Lean Product Development
Next Offering
Start Date: August 20, 2024
End Date: December 3, 2024
Course Description
Lean Product Development is a non-credit, online course that provides essential strategies and key tools for reframing the standard waterfall development flow into a lean product-process development model with far more integrated and simultaneous systems. In today’s competitive design and manufacturing environment, product specialists, manufacturing system specialists, suppliers, and even people building the vehicles are collaborating from the earliest possible point in the program. A lean product-process development framework leverages a deep understanding of how the work actually gets done to identify key interdependencies in order to effectively integrate work across functions and achieve an exceptional degree of concurrency. The result, as demonstrated by industry giants such as Toyota, Ford, and Honda, is a development flow with decreased time-to-market, reduced waste, lower costs, and enhanced product quality.
Students are typically exposed to product development through a standard waterfall product development flow model which consists of specification development > concept development > detailed design development > product preparation > and launch, with additional time allotted for rework and churn. This no longer reflects the actual development model for many design and manufacturing industry leaders. Unlike the standard waterfall development flow, the Lean Product and Process Development Flow (LPPD) requires simultaneous engineering and enables the continuous flow of value and a more leveled flow of work.
This online course is delivered asynchronously and includes recorded instructor videos, guest speakers (field-leading experts) who also provide content as a part of the recorded online instruction, and additional coursework. The course is delivered through The Ohio State University's CarmenCanvas learning management system. Students receive access to Carmen within two weeks of the course start date. The instructors are available to provide assistance to students with questions during the course.
Lean Product Development is ideal for design and development engineers, businesspersons, product planners, product designers, product and process validators, manufacturing and product launchers.
The course was developed and is taught by Frank Paluch, retired executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, and Lara Harrington, retired Chief Engineer of Honda R&D Americas, LLC. Both are Distinguished Alumni Awardees of The Ohio State University College of Engineering.
Required Textbook:
Students will need to purchase the book Designing the Future for this course. James M. Morgan & Jeffrey K. Liker, Designing the Future, McGraw Hill, 2018
What You Will Learn
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define the key principles of Lean Process and Product Development (LPPD.)
- Determine what customers value most.
- Create optimized flow and transparency in the development process.
- Demonstrate how to build high-performance teams.
- Analyze how to effectively capture knowledge to drive continuous improvement.
- Appraise new value in products and services.
Course Content
The course includes these individual topics:
- Overview of Product Development
- The Ford Turnaround - a case study [what success looks like]
- Creating the Right Product
- Delivering with Speed and Precision
- Fixed and Flexible "The Yin and Yang of Lean Production Development"
- Building High Performance Teams and Team Members
- Leading Development
- Product Creation is an Enterprise Activity
- Creating and Applying Knowledge as a Learning Organization (Part 1)
- Creating and Applying Knowledge as a Learning Organization (Part 2)
- The Pursuit of Product Perfection
- Designing the Future by Linking Strategy to Execution (Toyota Tesla comparison)
- Designing Your Future by Transforming Your Product and Process Development Capability
- Summary and Reflection
What Students Can Expect
- The course is delivered in 100% online, asynchronous format with the instructors available throughout the course offering to answer questions and assist students.
- All lectures are recorded and available to you 24/7 through the university's Learning Management System called - Carmen.
- Students complete the course at their own pace, but must do so by the last day of the course.
- Participants must successfully complete the course in order to obtain the certificate of completion.
- 24/7 IT support through the OSU IT support helpdesk.
- Administrative support on all matters through the Professional & Distance Education Programs office.
- 4 CEUs are granted upon successful completion of the course.
Course Prerequisites
There is no admission’s application or process. No college degree is required but high school diploma or GED is recommended.
Required Textbook:
Students will need to purchase the book Designing the Future for this course.
James M. Morgan & Jeffrey K. Liker, Designing the Future, McGraw Hill, 2018
Meet the Instructors
Frank Paluch worked 36 years in the Aerospace and Automotive Industry. He studied at Honda R&D headquarters in Japan working on the 1st generation Accord V6. Upon returning to the US he became chief engineer in charge developing the 2001 Acura MDX, 2003 Honda Pilot, and 2007 MDX models. He eventually became president of Honda R&D Americas and was responsible for the all Product development of Honda and Acura automobiles and light trucks including the NSX supercar, as well as power sports and power equipment, including, ATV’s, Side by sides, lawn mowers, snow blowers, marine outboards and Aircraft engine for North American and global markets. He was an operating officer for Global Honda R&D.
He retired as executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America (HDMA), LLC, March 2022 where he was a member of Honda’s North American Regional Operating Board. He had responsibility for all NA New Model Product development, including Planning & Strategy for current products/future Electrification, Supply Chain Management, Supplier Operations Management, procurement & North American Quality.
Paluch was recognized in the Automotive Hall of Fame and received the Leadership & Excellence Award, which is intended to “identify the next generation of leadership in the automotive industry.”
Paluch earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from The Ohio State University while serving in the U.S. Army Reserve as a combat engineer. He was previously employed by McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, working as a development engineer for several domestic modification programs for DC-8, DC-10, MD-11, MD80, T45 and C17 airplanes onsite in Texas, California, and Florida, as well as overseas modification programs in Italy, Portugal, England & Thailand.
Paluch formerly served on the board of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, as well as the Honda/Ohio State University Joint Partnership team.
Lara Harrington worked for over 30 years in the automotive and aerospace industry. She became a Chief Engineer of vehicle and product engineering for Honda’s Light Duty Truck program and was responsible for product development and complete integration of vehicle programs for products including the 2019 Passport, 2019 Pilot, and 2021 Odyssey.
Prior to this role, Harrington was a Senior Director for North American research and outreach. In this role she governed business and technical strategies for Honda’s fundamental research portfolio in North America, with focus on battery, autonomous vehicle, and advanced material technologies.
Throughout her career, Harrington has held a series of positions within Honda R&D including platform pre-planning Technical Leader for Acura’s first generation 2000 MDX and Associate Chief Engineer for Honda’s first-generation 2002 Pilot. She has also served in several key management roles in Honda’s Product Development, including vehicle engineering and program management for the 1998 Accord Coupe and 1995 Acura CL.
She was recognized in 2015 as a “Top Female Leader in the Automotive Industry” by Automotive News for her breadth of influence across Honda’s organization.