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ME50372: Strategic and innovative thinking

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Mechanical Engineering
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Case study (CW 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Description: Aims:
The aim of this course is to provide students with strategic and innovative thinking methods to challenge the status quo of conventional systems thinking, and to provide a framework for managing the rapidly changing technological world.
This course will explore strategic thinking processes, road-mapping techniques, contextualization of technology drivers, and alternative thinking approaches for systems design and analysis. The course will critically review current processes, such as the V-process, interface specifications, and how these impose limitations in today's changing world.

Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:
* summarise systems thinking in an automotive propulsion context
* apply strategic thinking
* apply effective critical thinking techniques
* conduct road-mapping exercises over short, medium and long term horizons.

Skills:

* Independent study
* Oral communication
* Written communication
* Critical thinking
* Prioritization and scoring matrix techniques
* Data and information analysis of complex systems
* SWOT analysis
* Dealing with incomplete data
* Strategic development techniques.

Content:
This unit will be built around a variety of techniques to develop a strategy and roadmap. Students will be given a number of lectures on techniques and then asked to apply them to develop a technology roadmap for a specific area, including a strategy on how to achieve these goals. The automotive digital techniques roadmap will be a cornerstone technique used as the basis for the work. The course will also introduce techniques from psychology and management to provide a holistic approach to thinking and a wide array of techniques that can be employed to solve and analyse problems
Specifically the course will include
* Data analysis techniques for large and incomplete data sets
* Case studies including implementations of the classic V-process, as well as how disruptive technologies impact on traditional planning and strategic thinking
* 6-steps for effective critical thinking
* 6-sigma.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

ME50372 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • REME-AFM29 : Integrated PhD Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.