| What Is a Multi-Generation Project Plan? | | | | The Multi-Generation Project Plan Will Help: |
| - A vehicle to help focus the design team's energies | | | | - Initially establish a reasonable project scope - one |
| on a manageable project that can be completed | | | | that drives values with a reasonable completion date |
| relatively quickly. | | | | - Capture good ideas that are surfaced during the |
| - Since the future has been considered, the team will | | | | project |
| not make decisions that are incompatible with future | | | | - Proactively identify project replication opportunities for |
| generations. | | | | other parts of the business |
| - As the team's work progresses, new ideas can be | | | | - Establish the "big picture" - How does this project fit |
| added to future generations of the process instead of | | | | into the overall improvement scheme for the |
| increasing the development time for the first | | | | organization |
| generation process. | | | | - E.g., the objective is to reduce billing errors for all of |
| - MGPP helps manage "scope creep." | | | | our customers. The first generation will address |
| - The organization can be working on new | | | | problems with our top 20% customers. |
| technologies that are needed for future generations | | | | - E.g., this project will streamline the process and |
| while the first generation process is being implemented | | | | reduce the number of errors. The next phase will be |
| and benefits realized. | | | | to implement an automated information system. |
| The MGPP is usually not fully developed in the Lean | | | | - Communicate with stakeholders - "We're focusing on |
| Six Sigma Define phase step: | | | | this part of the process with this project, but |
| - In Define you should describe all the elements for the | | | | recommend a follow-on project to address other parts |
| first generation product/service as fully as possible and | | | | of the process". |
| fill in as much information as you have for future | | | | MGPP Steps: |
| generations. | | | | 1. Start with the vision. Describe the vision for the new |
| - You will add information to the MGPP throughout the | | | | product/service 3 years from now. Then back up and |
| DFSS process. | | | | describe product/service stages that lead up to the |
| - At the end of the first generation, you will be able to | | | | longer-term vision. |
| describe the second and third generation products and | | | | 2. Describe the concept and technologies/platforms for |
| services in much greater detail because of what you | | | | Generation 1 in as much detail as possible. |
| have learned from your research and testing of the | | | | 3. Fill in as much information for Generation 2 and 3 |
| first generation product. | | | | concepts, platforms and technologies as you can. |