W1. Introduction to IOE

(Discussion) Brief introduction to Technical Communication + Professionalism & Online Etiquette

I. A few email dos and don’ts

1. Be wary of hitting ‘reply all’ and over ccing

2. Provide a clear and specific subject line

3. Indicate a clear purpose early in your email

4. If you have action items, make them clear (including ‘due dates’ for each) 

5. Avoid humor, overfamiliarity

6. Keep length manageable (concision) 

 

II. Email example

1. The email starts with a compliment about the usefulness of some of our course content.

2. The next paragraph provides context behind the request for recommendations (with details on the location and why this student wants to take advantage of these student abroad opportunities) and ends with an offer to answer any questions. 

3. Lastly, the reader is thanked for their time.

4. In addition to the clear message, the email is written concisely and with a pleasant tone. Concision saves the reader time and the tone (should) make the reader more receptive to the request.

* If your reader does not know you or you are not sure that they remember you well, be sure to briefly introduce yourself in the first paragraph

(Lecture) Introduction to Tech Communication 

I. Technical Communication is

Essential, informative, persuasive, collaborative, audience centered, purpose driven, concise. 

 

II. Technical Communication’s Purpose

The purpose of technical communication is “ to change things from the way they are now to the way you want them to be.” 

Create understanding, bring supervisors up to date on project, secure funding, promote proper usage, ensure a safety, solve a problem. 

 

III. Technical Communication Relies upon Genres 

1. Genre defined: a typified communicative response to a recurrent situation. 

ex) Memo report, progress report, Gantt chart. 

 

IV. The Writing Process 

V. Teamwork 

1. Collaborative on many levels

2. Essential in many instances

3. A workspace norm and expectation

4. Difficult at times

5. Rewarding 

 

VI. Professionalism 

Expected, appreciated, dependent upon culture, learned, more than politeness

 

Introduction to Engineering: Process and Throughput Optimization 

I. Fast Food (Quick Service)  

Ex) Dominos.com to order a pepperoni and mushroom pizza. 

1. Why did you take it for granted that they have pepperoni and mushrooms on hand? 

2. What if they offered you pineapple and ham pizza instead? 

Customers will find out a substitution and this brings up competition. 

3. Would you keep going to Dominos if they did not have what you wanted? 

4. How about service time? What if your pizze was late? 

 

II. Fast Food, Two-Tier Supply Chain 

 

 

III. Outbound Logistics: Minimize Cost 

 

1. Multi-stop delivery routes (milkruns).

2. Delivering necessary inventory to each store on each visit.

Determine: The best routes to use. (1 route = 1 truck with one or two drivers).

Note: 1. Domino’s owns the inventory only at the DC.

2. Inventory at each outlet is owned by the franchisee.

Ex) Each truck starts at the DC, visits the stores on its route, and returns to the DC. Pack each delivery into one of the trucks.

(1) ​​GOAL: Minimize the number of trucks. ( ignore the store location and distances) 

(2) DATA: 13 stores; each store receives 1 delivery.

(3) Truck capacity  = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 units.

(4) Here are the 𝟏𝟑 deliveries we need to make:

How many trucks do we need and which delivery goes into which truck? => 5  trucks

 

 

IV. Vehicle routing problem (VRP)