Managing a CDS Team for Competition Success

With Kevin Gasperini

Some Background…

• Cal Poly Pomona Alumnus– Graduated in 2008 (Mechanical Engineering)

• Briefly Joined FSAE for 2005 Season– 2 Year Car (2005-2006)

• Re-Joined for 2007 Season, after West.– Cooling Design Captain

• Stayed for 2008 Season– SAE President + Design Work + Sponsorship Work

Introduction:- What is team management and why should I care?

An Example of Managing a Collegiate Design Team:1.) Taking Charge2.) Team Organization3.) Planning4.) Budgeting5.) Sponsorship6.) Recruiting7.) Time Management8.) Training9.) Competition0.) Transition

Challenges You Will Face: - Tough Decisions- Staying on Schedule- Managing Volunteers- Being a Team- School First (Don’t Flunk!)

An Overview…

What is team management?

- Management is the appraisal and allocation of resources to suit specific goals.- Management alone does not add value to a goal!

- Team management is the allocation of team resources to efficiently achieve a task.

Why should I care?

- You need it: Complex projects cannot be completed without management.- You are already doing it on some level.- CDS team success is measured in management effectiveness.

Simply put: If you want to win, you need to become good at management.

Introduction

Examples of Resources: Examples of Needs:

- People- Money- Equipment

- Build a small airplane.- Optimize a part.- Set design targets.

CDS Teams are very unique organizations.- Mostly student volunteers.

- Firing people is very costly.- High turnover rates. (13% for the US in 2011. 25% minimum for CDS.)

- Constant need for training.- Young people.

- Lots of passion = lots of fighting.- Very skilled at emerging trends.- Not so experienced with engineering work.

Learn By Doing: We will walk through the 2007 CPPFSAE season to learn about team management.

More Introduction

2006 Car 2007 Car 2008 Car

The Timeline…

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

Summer Quarter Fall Quarter Winter Quarter Spring Quarter Summer Quarter

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

2007 Cal Poly Pomona Formula SAE Season- Post 2006 Season Status

- 21st place finish.- Low sponsorship. (And $5000 ‘debt’.)- 50% turnover due to mass graduation.

- 2007 Goals- Build a simple, competitive and reliable car.- Rebuild sponsorship base.- Compete in Michigan and California.

YouAre

Here

Team Resources:- 8 Shirts + 2 Veterans- Very Little Money- 2006 Car- Campus Facilities

Taking Charge

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE ItalySep 2007

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

Everyone just quit. Now what?

- Design a team structure.- Simple is usually more effective.

- Evaluate your resources and make goals.

- Make a budget.

- Make a schedule.- Use your goals to set deadlines.- Include margin.

Try to plan out the entire season using the resources available to your team.

If you lack needed resources, dedicate effort to securing them.

Long Term Goals:

- Build up a sponsor base.- Transition to new engine.- Build up design library.

Short Term Goals:

- Simple Car- Improve recruitment.- Competitions: MI & CA

Deadlines are a type of goal.Complete Rolling Chassis

By January 1, 2007

FSAE ItalySep 2007

Team OrganizationBuild an organization to suit your needs:- Key people in key positions, but flatter is usually better.- Assign people to do important tasks.- Apply past lessons to the structure.

- Structure takes effort… It must support your core activity.

Treasurer ExternalLiaisons

System Captain

System Captain

System Captain

Team Manager

Technical Director

Rookie Member

RookieMember

RookieMember

Rookie Member

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

Planning (Make a Schedule)

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Team MeetingSep 2006

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

ChassisDec 2006

RollingJan 2007

EngineDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Race ReadyMay 2007

Design Presentation(s)Summer 2006

Assign Team RolesSep 2006

Design ReviewNov 2006

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

Why do we plan?- To pace long term tasks and meet deadlines on time.How do we plan?- Start with known events and constraints. (Competition, Deadlines, School.)- List critical deadlines.- Plan work around the deadlines.- Allow some margin, especially if you are unfamiliar with the task.

- In industry, a “risk” factor is assigned to to each phase based on task familiarity.- More risk = more margin.

Summer Quarter Fall Quarter Winter Quarter Spring Quarter

TheoreticalDesign

Detail DesignTheo. Sys. Des

Basic FabSystem Design

System Fab& Fit Test

Test &Tune

Fix &Improve

OrganizeTeam

Events

Deadlines

Work Plan

Constraints

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

FSAE ItalySep 2007

RollingJan 2007

Budgeting

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

ChassisDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Design Presentation(s)Summer 2006

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

Why do we Budget?- So we don’t run out of money before we achieve our goal.How do we budget?- Plan Expenses

- Lay out all known costs.- Estimate unknown costs.- Add margin to unknown expense areas.

- Again, more risk = more margin.- Estimate Income

- Add Current Assets- Add Expected Income

- Account for Difference- Not enough?

- Lower Expenses- Raise Money- Be Clever! (“Barterships” and Raiding)

- Be as detailed as needed, but don’t waste time over pennies.

