ASEE Paper
Are Value Methodology & Frugal Engineering new frontiers in a collaborative engineering and business curriculum?
© 2023 American Society for Engineering Education
This paper was originally presented at the 2023 ASEE conference in Baltimore MD. It is presented here with permission of the American Society for Engineering Education
Bopaya Bidanda
Ernest Roth Professor of Industrial Engineering
University of Pittsburgh
Gajanan G. Hegde
Associate Professor
Katz Graduate School of Business
University of Pittsburgh
Abstract
This paper presents the development and teaching of a university-level course for college seniors and graduate students on Frugal Engineering and Value Analysis. The authors developed and offered the course to both business and engineering students. Here, they present the need for teaching frugal engineering in an engineering curriculum. Value Methodology or Value Engineering, along with Quality Engineering, are key components of frugal engineering. “Wicked” problems and their challenges are also presented in this course, along with wicked problem-solving strategies. While the concepts behind Value Engineering were developed in the 1940s and frequently applied in industrial, manufacturing, construction, and defense projects, they are rarely taught in engineering/business colleges today.
The paper presents a roadmap for teaching such a course and details the certification process by SAVE International (formerly the Society of American Value Engineers). A sample ABET-based syllabus, along with a detailed class schedule is also discussed. After completion of the course, students are eligible to take the Value Methodology Associate (VMA) exam to be certified as VMAs (Value Methodology Associates). This certification will be compared to a Lean/Six Sigma certification that is popular with students today.
