Quality And Manufacturing Management Teams Pitch Product Ideas To Elmer's

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (May 15, 2007) – In collaboration with Elmer's Products, Inc., five teams of students enrolled in the Quality and Manufacturing Management (QMM) program, administered jointly by Penn State's College of Engineering and Smeal College of Business, explored new product development experiences for two semesters with the goal of complementing the strategic marketing directions of Elmer's.

The students developed products as if they were employees of Elmer's for most of the two-semester sequence. Company representatives maintained involvement—in person and via conference calls—throughout.

On May 1, the teams pitched their products—including marketing plans, investment opportunities, manufacturing logistics, prototypes, and environmental and legal considerations—to representatives from Elmer's and other business, manufacturing, and management experts.

Elmer's awarded $400 to each member of the first-place team, "Dial Up Industries," who presented their Dial Up Paint Pen as a no-mess alternative to children's paint and brushes.

The second-place team, who pitched the iPen—a combination two-color highlighter, pen, and highlighter eraser—won $100 each.

The "EduToys LLC" team introduced an education-friendly geography puzzle; "Foamtastix" developed a foam pen and desk set for use in educational modeling; and "Binder Works Enterprises" presented their concept of a combination binder and three-hole punch.

"Elmer's gets to hear ideas and possible product development concepts, and my involvement gives me an opportunity to give back to the University," said Tom Marchese '84 MBA, vice president of innovation for Elmer's. "I also think it's great for the students to get this real-world experience. I think they get a lot out of this program."

Students concur. Sumit Soni, who worked for three years at TATA Motors in India before pursuing his Master of Manufacturing Management (MMM) degree, echoes Marchese's sentiments.

"I only had a technical development background, and this program has given me a companywide perspective I would not have gotten otherwise," he said.

Alpesh Patel, an MMM candidate who has a bachelor's degree in mechatronics and a master's in mechanical engineering, agrees: "I've learned soft skills—communications, business sense, interpersonal relationships, presentation abilities—that I didn’t get with my other two degrees."

Marchese indicated that there is potential for Elmer's to expand upon the teams' innovations and even eventually market some form of the products presented.

"The program is a win-win," according to Tucker Marion, industrial engineering Ph.D. candidate, who leads the QMM 572 course with Frank Archibald, adjunct professor of mechanical engineering. "The students get skill sets you don't normally get from a tech degree: educational strength and a leadership edge beyond a bachelor's. Elmer's essentially gets five project teams doing market research, prototypes, and business plans."

About The Quality And Manufacturing Management Program
The QMM program—administered jointly between the College of Engineering and the Smeal College of Business—integrates business, leadership, communication management, technology, and engineering into a two-semester master's degree curriculum, conferring on its graduates the Master of Manufacturing Management (MMM).

Enrollment includes students with backgrounds in business, engineering, industry, and science.