Improvement and Innovation
Toolbox
Course introduction
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
ALBERTO PORTIOLI STAUDACHER
• Full Professor Operations Management
• Head of the OPEX research group
• Director of Lean Excellence Centre (www.lean.polimi.it)
• Reference person Major Industrial Management
• Passionate for Teaching, Researching, Consulting and, in general, helping other people to
realise the best out of themselves
• Innovator: introduced the LABs in Management Engineering MSc; invented the formula of the
Industrial Management LAB (consulting project)
• One of the main Italian experts in Operations management and Improvement
• More than 150 publications
• More than 200 improvement projects with Italian end international companies
• To contact me:
alberto.portioli@polimi.it
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
MAURIZIO MONTAGNA
Teacher in Industrial Management Toolbox Course at MSc
Polimi since 2016
Member of the Extended Faculty of the School of
Management (Polimi GSOM)
Lecturer for several MBA at the MIP on Process Improvement /
Lean Six Sigma.
Six Sigma Program Manager in FCA (2005 – 2010)
Operation Strategy Responsible within European South Region
in PWC and IBM Consulting (1998 – 2004)
Degree in Nuclear Engineering
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
STEFANO FRECASSETTI
Currently:
PhD Candidate in Industrial Engineering at PoliMi with a focus on firms
digitalization and operational excellence
Operations Consultant
Lecturer in Innovation and Improvement Toolbox at MSc PoliMi
Lecturer in Operations Management Course at MSc PoliMi
Tutored more than 30 continuous improvement project
Previously:
BSc and MSc at PoliMi in Management Engineering
Experience in automotive sector
To contact me
stefano.frecassetti@polimi.it
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Why this course?
In companies’ life there are always problems
Solving problems is the most powerful source of
satisfaction (improving is at a higher level than
doing well)
Complex problem solving is top skill for 2025
onwards, according to World Academic Forum,
YOUR TURN
What’s a problem?
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Welcome!
We are here to develop a comprehensive
toolbox, useful to address and solve a large
number of problems, to innovate, and to
improve. In any service or manufacturing
context.
This toolbox could be used for all areas, from
operations, to logistics to services etc…
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
“Comprehensive Toolbox”?
Swiss army knife Paper clip
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
What are the benefits of a
comprehensive toolbox?
Ability to enter in an altogether new (or not well known)
industrial context and rapidly create a relationship with
the client;
Data analytics: to rapidly understand a problem and to
gather data, removing useless or redundant ones,
making simplifying assumptions and transforming data
into relevant information, and eventually solve the
problem;
Contribute to increase innovation capability of the
company/organisation
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Data! << Data! Data! Data!
I can’t make bricks without clay>>
Sherlock Holmes
<< It is a capital mistake to theorize
before one has data. Insensibly one
begins to twist facts to suit theories,
instead of theories to suit facts.>>
Sherlock Holmes
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
What are the benefit of a
comprehensive toolbox?
Knowledge of a number of general-purpose
problem solving tools, to carry with you as a Swiss
Army knife and to use in each and every
occasion (in a smart way!);
Ability to clearly present the conclusions of your
reasoning, in a clear and correct way, and to
defend proposed solutions – stressing their
strengths and critically analysing their limits.
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Teaching approach
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox has been selected by the School as pilot course to
implement an innovative way of teaching – YOU all, together with US will be part of this amazing
innovation!
The rules to play in these innovative courses are the following:
1. Ex catedra teaching is minimised. Most of it was transformed in video, self learning material.
2. You will get assignments, so you will practice, face problems, find solutions. We will use the in
class time to brainstorm, discuss what you did, analyse different views. No judgement: every
idea is an idea worth listening to. We expect a lot of new ideas and solutions.
3. You are allowed to make mistakes. You are EXPECTED to make mistakes. If you did not make
any mistake during this course (at the exam is a different story) we designed the course
WRONG.
4. Forget the old one-solution approach – every problem and opportunity we face is complex
and has many different perspectives, many different learning aspects, and many solutions
5. The multi-perspectives and solutions that will come up are possible with the contribution of you
all – the more you contribute the more you learn!
