2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Applied Capstone Project for Working Professionals: A Decade of Experiences in Design, Execution, and Creating Value for Employers

Presented at Graduate Studies Division (GSD) Technical Session 6: Programs in Graduate Education

This paper outlines the process, design, implementation and improvements to an applied capstone project designed for working professionals. Experiences and lessons learned from a decade of teaching and advising will be shared. These include project identification, proposal preparation, background research, quantitative and qualitative data collection, solution development and return-on-investment demonstration on the project.

The Capstone Project is part of the Master of Industrial Distribution (MID) degree. The MID program is a 21-Month, distance learning program focused on professionals with at least five years of experience in the industrial distribution, industrial sales, manufacturing, supply chain and logistics areas. Pioneering distance learning at Texas A&M University for 20 years, the MID program is the largest online program in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.
The MID program is designed for working professionals to apply the concepts and knowledge from the courses immediately on the job. The individual capstone project during the second year, done with a goal of problem solving, serves as an opportunity to identify an improvement area in the student’s organization and develop a solution with demonstrable value. The Projects mainly focusses on industrial and construction distribution functions such as sales, customer experience, business development, operations, supply chain technology, finance or human resources. A process improvement (efficiency/effectiveness) or new business opportunity (feasibility/market potential) creates value to the student’s organization. Students are expected to organize a steering committee that includes their advisor, direct manager and up to two other executives to support their project.

Enhancements over the years include improvement to project scoping and design, background/literature review, depth of analysis, and overall writing process. A unified syllabus for the two-semester project, deliverable spacing, rubrics, advisor check-ins, past project examples, and former student panel discussion help support student experience and project outcome. Recent addition of a Capstone Project Coordinator is designed to provide periodic check-ins, advising and project resources. Assessments of project include the advising and grading by the advisor, steering committee meetings with their company managers/executives and final project presentations reviewed by external advisory committee members. Several students have used their capstone project to not only bring demonstrable value and impact to their organization but has used it as a stepping stone to advance their careers.

Authors

Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam is an Associate Professor of Instruction and Associate Director of Master of Industrial Distribution program at the Department of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University. He is the co-founder of the Talent Development Council that works with Distributions on Talent acquisition, management, and development practices. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Industrial Distribution. He has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, applied research, academic program management. Dr. Bharani has worked on industry projects, consortia, and professional development programs for 100+ industrial distributors and manufacturers. He has published in academic journals and industry publications. He is the co-author of two books. Dr. Bharani holds a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Production Engineering from India.
Dr. Bimal P. Nepal Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Bimal Nepal is a Rader I Professor in the Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A&M University. His research interests include integration of supply chain management with new product development decisions, distributor service portfolio optimization.
Dr. Malini Natarajarathinam http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1684-6476 Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Malini Natarajarathinam is a Professor in the Industrial Distribution (ID) program in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution (ETID) in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in purchasing, distribution logistics, strategic relationships, distribution customer experience, etc.
She has been involved in numerous research and consulting engagements in inventory management, supplier relationships, and improving profitability at several large and mid-sized distributors. Before entering academia, she worked with several automotive companies on projects focused on optimizing transportation, material handling, and decision analysis systems.
Her research interests include empirical studies to assess the impact of good supply chain practices such as coordinated decision-making in stochastic supply chains, handling supply chains during times of crisis, and optimizing global supply chains on a company's financial health. Her recent research focuses on the skills and capabilities needed for workers to work in the new Industry 4.0 enhanced warehouses.
She received her Ph.D. in Operations Management and M.S. in Applied Statistics from The University of Alabama. She also has a bachelor's and master’s degree in industrial engineering from Anna University and Auburn University, respectively.
Ms. Kourtney Rogers Gruner Texas A&M University [biography]

Ms. Kourtney Gruner is the Assistant Director of the Master of Industrial Distribution (MID) program in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution (ETID) in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. With over 17 years of higher education program experience in Engineering, Kourtney has a wide range of experience in recruitment and outreach, learning and development, event planning, advising, student services, and faculty development. She serves the MID Program and its students through administrative functions, advising, and comprehensive student service. She is also the program capstone coordinator, assessment coordinator, and learning and development coordinator, providing faculty development. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Educational Administration from Texas A&M University with a research emphasis in Engineering faculty development, online Engineering, and Engineering Professors of Practice. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in recreation, park, and tourism sciences and student affairs administration in higher education from Texas A&M University, respectively.

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