TIL Design Project

For more info, see brightspace or MSc TIL website section 4.

Course content p0 (preparation):

See study goals

Course content p1 (Vision and Scope):

In P1 you write your PVS. It is based on a small literature study and discussions with your commissioner, the course coordinator and if time-wise possible, also your TUD supervisors.

Ideally, you start working on it as soon as the course coordinator approves your commissioner and topic; week x.6 or earlier. It should be ready by the end of week x.9.

Baseline: You choose a design/systems engineering method to structure your project and build your story-line. On top of it you use other scientific methods and tools in support of the Problem analysis, Literature overview, Stakeholder analysis, Design requirements analysis, Designs, Evaluation.

[Problem analysis]

The problem as defined by the commissioner is a starting point for your actual definition of the problem:

"Problem analysis [..] involves identifying the overriding problem and establishing the causes and effects related to that problem. A key element of this analysis will ensure that root causes, not just the symptoms of the problem, are identified and subsequently addressed in the project design. Projects that only address the effects of the problem, and not its underlying causes, are unlikely to produce sustainable benefits." (1)

Problem analysis involves

• A short literature review to see if there are theories that deal with the stated problem, to choose appropriate research and design tools, to elaborate relevant topics and to define the research gap.

• Study of the commissioner's organisation and its context. This allows you to collect qualitative (interviews, brainstorms) and quantitative data (data collected by the commissioner and your own measurements).

• Stakeholder analysis with a choice of (a coalition of) main stakeholders.

• This material helps you to scope your project, modify your research questions, specify requirements and constraint for your designs.

• Requirements analysis: Wat are key requirements, constraints and (if applicable) kpi to be fulfilled in the designs? These are not given by the commissioner, but established by your team.

[Design]

The design phase is meant to develop and evaluate possible solutions (alternatives) to reduce or solve the problem(s) as identified in the problem analysis, to choose the one(s) best fitting with the requirements analysis. You then evaluate the design(s) based on the same (or subset of these) criteria.

[Technical perspective]

The project suits a technical university, hence it should have some technical perspective/application/component, which should be elaborated to a sufficient extent. Examples are RFID or barcodes, sorting or transport equipment in a warehouse or the use of driver assist tools in a car, fuel technology. A model is regarded as a practical tool, not as technical perspective.

[Project choice: Balance science-practice]

No consultancy-style projects = do exactly what the commissioner wants. As an academic you should be critical towards any information you receive and follow your own line when discussing and advising the commissioner.

The course format does not allow you to learn new theories, methods or apply unfamiliar software.

In case of software, you will not develop a real software tool, but you can help the commissioner by building a preliminary design.

[Available topics]

Not all fields and topics can be chosen. This depends on available commissioners and options for supervision at the TUD. The company list on Brightspace may change. The course coordinator will also assess the risk level of each project based on previous experiences. https://www.elo.iastate.edu/engl-309/problem-analysis/

Course content p2 (Analysis and Design):

This is an advanced course in applied systems/design engineering. The PVS was written in P1. It is amended in the kick-off meeting. This amended PVS is your initial guidance for the content and planning of the project. You do not rewrite your PVS after the kick-off meeting, but use the comments in your draft project report.

A project contains the following 3 building blocks:

1. A current state analysis:

   • an extensive research problem analysis of the organisation and its context

   • literature analysis with research gap

   • stakeholder analysis to study relationships among stakeholders and search for common ground for your later designs

   • requirements and constraints analysis as a basis for your design alternatives and for the filtering and evaluation of your designs

2. A future state analysis:

   • description of ideal future situation

   • one or more conceptual designs taking care of the results of the requirements analysis

   • one or more preliminary designs which are usually filtered (by a morphological analysis or other tool)

   • choosing the best final design(s)

   • detailing of the best final design(s)

3. Evaluation, conclusions and recommendations:

   • final evaluation of developed (detailed) designs

   • conclusions, recommendations for science and practice

   • [implementation advice]

In appendix

• technical details (statistics, PDL/simulation, unused cases or scenarios, ..)

• team reflection about final results, project experience, experts and literature,

• supervision and the course itself

• logbook (detailed weekly activities by each team member)

• PVS (kick-off version)

By email

• individual reflections

The goal of each project is to provide the commissioner with a dedicated advice on how to improve its business or policy process or product. A project is finished with a complete project report, which is defended in a final presentation and defense meeting.

Read the extensive Course Manual on Brightspace.

A complete overview of the course without login can be found here: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/student/faculties/ceg-student-portal/education/master/transport-infrastructure-logistics/programme-2022-2023/4-projects/til-design-project/.