline
Taking this project on in the Summer semester means a sped-up time table. Class began

June 4th, 2018. I want to push to have this project completed by July 16th giving it a total duration

of six weeks. In reality it has more time if needed but I would like a buffer zone as the last step

could take longer than anticipated. The first steps involve data gathering, getting the necessary

information of the issue in totality. Right now, I have a very good grasp of the issue as I have
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already worked on the line with assemblers. However, I need to be as close to one hundred

percent positive on all issues as possible. Obtaining this level of certainty involves including

working with all assemblers on line level to offer feedback and gather data as well as support

staff.

Objective two is where I will put what I have learned throughout the program as well as

what I have gathered in the review of the literature section of this report. This includes but is not

limited to addressing the technological hurdles, time sensitive feedback loops, negative feedback

loops, positive feedback loops, passive and active systems implementation. The last objective

and perhaps hardest one is to implant the change and make it stick. Leading the change effort for

long term change verse short term adoption and fallout. Placing in the correct failsafe to prevent

a relapse of the issue.

Objective 01: Get a complete list of issues and how they interrelate
Action Person Date to be
Step Responsible Completed
(What): How: (Who): (When): Resources: Communication:
Compile
Qualitative Line level
data Work on line Self 6/20/18 assemblers Verbal
Compile Work with support Self 6/27/18 All Support staff Verbal
data staff/ shadowing levels,
QTA,MTA,PTA
etc

Objective 02: Determine viable solutions

Person Date to be
Action Step Responsible Completed
(What): How: (Who): (When): Resources: Communication:
Determine Meetings with
implementation line and support Support staff Verbal, skype,
solutions staff Self 7/4/18 and line staff email, phone
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Objective 03: Implementation of change

Action Person Date to be

Step Responsible Completed
(What): How: (Who): (When): Resources: Communication:
Implement To be determined Self 7/16/18 To be To be
solution Determined determined

Project Outcomes and Measurement

Outcomes will be directly derived from data gathered both before and after the change.

Taking into consideration the current state and amount of downtime on the line due to

serialization being wrong. Also looking at downtime for the leadership team having to fix the

issue. This quantitative data will then be referenced after the change has been implemented to

check for outcome. If the system saves time on either front assembler or leadership it will be a

success. However, the goal is to save time on both sides and have a win-win. Not adding work to

the leadership team and saving time on the assembler side or vice versa.

Learning Outcomes
There are six important learning goals set forth by the program, Knowledgeable,

Visionary and Change-Oriented, Collaborative, Critical Thinking, Global Competence, and

Communicative. I believe that this project will touch on many of the six learning goals from the

degree program. Knowledgeable will be directly derived through applying concepts of leadership
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and organizational behavior to the problem. This also includes Visionary and Change-Oriented

as it involves developing means of initiating change at the individual and organizational level.

Another learning goal is collaborative. This is done throughout the project working hand

in hand with line level assemblers and support staff to come up with an acceptable and adoptable

solution to the problem. Not just picking a solution out of a box and trying to make it fit. This

solution will be customized to the individuals so that it remains viable for years to come. Critical

thinking will be needed throughout the process to address issues, concerns, and evaluating

solutions. It will take a great deal of creativity and ambition to implement such a change as it

must be something that all parties can benefit from. Communication is key when working with

various personalities and conveying complex ideas and information. It is of upmost importance

to get ideas across in a professional manner.

References
An Introduction to Feedback Loops. (2016, October 09). Retrieved June 6, 2018, from

https://www.fs.blog/2011/10/mental-model-feedback-loops/

Dagen, J. C. (2010). The effects of feedback loops on safety observations and related

behaviors (Order No. 3404726). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

(744299113). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu/

Evanschitzky, H., Wangenheim, F. v., & Wünderlich, N.,V. (2012). Perils of managing the

service profit chain: The role of time lags and feedback loops. Journal of Retailing, 88(3),

356-366. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/10.1016/j.jretai.2012.01.003
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Gigler, B., & Bailur, S. (Eds.). (2014). Closing the feedback loop: can technology bridge the

accountability gap?. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu

Goetz, T. (2011, June 19). Harnessing the Power of Feedback Loops. Retrieved June 6, 2018,

from https://www.wired.com/2011/06/ff_feedbackloop/

Morecroft, J. D. W. (2015). Strategic modelling and business dynamics + website: a feedback

systems approach. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu