Tailoring the prototyping process to achieve customer value

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 61).The main objective for prototyping is to get the most value out of the opportunity. Value may take the form of information, performance, displaying production readiness or proving capability for the amount of resources consumed and time required. The extents to which the aforementioned variables add customer value differ from project to project. Therefore, it is important to understand what the customer values most in the effort and modify the process to best achieve the prioritized results. Achieving customer value in the prototyping process is critical to Raytheon's Advanced Products Center (APC) business because it is likely that the customer will bring production into the facility. Misalignment with customer expectations will be avoided by tailoring the process around the metrics that the customer prioritizes. Confusion and inconsistency will be limited by having a clear and understood process. The intent of this thesis is to provide a means of tailoring the process to best achieve customer value given the characteristics of the project.by Brian Lane Jordan.S.M.M.B.A