Guidelines for Individual Interim Progress Report and Final Group Report for Group Design Project

Individual Interim Progress Report

Individual interim progress report – 25% of the overall module mark The aim of this report is for individuals to detail the work/activities undertaken by the individual members of a group.

You are required to maintain an ongoing log of all project activity and progress. You should use this to support you in preparing your interim progress report. You should ensure that you summarise the aims of the project, include project milestones, project plan, and clearly state what the current progress in relation to the plan is. You should discuss the events and decisions that led to progress or lack of progress.

The interim progress report should be around 2000 words. It should be prepared to a good professional standard, with cover-page, table of contents, introduction, appropriate sections, and a summary. Academic citations are not necessary for this report, but can be included. Submission is as a single PDF to NOW Dropbox.

Group progress presentation – Interim assessment capped to a Pass if non-attendance The aim of this is for groups to orally present the progress of the group. The PowerPoint presentation which will take place during the weekly tutorials. The presentation should include, Introduction and overview, Members and Roles, Market Research, Product Design, Project Plan, Milestones and Deliverables and Progress Summary.

Your tutor will advise you on the specific time and length of the presentation, depending on student numbers and group sizes. You should plan for a 10-15 minute presentation, with 5 minutes of questions. Your presentation should be professional, well organised, with clear presentation of information and good timekeeping.

To meet the requirements of courses at NTU, you will need to produce a CV and a single page personal statement. Although this does not contribute to the overall module mark, you will be given feedback on this piece of work. It is a requirement of the interim assessment that you complete a CV and personal statement – if you fail to submit it, your interim assessment will be capped to a Pass. Your CV should be two pages of A4 paper, and the personal statement should be limited to a single page of A4 paper. Submission is as a single PDF to NOW Dropbox.

1. Final Assessment

Final group report including a business plan - 25% of the overall module mark

Given the problem defined in Section II produce a substantial report of about 40 pages covering five key parts: background to the project, product or technical development, market research, project management and (for engineering management students) a business plan with appropriate appendices The report will be submitted electronically in pdf format to the module Dropbox by the required submission date.

The report will need to address a range of points pertaining to either technical development of a mobile robot or non-technical product development as part of the Group Design Project. Individual contributions to the group work must be clearly stated in the preparation of the group report. The content of the report is expected to cover the following areas:

• An abstract summarising the key points to be covered by the group report.
• An explanation of the rationale/motives for the development work including problem definition.
• A description of relevant background research covering both technical and “management” aspects of the product development, including a review of current solutions and the identification of a potential business gap.
• Supported by appropriate sketches and drawings, a detailed description ofthe design/development of the prototype/product proposal covering the following aspects: mechanical, electronics, computing and management.
• Appropriate sketches and diagrams showing the final product to be developed and marketed.
• An explanation on how the work done in the prototype development/early product ideas informs the design of the final product.
• Engineering Management students should produce a business plan relating to the real-world implementation and distribution of the product that your group has designed with explicit reference to real world concerns and investors as your target audience.
• Engineering management students will be expected to create marketing materials for the product, including a web site.
• Appropriate appendices detailing the implementation requirements and structure of the physical product that has been designed.

The aim of this report is for individuals to reflect on the the work/activitiesundertaken by the you and the other members of the group.The reviews will need to address a range of issues pertaining to the group work inthe context of the Group Design Project including the following points:

• Analysis and review of the project in a wider context
• Analysis of the problem set to the group in terms of technical, management, leadership, and project management
• Critical review of issues encountered by the group and their resolution; discuss any impact on group performance and product development
• Critical review of your own performance in the group
• Reflection on the contribution of the performance of the author in the group context
• Reflection on any “lessons” learned and how they may help your formation as a future manager.

You are required to maintain an ongoing log of all project activity and progress. You should use this to support you in preparing your interim progress report.The final reflective review should be around 3000 words. It should be prepared to a good professional standard, with cover-page, table of contents, introduction, appropriate sections, and a summary. Academic citations are not necessary for this report, but can be included. Submission is as a single PDF to NOW Dropbox.