As a member of CPM, I have been involved with the Production team and the Basis for Interest team.  I was the production team leader for Fall 2002/Spring 2003.  As team leader, I was in charge of about 8-20 students.  I was able to interact with several different majors and help provide feedback.  It was a learning experience for me.  The production team also worked with the business plan team to create financial statements.  I was able to put my chemical engineering experience to work without having the worries of exams.  If I made a mistake, I had several other students and the advisor to help me out.  It was definitely a more realistic setting and gave me a chance to work in a team and also with KC's mentors.

This year I am the BFI team leader.  I have one other member on the team that collects biweekly memos from all class members of CPM.  Being a team leader allows me to interact with the Executive committee and give my input on how to better the class and make our project a success.

CPM offers many opportunities to students to have leadership opportunities and to hold an executive position.  They can run the class, move around to different teams, and interact with people of different majors, which is how it works in the real world.

--Brandee Walline, Chemical Engineering senior

Being on the production team gives you a chance to be involved in a lot of hands on experiences.  This team is one of many very versatile parts of the Consumer Product Manufacturing enterprise.  The Production team works hand in hand with the Prototype-Testing team, and also many others.  Once a product is developed, you have to opportunity to find the most profitable way to produce the product both quickly and safely.  This experience is not only profitable to the enterprise and Kimberly-Clark, but it is also very profitable to your own education and a very strong resume builder. If you are looking to go into any sort of manufacturing position sometime in the future, being on the production team is important and will further both your understanding of the manufacturing/ production world and your career.

--Brooke Adams, Mechanical Engineering sophomore

One of the biggest concerns I had in my first few year of school was the fact that I was getting little to no hands on training.  I was tried of getting the same old lecture that told me why things worked, but never showed me how they worked.  One of the most important attributes we are taught as engineers is to challenge everything, and try and make things better in any way.  How are we as engineers supposed to accomplish this when we get hardly any work outside of the classroom until our senior design projects?

Until I became part of the CPM course at Michigan Tech, I felt that same way about all of my classes.  And being part of the prototype/testing team has given me the hands on, real world engineering training that so many companies are looking for.  One of the biggest areas that seemed to gain valuable knowledge from was the entire process sessions.  I have learned that everyone has their own ideas and thoughts when creating a project, and wants those idea incorporated into a project that is being worked on.  Every time a new idea comes into existence, more than one person has an idea on how to make that initial thought better, or work more efficiently.  Since this is what really happens in real life in a corporate setting, this has shown me how to not only communicate your ideas to be heard, but also listen to what others have to say since they could improve a thought you are working on. 

Since no one wants to feel "stupid" at their first big meeting with the company chairs, CPM gives you the chance to experience this in a team of only your peers when your job isn�t on the line each time you open your mouth.  I feel that this class, as well as its team setting, has given me a ton of real world experience that is going to make me an asset to a company upon being hired, not a shot in the dark on a person who has no experience.

--Ryan Camps, Biomedical Engineering senior

For the past two semesters I have been apart of the Production Team.  Over this past year, my duties have included

•        Finding a startup location somewhere in the Midwest for our baby bib grassroots plant
•        Finding the break even sales point and unit bib cost
•        Working on fastener application with other team members
•        Researching possible machines for production of baby bib, and disposable blood pressure cuff
•        Helping type a business plan/proposal

Working with the Enterprise has helped me become a better listener and shaped me into a stronger leader.  The responsibility bestowed to each student has made me use my time management skills more efficiently so I can get my work done to help out other team members. 

The Enterprise program helps you see how real life, business oriented brainstorming happens.  The whole class is run by students, so everyone has a say in how the class should and will be run.

--Mike Baker, Chemical Engineering junior