The Process

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each stage of the process are outlined below:

1. What's the Problem: Working in teams of two or three, carefully read the task as it is presented to you.

2. Know/Need to Know: Working individually, complete the following journal work: Divide a page in your journal into two columns. On one side, write everything you can think of that you already know about the situation. On the other side, write everything that you can think of that you need to find out about the situation. Discuss what you have written with the rest of your team.

3. State the Problem: Your team should now write a clear, concise Problem Statement that answers the following questions:

  1. What exactly does Midwest Energy, Inc. want you to do?
  2. What will your finished product look like?
  3. What is required to accomplish the task?

4. Make a Plan: In your team or individually, develop an initial plan by answering the following questions in your journals:

  1. What steps, from beginning to end, will be involved in finding solutions to the problem your team has identified?
  2. How would you divide the work so that the entire company can be involved equally in finding a solution?
  3. How much time will be required to accomplish the tasks, as you understand them?

5. Share the Plan: Share the Problem Statement and the initial plan you have made with the rest of the teams in your class. Develop a Master Plan using input from everyone in the class. It should include responsibilities for each person and a timeline for completion of those responsibilities.

6. Solve the Problem: Following the plan made by the entire class, individuals and/or teams will follow the steps required to accomplish the task. At this point, you may find the Resources collected by the archive library division of BLENDER, Inc. to be useful. You are free to use other resources and Internet sites as well, but the archive library staff has requested that you keep a log in your journal of all Internet sites that you use so that the archive can be updated for future projects. They also would like notification of any sites that are out of date, not useful, or unacceptable for other reasons.

7. Evaluate the Solution: Before submitting the final product(s) to Midwest Energy, Inc., it should be reviewed by the entire class and compared against the initial task to ensure that the solution to the problem is satisfactory. If the final product(s) is not satisfactory, the class will plan how to resolve any remaining issues, and then execute the plan.

8. Wrap It Up: Click on the Conclusion link on the navigation bar to find a list of summarizing questions to be answered individually in your journal.

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