A Lean way to teach Lean Product Development to Graduates

This paper describes the Lean Product Development (LPD) course taught in the Mechatronics Engineering Graduate Program from the Instituto Tecnologico de Aeronautica – ITA. During the course the sensei-lecturer discusses the theory, proposes frameworks, asks questions, and challenges the students. The course backbone is based on the Value Function Deployment (VFD) technique, which interlaces concepts from LPD, Integrated Product Development, Systems Engineering, and Project Management. The VFD is used in a course long practical exercise, stressing the concepts of “go and see”, Obeya, Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE), and pulled development. Finally, the students’ theoretical evaluation occurs by applying the “Design for Correction” tests, where multiple choice questions, while having a better alternative, might have more than one possible answer. The lecturer guides the correction process, when the students advocate their choice of alternatives. Therefore, the course promotes a lean way to teach LPD.