On Wednesday, April 29th, Q24 presented their posters for their process improvement projects. The process improvement projects, which were recently added to the 190H curriculum starting with Q22, pair teams with clients on campus. New clients for this semester included TerpThon, the Athletics Department, Smith Start, and the Department of Transportation Services (DOTS).
The process improvement projects allow students to apply the tools they have been learning throughout the semester and incorporate the principles of lean processes. It also presents students with an opportunity to service clients and create a poster deliverable, which will be highly beneficial for when Q24 students take the 490H course in the fall of their senior year.
Bobby Crumbaugh, a Q24 Supply Chain Management major, highlighted that through this process improvement project, he gained invaluable experience conducting onsite interviews with clients and stakeholders, as well as using different sources of information to make the best recommendations.
However, the project was not without challenges. According to Crumbaugh, “Our specific project’s problem was a bit narrow so there wasn’t a lot of room for innovation. We would like to have added more value by having a broader scope and more time.”
Team Q the Applause
Crumbaugh was part of team Q the Applause, which won the award for Best Poster in the 190H class. Q the Applause worked with the Department of Psychology, focusing on their sign-in process for appointments in their new office for the fall. Students, members of the Quality Guild, and clients were part of the vote.
When asked if any student in his group had experience creating posters, Crumbaugh noted that no one necessarily had expertise in this area. However, they did have a process that allowed them to make a phenomenal poster.
“We designated one person to work on the poster as whole, and then other team members would individually go to that person to give input on specific chunks of the graphic. At the end, all of us took a step back and looked at the whole poster as a team, and then made small changes to make it visually appealing,” Crumbaugh explained.
All in all, the poster projects this semester were very impressive. Who knows what Q25 and Q26 will bring to the table next year!
Check out the 190H posters here!