Introduction of Lean Six Sigma Principles intoAeronautical Engineering Technology Courses

Faculty members in the aeronautical engineering technology program are redesigning courses in the curriculum to give students a solid background in the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology and techniques. This knowledge will help graduates land their dream jobs in many industries, including aviation, because LSS methodology is widely used in many areas to achieve drastic performance improvements. Aviation companies want graduates to possess more problem-solving skills as a requirement for both employment and success. Most of the aeronautical engineering technology graduates will apply for jobs at major aircraft manufacturers, where the challenge is to fill the gap between the production floor and the engineering department. In addition to manufacturing liaison positions, these graduates are hired for positions in scheduling, tooling, design, and even purchasing. To better prepare students for these careers, new courses are designed to not just teach the students to follow instructions, but to give them a set of tools to truly understand the design and improvement of processes. Specifically, the courses address two major Lean Six Sigma methodologies: DMAIC and DMEDI. DMAIC is a methodology for process or product improvement with five phases: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. DMEDI is a methodology for process or product design with five phases: define, measure, explore, develop, and implement. This paper discusses these methodologies, their significance, their implementations in the courses, and the results.