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
…we will work together
<<Nothing clears up a
case so much as
stating it to another
person>>
Sherlock Holmes
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Course content/1
The tools discussed with a series of “monographic real
problems” in the course will be the following:
Problem finding/setting
A structured framework for problem-setting and
problem-solving: A3
Data collection: parsimoniousness (extreme care in…,
being efficient is key because data collection and
especially data processing is expensive and time-
consuming) and focus on the relevant data
Prioritising actions using Pareto Rule in complex
situations
Problem causes identification and analysis
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Course content /2
Quantitative Analysis
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) one-way and two-
ways
Design of Experiments (DOE)
Clustering
Factor Analysis
Simulation
Alternative solution choice
Multicriteria decision making:
Voting methods
Alternative selection with Analytic Hierarchy Process
(AHP)
Simulation
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Structure of the Course
A 8 steps framework for problem-setting and
solving: the famous A3 of Toyota Business practice
Data analytics Simulation
Analysis of Variance PM and Gantt
Data Collection (ANOVA) Chart
Fishbone Diagram
5 Whys Technique
Clustering and Factor
Data Collection Analysis
Design of experiment Design of Experiments
Pareto and priority Simulation Simulation
management Analysis of Variance
(ANOVA)
Design of Experiments
Voting methods
Analytic Hierarchy Process
(AHP)
Foster creativity
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Course Methodology
Learning by doing: work based on real cases
Lectures will encompass both:
Theory
Exercise: students will be asked to work in class on assignments in groups
(self-organized)
Preliminary materials and an assignment will be given in the case
of the lecture on Pareto Rule and Data Collection. All information
will be provided in the lecture before!
Please note that assignments and group works , though not
graded, represent a fundamental practical application of the
tools presented and therefore ”practical exercises” in a real
context, useful to grasp the real value of the course…and to pass
the exam!
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Other practical useful info
Lectures: Monday 9.30 to 13.00 , room MEL 1
Course calendar: you will find the updated version of the syllabus on
WeBeep
All course materials will be uploaded on WeBeep – Improvement
and Innovation Toolbox
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
References for the course
Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process to Solve Problems,
Gain Agreement, Mentor and Lead, by John Shook
The Most Underrated Skill in Management. (2017). Nelson P. Repenning, Don
Kieffer and Todd Astor, MIT Sloan Management Review (a link to the article is
on WeBeep)
Introduction to statistical Quality Control, 6th edition, Douglas C. Montgomery
(you can find the Pdf version online) for Anova, DOE and review of statistics
prerequisite
Handbook of Simulation: Principles, Methodology, Advances, Applications,
and Practice, by Jerry Banks
Pareto videos and material for a quick review:
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/eb024706
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxr0iL6NI1g
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/eb024706
Multivariate statistical methods : a primer Manly, Bryan F. J. (2005) (available in
the POLIMI library) for Cluster Analysis and Factor Analysis
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Software needed during the
course
Microsoft Office
Minitab to be downloaded for Anova – Design of Experiment –
Clustering and Factor Analysis lectures
https://www.software.polimi.it/software-download/studenti/minitab/
MATLAB and Simulink to be downloaded for Simulation following
the Pdf Instructions on WeBeep
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Exam: Improvement and Innovation
Toolbox
Final exam: written on PCs, individual with practical
exercises and theory (including the support of
software such as MINITAB/MATLAB).
Only students enrolled through online services to the
exam can participate to it, i.e. students that want to
take the exam call on day X MUST be enrolled for
the call for the day X
The deadline for accepting the mark will be
communicated through the system. If you do not
refuse the mark by that deadline, the mark will be
registered
You can decide not to accept the mark of the
exam, and to take the exam again. In that case the
rejected mark is cancelled and lost, only the new
mark will be considered
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Exam – IM-LAB and TOOLBOX
(15 CFU)
For those attending the IM-LAB and TOOLBOX (15 credit course):
The IM-LAB and toolbox course is made of two integrated parts:
Toolbox and IM-LAB (Project)
The final mark for the students attending IM-Lab and Toolbox course is
the weighted average of the marks of the two parts. It is registered
when both marks are available
You can enroll in the IM-LAB and toolbox course either in the first or in
the second call of the same semester
You can attend Toolbox and IM-LAB either in the same semester or
Toolbox in the first and IM-LAB in the second. In the second case you
MUST enroll in the integrated course (15 Credits) in the first semester,
and then communicate us that you are going to do the LAB in the
second semester. Please note that for attending and enrolling in
Toolbox exam you must have it in the study plan
Remember that in case you are not taking Toolbox and IM-LAB exam
in the same call, you have to enroll through Online Services always
twice, for Toolbox exam and for the IM-LAB presentation exam
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Exam – IM-LAB and TOOLBOX
(15 CFU)
If you have passed Toolbox and presented the IM-LAB project but
you want to refuse the grade of the course IM-LAB and Toolbox (15
credits) you MUST refuse the mark through online services- in this
way the grade of Toolbox is rejected and the grade of IM-Lab
project will be kept (and you must enroll in a subsequent call
again)
If you refuse the mark of Toolbox, the mark is lost and you have to
take the exam again. Remember to enrol to the new call!
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Exam – IM-LAB and TOOLBOX
(15 CFU)
Semester 1 Semester 2
1 Toolbox
IM-LAB
Toolbox
2
IM-LAB
To insert in the first semester in the study plan
3 Toolbox IM-LAB
4 To insert in the second semester in the study plan
Toolbox IM-LAB
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
Let’s get started!
Improvement and Innovation Toolbox
