You’ve completed a project in Manufacturing Engineering. How do you measure its success?

1 Define your objectives

Before you start your project, you should have a clear and specific idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Your objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you might want to increase the output of a certain machine by 10% in three months, reduce the defect rate of a product by 5% in six months, or save $50,000 in energy costs in one year. Having SMART objectives will help you focus your efforts, monitor your progress, and evaluate your outcomes.

2 Choose your metrics

Once you have your objectives, you need to select the appropriate metrics to track and quantify them. Metrics are the indicators that measure the performance, quality, efficiency, and impact of your project. They can be categorized into four types: input, output, outcome, and impact. Input metrics measure the resources and activities that go into your project, such as time, money, materials, and labor. Output metrics measure the results and deliverables of your project, such as units produced, cycle time, yield, and waste. Outcome metrics measure the benefits and value of your project for your customers, stakeholders, and organization, such as customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention, and revenue. Impact metrics measure the long-term and strategic effects of your project on your industry, society, and environment, such as market share, innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility. You should choose the metrics that are most relevant to your objectives, align with your organization’s goals and vision, and are easy to collect and analyze.

4 Report and communicate results

Finally, you need to report and communicate the results of your data analysis to your customers, stakeholders, and organization. You should use clear and concise language and visuals to present your findings, such as charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, and dashboards. You should also use storytelling techniques to highlight the key insights, achievements, challenges, and recommendations of your project. You should tailor your report and communication to your audience’s needs, expectations, and feedback. You should also be honest, transparent, and constructive about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your project.