P08107: First Stage Solid Rocket
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Identify Customer Needs

Table of Contents

Step 1. Gather Raw Data From Customers

Interaction with Customers

Spoke with Dr. Kozak on 18 May 2007. He noted that the concern with P07106's cold-gas thrusters revolves around wave-propagation in the nozzle. More specifically, the concern is that wave propagation caused by the sudden closure of the nozzle will delay the fluid if the nozzle were suddenly re-opened.

That is, the concern is the performance of the thrusters' time response. Once in place, the desired system will be able to correct the rocket's path on its way to orbit. Any delays in the system will endanger the rocket's mission to remain within a designated fly-zone, as well as its ability to reach orbit using a finite amount of fuel/oxidizer.

List of Interview Questions
General

1.) Can you give us a walk through of the current concept for the rocket launch?

- Where/when/etc

2.) How many projects will there be for the 2007-2008 academic year?

3.) Are the projects fixed for fall/winter, fall/spring, and winter/spring or can they be moved around?

4.) What is the status on the current projects?

- Are they on track/behind/ahead?
- Are they meeting their goals?

5.) How many members will be needed for each project?

6.) Who are the project sponsors? -- Is it possible to get more sponsors / more funding?

7.) Who is the intended to buy this product at its completion?

8.) Are there any proprietary issues that will be important for any of these projects?

9.) What would you like to see in future projects that previous projects have missed?

10.) Are there any current vendors that will be supporting these projects?

11.) What other faculty will be supporting these projects?

12.) Are there any problems with the testing procedure at this time?

13.) What resources will be available for use?

- Storage/rooms/machining/test fires/...etc

14.) Are there any financial constraints for these projects?

- What are the time constraints?

15.) Will we have the ability to have input in the selection of our team members?

Rocket Stages General

1.) What have been the successes of the project thus far?

2.) What have been the drawbacks of the project thus far?

3.) Are there any similar projects that can be used for benchmarking purposes?

4.) Are there any significant differences between the different stages or will they be using the same platform?

5.) Have the past staffing requirements worked well for the rocket stage? More students/fewer students? More ME/More EE?

- How do other teams' needs affect the rocket stages? (Who has priority?)
- What is the scope of each project?

Step 2. Interpret Raw Data in Terms of Customer Needs

  1. Express the need in terms of what the product has to do, not in terms of how the product might do it.
  2. Express the need as specifically as the raw data.
  3. Use positive phrasing
  4. Express the needs as attributes of the product

Step 3. Organize the Needs into a Hierarchy

Step 4. Establish the Relative Importance of the Needs

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Needs Summary
Item # Needs to Importance
Need 1.1 Thorough, explicit, and readily available safety procedures 5
Need 1.2 Reasonable factors of safety 4
Need 1.3 Necessary mechanisms to ensure team safety in testing 5
Need 2.1 Provide consistent (predictable) thrust 4
Need 2.1a Accurate and repeatable thrust measurements 4
Need 2.2 Reliability in flight 5
Need 2.2a Withstand vibration & temp extremes during combustion 5
Need 3.1 Provide effective response 5
Need 4.1 Utilize low-cost materials & processes 3

Step 5. Reflect on the Results and the Process

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