Executing and Improving System Design

This course explores the two final steps in the Getting Design Right process: executing the design and iterating the design process. It provides the tools you need to realize your design and deliver on the promise of the design mission statement. Further, it explains how to maintain a systems view of the project, creatively deal with roadblocks, engage in continuous improvement, tailor the eight-step process, and manage complexity. This course, like the other courses in the series, blends creativity and problem solving, continuous improvement (Six Sigma) and systems engineering, assembling best practices from each domain.

Managers completing this course (and curriculum) will have an integrated overview of the whole design process, including the design-realization process, and will be able to relate it to any project they manage. In addition, because system thinking requires abstract as well as detailed thinking, managers can use this course to develop their teams' overall system-thinking skills.

Individuals completing this course will have a framework for evaluating software packages, training seminars, consulting services, and more. This framework, the systems cube, can be used to assess these packages on what they cover, and, more importantly, on what they fail to cover.

Designers completing this course may choose to seek out software suitable for managing more complex projects. This curriculum will enable these designers to understand how to fit new software into the Getting Design Right process.