{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42325"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42325","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Pre-engagement process improvement in IBM PC services","abstract":"The front end of the IBM PC factory integration & deployment process is a pre-engagement process. In this study, the pre-engagement process, was analyzed. The organizational structure in the pre-engagement process and the pre-engagement process flow were examined. The information flow in both the global supply chain and the IBM customer solution center was identified. The current service-offering model in the IBM customer solution center was also described. Two problems in the pre-engagement process were examined. A methodology to probe the problems and to figure out the root causes was proposed and applied. Five root causes were determined. Solutions were proposed to address those root causes and furthermore, their benefits and concerns were evaluated. In the end, a conclusion that Checklist A, Checklist B, and the continuous improvement process were the best and feasible solutions was drawn.","abstract_html":"The front end of the IBM PC factory integration & deployment process is a pre-engagement process. In this study, the pre-engagement process, was analyzed. The organizational structure in the pre-engagement process and the pre-engagement process flow were examined. The information flow in both the global supply chain and the IBM customer solution center was identified. The current service-offering model in the IBM customer solution center was also described. Two problems in the pre-engagement process were examined. A methodology to probe the problems and to figure out the root causes was proposed and applied. Five root causes were determined. Solutions were proposed to address those root causes and furthermore, their benefits and concerns were evaluated. In the end, a conclusion that Checklist A, Checklist B, and the continuous improvement process were the best and feasible solutions was drawn.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Zuo, Jie, M. Eng. Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Stanley B. Gershwin."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007","date_published":"2007","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:13Z","subjects":["Mechanical Engineering."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42325","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Stanley B. Gershwin."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Zuo, Jie, M. Eng. Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2008-09-03T15:20:42Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2008-09-03T15:20:42Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2007"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mechanical Engineering."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42325"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.","Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The front end of the IBM PC factory integration & deployment process is a pre-engagement process. In this study, the pre-engagement process, was analyzed. The organizational structure in the pre-engagement process and the pre-engagement process flow were examined. The information flow in both the global supply chain and the IBM customer solution center was identified. The current service-offering model in the IBM customer solution center was also described. Two problems in the pre-engagement process were examined. A methodology to probe the problems and to figure out the root causes was proposed and applied. Five root causes were determined. Solutions were proposed to address those root causes and furthermore, their benefits and concerns were evaluated. In the end, a conclusion that Checklist A, Checklist B, and the continuous improvement process were the best and feasible solutions was drawn."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["M.Eng."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Pre-engagement process improvement in IBM PC services"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Stanley B. Gershwin."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:creator":["Zuo, Jie, M. Eng. Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2008-09-03T15:20:42Z"],"dc:date.available":["2008-09-03T15:20:42Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2007"],"dc:description":["Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.","Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["The front end of the IBM PC factory integration & deployment process is a pre-engagement process. In this study, the pre-engagement process, was analyzed. The organizational structure in the pre-engagement process and the pre-engagement process flow were examined. The information flow in both the global supply chain and the IBM customer solution center was identified. The current service-offering model in the IBM customer solution center was also described. Two problems in the pre-engagement process were examined. A methodology to probe the problems and to figure out the root causes was proposed and applied. Five root causes were determined. Solutions were proposed to address those root causes and furthermore, their benefits and concerns were evaluated. In the end, a conclusion that Checklist A, Checklist B, and the continuous improvement process were the best and feasible solutions was drawn."],"dc:description.degree":["M.Eng."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42325"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:title":["Pre-engagement process improvement in IBM PC services"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:13Z"}