MECH 497 Value Engineering course description

Professors:

Paul Zsombor-Murray, Mechanical Engineering, McGill University
Vince Thomson, Mechanical Engineering, McGill University
Lucie Parrot, Martin-Parrot, Eng. M.Eng, CVS (Life)
Joe Slanik, Ing

Semester/Day/Time:

Mondays 13:30 - 21:30 hrs

Objectives:

To learn the value engineering methodology.
To learn how to manage value in projects.
To obtain industry-related experience in applying value engineering methods.

Pre-requisite:

MECH 393: Machine Element Design

Course Description:

The McGill University Value Engineering Workshop is a 40-hour intensive course where three to five students are teamed with industry personnel in order to attempt to improve the value (defined as the ratio of benefit to cost) of a product, process or service of a sponsoring company. The workshop is led by a Certified Value Specialist, and the workshop is qualified by SAVE (the Society of American Value Engineers) as one which satisfies one of their workshop requirements for becoming a CVS.

The workshop consists of eight scheduled meetings, five of which are eight hours in length. In the first week students are given an introduction to the course and assigned into teams in a one-hour session (attendance is mandatory). The workshop session begins on the second week, and the evening meal is provided as part of the 1:30 to 9:30 p.m. meeting. The weekly meetings follow closely the five-step job plan of Larry Miles, the originator of Value Engineering, ending in the Presentation and Reporting Phase. A one-hour meeting by appointment is scheduled for each team to rehearse the final presentation on the seventh week. The final presentation is held the following week in a nearby hotel room with all of the sponsoring companies and many of their management personnel in attendance. Material for the printing for the final report is due one week after the final presentation. Classes in the workshop are not cancelled should the university be closed on the day of the meeting. Instead, they are delayed until the next week. (Special meetings may be called with all team members present to resolve any interpersonal disputes.)

(3 Credits)

Text:

Pre-printed notes by the instructor.

Exam/Term Paper/Project/Grading Scheme:

The marking of the course is based on the following schedule.

  • Final presentation: organization, delivery, graphics 30%
  • Final report: quality, accuracy, completeness 30%
  • Company evaluation of team members 20%
  • Company evaluation of team performance 20%

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