A course in statistical engineering

Abstract

A course in statistical engineering has recently been added to the Ford Motor Company's Technical Education Program. The aim was to produce materials suitable for use by Ford but which could also be promoted by the UK's Royal Statistical Society within the university sector. The course is built around a sequence of realistic tasks dictated by the flow of the product creation process. Its structure and content is thus driven by engineering need rather than statistical method, promoting constructivist learning. Before describing the course content we review the changing role of the engineer and comment on the relationships between Systems Engineering, Design for Six Sigma and Statistical Engineering. We give details of a case study which plays a crucial role in the course. We focus on some important features of the development process and conclude with a discussion of the approach we have taken and possible future developments.