Project Management in Action: An Integrated Product Team
Edgar R. Blevins · 2022
This paper describes the observance of a project by the University of Alabama -Huntsville, to introduce undergraduate students to a teamwork environment.The parallel research/education effort, sponsored by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, established an Integrated Product Team (IPT) to design an Unmanned Air/Ground Vehicle (UAGV).The IPT project uses industrial mentors to guide 3 teams of engineering, business, and liberal arts students in a competitive design project.Three international teams of undergraduate students competed to present the best configuration of a UAGV.A key aspect of this course was the integration of students and faculty from different disciplines and the use of mentors to assist the student teams.This paper includes an overview of the teams' actions during the semester of the project, including the project management activities, and also includes the results of the surveys administrated by the observers.The observers focused on the teaming, task structure, outside assistance, tools, priorities and the leaders actions used to accomplish various project objectives.