Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Industrial Engineering

Major Professor

Andrew J. Yu

Committee Members

James L. Simonton, Jamie B. Coble, Anahita Khojandi

Abstract

Learning is an amalgam of a student’s desire to understand, the willingness of an instructor to educate, the subject taught, its quality, and the delivery environment. Most importantly, a learning goal, both actionable and investment worthy, must exist for effective learning to take place. The ability to learn and then implement new concepts and ideas is the significant difference separating our species from other life on this planet. It has led to diverse discoveries such as disease vaccines, nuclear energy, the automobile, electronics, and rocket planes to name just a few.Science advances in small steps and big leaps. Inventions increase daily to improve the quality of life for this planet’s population. At the center of all these ideas are researchers looking to tease out the next piece of information for our world’s knowledge base. This body of knowledge (BOK) grows at an ever-expanding rate, doubling every few years. This doubling period is shrinking rapidly as more knowledge is accumulated.In the manufacturing world of products, this BOK is brought to bear on products that, hopefully, stand above their competition. If a product is excellent, consumers and producers are satisfied. The consumer gets the best quality for the price while the producer gets the best price for the quality offered. If product quality and price are right, there is someone willing to buy it.However, what happens when the opposite is experienced and the product, at its asking price, is of poor quality? Buyers are less willing to spend and quick to mention the lack of quality or defects found. Defects can impact the maker’s selling price and translate into extensive efforts to make the customer whole through warranty. The producer also risks the loss of their customer (brand loyalty) if the product is deficient in quality.Within this dissertation, training methods, useful practices, experiences, and the body of training knowledge will be presented in defense of developmental training and will conclude with a case study exploration into the connections between supply chain developmental training and defect reductions at an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) using multiple statistical techniques.

Comments

A small portion of this dissertation was excerpted from my capstone project report for my Masters and previously published.

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