Here is one proposed course that integrates “Design Thinking”
with “PLM Thinking”. It is developed based on an
earlier experience of introducing Design Thinking concepts in the form of few
workshops in the "Fundamentals of PLM (FPLM)" course.
This workshop-cum-laboratory-based course will expose
students to the concepts of design thinking (DT) and product lifecycle
management (PLM) as modern approaches for fostering innovation. Design thinking
provides a framework for dealing with ill-structured problems through
purposeful application of creativity throughout the process of innovation
[1-3]. It can be seen both as a mindset and an approach [4]. Similarly, PLM can
be seen both as a concept and a technology that accelerates business process
innovations throughout the lifecycle of a product, process or service. This
course draws on experience from the earlier course titled “Fundamentals of PLM”
[5-7]. Being a practical course,
students will be urged to work on real life problems faced by businesses as
related to product development, production process development and service
process development initiatives. Accordingly they will be required to focus on
the beginning-of-life, middle-of-life and end-of-life issues of products and
services in supply chains of their choice [5].
Students will be able to
apply the design thinking approach to problems relating to a wide range of
areas. As cited in literature, design thinking practices have been applied to
the following areas: Product innovation, Business strategy, Organizational
change, Healthcare, Community services and Social innovation, Innovative ways
of reducing healthcare cost, Design of a dream home for people fifty and above,
Innovation projects in on-campus locations (such as, Library, Health services,
Book store), Developing a plan for a new business to address consumers whose
needs are not fully met by mainstream products, Developing a new shopping cart
design in five days, Developing new ways to improve grocery customers' shopping
experiences and Developing a product or service that meets the needs of an
aging population. Hence, even though there have been numerous applications of
design thinking, participants will be required to
understand that finding a design challenge will itself be a challenge. Hence
they must develop the soft skills needed to start the design thinking process
with empathy [1,8].
The course also aims to familiarize students with the
technology supporting PLM. Students will be required to develop hands-on
practice in using the application software available in the PLM Center. They
will be able to appreciate the use of technology supporting a product
throughout its lifecycle – from inception to delivery and beyond. Accordingly,
they will be able to align the objectives of the course with those of other
courses in Manufacturing, Technology and Operations Management, such as,
Product Design & Development, Digital Manufacturing & Virtual Factory,
Supply Chain Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Response to Manufactured
Products, Project Management and Total Quality Management. They will be able to
use the concepts in other functional areas of business as well.
