Production Line Improvement Team

Engineering & ProductionLevel 2 · 10–12 hrs8 sessions · 75–90 minutesTeam 4–6 (5 is ideal; see roles). Line "workers" come from a partner team (see Teacher setup).Pilot brief, draft

Our hardware-kit line is too slow. Measure it, improve it, and show me in numbers that it's faster and the quality is at least as good.

Client scenario

Welcome to the plant. You're the new improvement team at Northgate Fasteners (fictional), a small company that packs hardware kits for furniture makers. Orders are going out late, and the Plant Manager wants your help.

Client: The Plant Manager (the teacher). The line workers, played by our partner team, are the people who will use our new method.

The kit line is too slow, and the company is missing orders. The manager needs more good kits per run without more defects.

Roles

Line Supervisor (project coordinator)
Time-Study Analyst
Process Engineer
Instructions Writer
Quality Inspector

The twist: Just before Trial 2, the Plant Manager says one worker is out today, so the line has 3 workers. The new box of label cards is also the wrong size (the teacher mixes the 2.5 × 3.5 in batch into the label tray).

Standards mapped

Mapped means the framework is verified and the teacher confirms the evidence. It isn't a claim that a project meets a standard.

NACE (Dec 2025)
ED Employability Skills Framework
CA Standards for Career Ready Practice
NGSS SEP (Appendix F)
CCSS ELA
CCSS Math

Not tagged in this brief: ISTE Students.

Safety, devices and privacy

Hand assembly only. No tools, no power tools, no electrical equipment, no cutting. Nuts are threaded finger-tight.
Keep small parts in trays or cups, never loose on the floor (slip hazard). Sweep up dropped parts right away.
Adults move any heavy furniture. Students may slide light desks only with teacher approval of the layout.
Students with fine-motor or other needs can take any non-assembly role or station; every role is needed.
Timing uses classroom stopwatches or a classroom timer, never phones.
No photos of students. Layouts and instructions are drawn by hand or on school devices. Illustrations show hands and parts only.
No personal information in deliverables. Sign work "Team [#]".

Creative Dad On the Job is in-class client project work. It is not a paid, off-campus On-the-Job Training (OJT) placement.

Budget levels

Totals and Amazon links come from the materials sheet.

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

Quick Start

Digital downloads only. $0 to buy. Printing is noted separately.

$0 to buy. Printing $3–$5, noted separately.

Quick Start would drop Required items: Hex bolts, about 1/4 in × 1 in, Hex nuts to match, Flat washers to match, Small zip bags, about 3 × 4 in, Card stock for label cards (regular + wrong-size batch), Digital stopwatches, Masking tape (to mark stations) — the brief has no print-only version; check it still works

Student time: one class period, one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one class period on a single day.

Scale back: Fit it into a shorter period, use fewer effects, or run a demo instead of a build.

Scale up: Add one extra effect, or spread the share-out across another day.

Ambiance video

Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio

Printing: data sheets, method sheets, handoutsPrinting$3–5

Full Experience

Up to $25 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

About $46–$80 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups). Exceeds $25 per class. Can't fit: the brief's default kit is about $46–80 (+ $0–5 trays if bought). Even with school stopwatches the brief says about $36–65. Would need: parts bought once and reused for years (treated as program stock, not a per-class cost), or a smaller kit; owner decision. No new prices invented.

Student time: one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one school day.

Scale back: Fit the build into one period with fewer effects.

Scale up: Spread the work across days, or add more effects.

Hex bolts, about 1/4 in × 1 inRequired150–200$12–20Amazon
Hex nuts to matchRequired150–200$6–10Amazon
Flat washers to matchRequired300–400$6–10Amazon
Small zip bags, about 3 × 4 inRequired200$4–6Amazon
Card stock for label cards (regular + wrong-size batch)Required10–15 sheets$3–5Amazon
Digital stopwatchesRequired4–5$10–20Amazon
Masking tape (to mark stations)Required1 roll$2–4Amazon

Total Transformation

The bigger kit, priced per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

About $46–$85 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Student time: one day (one session, one-day event).

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one session, a one-day event.

Scale back: Shorten the event, or run a demo for a smaller audience.

Scale up: Spread the build and the event across days, or invite a bigger audience.

Cups, trays or egg cartons for partsBorrow or school has20–30$0–5Only if the school must buy itAmazon

The rest of the brief is part of a subscription

Sessions, role duties, deliverables, materials, free tools, and the teacher setup use the same Creative Dad account as the project library. There is no separate student login.

Subscribe to read the brief Log in