Chassis FabricationMaterials

$501 Steel Stock $345 Steel Plate $97 Hardware $59

Tooling$484 Jig Materials $150

Jig Hardware $229 Welding Supplies $105

Outsourcing$350 Tube Bending $200

Lasercut $150 Misc

$150 Pens $50 String $20 Mockup Materials $30 Shipping $50

Chassis Fab Total $1,485

FSAE ItalySep 2007

RollingJan 2007

Budgeting

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

ChassisDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Design Presentation(s)Summer 2006

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

Result of the budget process:- Overview of Cal Poly Pomona’s 2008 operating budget.

72%

14%

14%

2008 Season Estimated Expenses

CarTeamMisc

50% 45%

5%

2008 Season Projected Income

FundraisingSponsorshipUniversity

Areas are to scale. Shortfall was about $2000 per member.

FSAE ItalySep 2007

SponsorsWhat is a sponsor?- Sponsors are outside entities who are willing to contribute to your organization.Why do sponsors give us free stuff?- Sponsor motivation is usually compassion driven, but sponsors also benefit.

- Publicity- Recruiting- Improved Morale

- You can improve your team’s sponsorship by improving sponsor benefits.- Often times, this is additionally beneficial to students.

What are other things sponsors appreciate?- Professionalism. (Sponsorship packets, no typos or poor grammar.) - Keeping in touch from time to time. (Status emails with pictures are really nice.) - Interns!

It is usually easier for sponsors to donate valuable non-monetary resources.

RollingJan 2007

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

ChassisDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Design Presentation(s)Summer 2006

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

OrganizeTeam

FSAE ItalySep 2007

RecruitingWhy do we recruit?- With a >25% turnover rate, you recruit or become extinct.How does recruiting work?- You are competing with every other club on campus for members.- You recruit by participating in university events and advertising.- More visibility will net more rookie volunteers.

CDS teams have a recruiting advantage over other clubs:

- You do something fun.- Veterans get jobs.

RollingJan 2007

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

ChassisDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

Tips for recruiting:

1.) Display a clean, complete, polished car at club recruiting events.

2.) Put new members to work on meaningful tasks right away, and help welcome them to your team.

3.) Pair rookies with older people and train them.

4.) Legacy members need to be taking an active role, or stepping aside. If you aren't designing something, you don't get to boss a rookie around.

5.) Have a tangible membership privilege. For us, it was team drive day. If you put in a year on our team, you drive when the season is over.

6.) Respect the new people. They may ask silly questions and annoy you, but they are doing their level best to contribute. Realize they are doing you a favor by joining your team. They are your customer.

7.) Team decisions should be fair, honest, and transparent.

8.) Include people. “We designed” is far more inviting than “I designed.”

9.) Ask rookies if they're having fun, and how you can improve as officers.

Time Management (Stay on Schedule)How do you stay on schedule?- Small delays lead to large delays.

- Catch small delays quickly.- Adjust the plan or add resources.

- Many hands makes light work.- Have an enforcer. - Make realistic plans.- Delegate tasks. - Manage workload.

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Team MeetingSep 2006

Post Comp MeetingJul 2006

ChassisDec 2006

RollingJan 2007

EngineDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Race ReadyMay 2007

Design Presentation(s)Summer 2006

Assign Team RolesSep 2006

Design ReviewNov 2006

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

Summer Quarter Fall Quarter Winter Quarter Spring Quarter

TheoreticalDesign

Detail DesignTheo. Sys. Des

Basic FabSystem Design

System Fab& Fit Test

Test &Tune

Fix &Improve

OrganizeTeam

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

Team Manager

System Captain

System Captain

System Captain

Technical Director

TrainingWhy do we train?- CDS Teams’ number 1 challenge is training. - Without training, a team must continually re-learn through mistakes. Benefits of Training:- Trainees become more effective.

- Trainers become more effective.- Training improves rookie retention.- Training improves team cohesion.- Training improves skill mastery.Drawbacks:- Training takes effort.- Training does not directly contribute.- Training is needed most when it is time is most scarce.

FSAE ItalySep 2007

RollingJan 2007

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

ChassisDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

CompetitionCompetition is an evaluation of your job as a manager.- Good structure adds value to a team by enabling success.- Competition is very stressful – your success depends on a solid team foundation. (Good relationships, support, and leadership.)

Preparing for competition is like planning team activities:- Assess Resources- Assess Task- Allocate resources to complete the task.

FSAE ItalySep 2007

RollingJan 2007

FSAE WestJun 2006

FSAE CAJun 2007

FSAE MIMay 2007

UnveilingApr 2007

Engine Systems TestDec 2006

First Full Team MeetingSep 2006

ChassisDec 2006

Full AssemblyApr 2007

Detail ReviewFeb 2007

TransitionLead, follow, or get out of the way.- Take time to reflect on the year.- Retiring members need to make way for the new team.

- Let the new folks design the new team.- Give input, but realize it’s time to let go.

Thank you.