APS112 Comprehensive Midterm Study Guide

A comprehensive set of flashcards based on engineering principles and project management concepts covered in the APS112 midterm study guide.

What is a project? (Project Management)

A scheduled problem for solution according to Joseph M. Juran.

Engineering Notebook (Project Management)

A permanent record of a researcher’s activities that is clear enough for replication, can be used as legal evidence in patent creation.

Skeptical Thinking (Research and PLR)

Questioning information and validity through testing.

Triangulation (Research and PLR)

Backing up an original claim with 2 or more independent sources.

Obstacles to Skepticism (Research and PLR)

Confusing correlation with causation, examples with evidence, and false dichotomies.

Client Statement (Client Meetings)

An initial biased statement detailing what a client wants.

Problem Statement (Problem Definition)

The engineering interpretation of a problem including context, gap, and need.

Context (Problem Definition)

Background information on the client and current situation.

Gap (Problem Definition)

What is lacking and causing the project problem.

Need (Problem Definition)

What is required to fill the gap, solution-independent.

Scope (Problem Definition)

The boundaries of the project space regarding design.

Client Meeting Plan (Client Meetings)

Structure for conducting meetings to gather information and approval.

CRAAP Test (Research and PLR)

Evaluates source quality: Currency, Relevancy, Accuracy, Authority, Purpose.

Interest Holders / Stakeholders (Problem Definition)

Individuals affected by the design, plotted on a matrix of interest and influence.

Task (Gantt Charts)

A specific item that needs to be accomplished within a project.

Milestone (Gantt Charts)

A key event in a project with zero duration.

Task Dependencies (Gantt Charts)

Relationships that determine the order of tasks.

Finish to Finish (FF) (Gantt Charts)

A predecessor must finish before a successor can finish.

Start to Start (SS) (Gantt Charts)

A predecessor must start before a successor can start.

Outcomes (Project Management)

Tangible deliverables from a completed task.

Bolton and Bolton Working Styles (Teamwork)

Categorizes team members by behaviors: Analytical, Driver, Amiable, Expressive.

Leader (Teamwork)

Supports the team and work environment.

Project Manager (Teamwork)

Supports the project focusing on the timeline.

Communication Liaison (Teamwork)

Single point of contact for clients and Engineering Managers.

AID Feedback Model (Teamwork)

Feedback framework: Action, Impact, Desired Behavior.

Detailed Requirements (FOCs) (Requirements)

Functions that describe what the design must do.

Objectives (Requirements)

What the design should achieve with measurable metrics.

Constraints (Requirements)

Absolute limits the design cannot exceed.

The Black Box Method (Idea Generation)

Mapping inputs and outputs while ignoring internal mechanisms.

Functional Decomposition (Idea Generation)

Breaking down complex functions into smaller parts.

Structured Brainstorming (Idea Generation)

Individuals write ideas silently first to generate ideas.

Morph Charts (Idea Generation)

A table mapping functions to means for developing solutions.

SCAMPER (Idea Generation)

An ideation technique: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse.

TRIZ (Idea Generation)

40 inventive principles for resolving technical issues.

Blue Sky Thinking (Idea Generation)

Generating ideas without constraints.

Feasibility Check (Idea Selection 1)

First screen for ideas failing function or constraint.

Multi-voting (Idea Selection 2)

Filtering method where team members vote on ideas.

Graphical Decision Chart (Idea Selection 3)

Mapping the two most important objectives on a 2x2 grid to find the strongest contenders.

Pugh Method (Idea Selection 4)

Idea comparison against a baseline design using scores.

Weighted Decision Matrix (Idea Selection 4.1)

Assigns weights to objectives in scoring design options.

Metric (MoS)

A requirement used to compare design solutions.

Test Justification (MoS)

Evaluating accuracy versus precision in testing.

Accuracy (MoS)

Refers to a test measuring the true value.

Precision (MoS)

Refers to the repeatability of a test's results.

Schematic Drawings (Visualizations)

Standardized symbols for conveying engineering information.

Flowcharts (Visualizations)

Visual diagrams mapping processes.

Orthographic Drawings (Visualizations)

2D representations of a 3D object.

Isometric Diagrams (Visualizations)

3D representations with equally foreshortened dimensions.

Assembly Drawings (Visualizations)

Show how parts fit in final assembly.

Cutaway Drawings (Visualizations)

Partially sliced object showing internal structure.

Anthropomorphic Data (Design for Human Factors)

Measurements of human physical characteristics.

Equitable Use (Design for Human Factors)

Products designed for everyone.

Flexible Use (Design for Human Factors)

Outputs catering to different user needs.

Simple and Intuitive to Use (Design for Human Factors)

Products that are easy to operate.

Perceptible Information (Design for Human Factors)

Design features that are easily noticed.

Tolerance for Error (Design for Human Factors)

Design prompts that guide users to avoid mistakes.

Low Physical Effort (Design for Human Factors)

Products requiring minimal effort to use.

Size and Space for Approach and Use (Design for Human Factors)

Design accommodating diverse body types.

Risk Equation (Design for Safety)

Risk = Probability × Severity.

Acceptable Risk (Design for Safety)

Risk value tolerable to society.

Risk Matrix (Design for Safety)

Charts plotting probability against severity.

Hierarchy of Safety Controls (Design for Safety)

Order of effectiveness in hazard control.

Elimination (Design for Safety)

Completely removing hazards.

Substitution (Design for Safety)

Replacing hazards with safer alternatives.

Engineering Controls (Design for Safety)

Physical barriers isolating people from hazards.

Administrative Controls (Design for Safety)

Changing procedures to reduce risks.

PPE (Design for Safety)

Personal Protective Equipment, last line of defense.

Design for Sustainability (Sustainability)

Focus on waste reduction and product lifecycle.

Reverse Engineering (Reverse Engineering)

Analyzing systems to learn their design.

Three Steps of Reverse Engineering (Reverse Engineering)

Observe, Decompose, Analyze.

Motivations for Reverse Engineering (Reverse Engineering)

Competitor analysis, idea generation, verifying designs.

Functionality in Reverse Engineering (Reverse Engineering)

Understanding what the system does.

Physical Teardown (Reverse Engineering)

Analyzing what a system is made of.

Evaluating Alternative Choices (Reverse Engineering)

Analyzing why a design choice was made.

Baseline Design (Idea Selection)

Reference design for comparing all ideas.

Discipline in Engineering (Project Management)

Maintaining rigor and structure in engineering.

Iterative Design Process (Project Management)

Repeated cycles of design, test, and refine.