Tile and Brick Making

[mallikasaran]

1. Write down A) your personal goals, B) what you think the group goals should be, and C) the metrics to measure success of both.
• Personal Goals –
o To connect well with and get to know my team members
o To be an important part for my team in this project.
o To dedicate all the time that this project needs (meetings, investigation, creating, etc.)
o To create a product that is useful
o To create a product that can be commercialized. Ideally I would want to have a product and market it in a similar manner to IMI.
• Group Goals –
o To work well together
o Good communication – in case any of us feels left out loop we should be able to tell each other
o To come up with a solution that improves notoriously the process of brick making so that the product is useful
o 3. That the product developed can be commercialized and distributed to the brick making communities in Guatemala
• Metrics of success
o That we as a team do the work in time or in advance along the time of the project.
o That the artisan or brick making man does use our product solution after we are finished with the project.
o Better results in time or in effort in the brick making process

2. Share your goals with your team members and agree on your team organization and goals.
• Organization –
o Delegation is key
o We should decide on our objectives for the week and then divide the work amongst each of us. Can have a rotating leader if we feel that this is necessary

3. Write a problem statement -- a concise 1-2 sentence statement of your goal. Be explicit about price, throughput, customer, etc.
Our goal is to develop a product that helps in the brick making process. The product will be designed to improve the time and efficiency of the process. We will target either a specific part of the process, thereby improving the brick itself. We also aim to reduce human injury caused by crushing of the rocks by foot. The product will be sold at a price such that the cost of the product is more than compensated by the monetary savings from efficiency improvements in the tile and brick making process. This product has to be economic and simple to fabricate so any brick making man in Guatemala can afore it, make it, or get it.

4. Write a 100 word "sales pitch" explaining why your project is important.

The brick making community in Guatemala have been using the same techniques, materials and instruments from a long time ago but that does not mean that is the best way to do it. The process has not evolved and their productivity is limited to a certain number of bricks and tiles per day, not letting them have clients that require bricks in big quantities or continuously. Also some techniques are exhausting and harmful for the fabricant. I consider this project very important because with our knowledge and experience we can find a solution that could improve the process of brick making and for that the lifestyle of the people depending on it.