Subject – Mentoring and Professional Development

Subject Code – (BMPD-201-18

Chandigarh Engineering CollegeLandran, Mohali-140307(Punjab)

Notes on Presentation Skills, Communication Skills & GD

B.Tech – Semester 2(CSE,ECE,IT & ME

Presentation Skills

It’s mind-numbing to be forced to listen to dry content that’s delivered (or worse, read) at us, rather than discussed with us. Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk. Some of these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation that also lays the groundwork for making an effective presentation.

What is a Presentation?

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video conference.

Presentation skills are the skills you need in delivering effective and engaging presentations to a variety of audiences. These skills cover a variety of areas such as the structure of your presentation, the design of your slides, the tone of your voice and the body language you convey.To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method as well as means of presenting the information should be carefully considered.

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a 'persuasive' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organization, what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

1.1 The Key Elements of a Presentation

Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to the audience.

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

ContextAsk yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the context of the presentation.

When and where will you deliver your presentation?There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal setting, and a huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different presentations, and different techniques.

Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early, to familiarize yourself with the room.

Are you already familiar with the audience?With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on your side.

What equipment and technology will be available to you and what will you be expected to use?In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to stand in one place, or move around.

What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?All these aspects will change the presentation.

PresenterThe role of the presenter is to communicate with the audience and control the presentation.Remember, though, that this may also include handing over the control to your audience, especially if you want some kind of interaction.

AudienceThe audience receives the presenter’s message(s). However, this reception will be filtered through and affected by such things as the listener’s own experience, knowledge and personal sense of values.

MessageThe message or messages are delivered by the presenter to the audience. The message is delivered not just by the spoken word (verbal communication) but can be augmented by techniques such as voice projection, body language, gestures, eye contact (non-verbal communication), and visual aids.The message will also be affected by the audience’s expectations. For example, if you have been billed as speaking on one particular topic, and you choose to speak on another, the audience is unlikely to take your message on board even if you present very well. They will judge your presentation a failure, because you have not met their expectations.

ReactionThe audience’s reaction and therefore the success of the presentation will largely depend upon whether you, as presenter, effectively communicated your message, and whether it met their expectations.

As a presenter, you don’t control the audience’s expectations. What you can do is find out what they have been told about you by the conference organizers, and what they are expecting to hear. Only if you know that can you be confident of delivering something that will meet expectations.

1.2 Methods

How will the presentation be delivered?Presentations are usually delivered direct to an audience. However, there may be occasions where they are delivered from a distance over the Internet using video conferencing systems, such as Skype.It is also important to remember that if your talk is recorded and posted on the internet, then people may be able to access it for several years. This will mean that your contemporaneous references should be kept to a minimum.

ImpedimentsMany factors can influence the effectiveness of how your message is communicated to the audience. For example background noise or other distractions, an overly warm or cool room, or the time of day and state of audience alertness can all influence your audience’s level of concentration.

As presenter, you have to be prepared to cope with any such problems and try to keep your audience focused on your message. 1. Do think about your key message first: - Outline its supporting points and

examples, rehearse it loudly and time it. Only after these “procedures” should you start working on your slides. Remember that presentation needs to stand by itself while the slides are for spicing it up to provide some visual experience.

2. Do put yourself in the listeners' shoes: - When crafting your speech for the presentation, try to listen to it as if you are the audience. What piece of information is important to them? What may be boring for listeners?

3. Do choose photos wisely: - Use quality images that communicate the concept of your presentation and aren’t compositionally complex. Ideally, photos should help convey your message to the audience without diverting their focus from your speech.

Don’ts1. Don’t stuff the slides with text: - Otherwise, your audience’s attention will be split

between what you’re speaking and what they are reading. As a result, effectiveness of both your speech and slide text will only be weakened.

2. Don’t read! This is a golden rule for every public speaker: - If you’re unable to reproduce your speech without the cues, it shows you don’t fully understand the message you’re conveying, which in its turn is a huge minus for your presentation. So, don’t slack off and do your homework diligently preparing your speech.

3. Don’t plan body language: - Be natural and relaxed with gestures. Their main function is to extend your message and reveal the emotions behind the topic of your presentation. The audience intuitively feels deliberate gestures as they don’t match your other bodily signals.

4. Don’t apologize:-Don’t use apologies if you, say, don’t know an answer to a question raised from the audience. It’s totally okay to not know answers to all the questions. Also, don’t say “I’m sorry” for your nervousness. Remember, listeners often can’t find out your anxiety until you declare about it loudly.

1.3 How to make presentation InteractiveStart your presentation by telling the audience you want their questions and that you expect interaction. 

1) Break the ice: - Each of your audience members comes to your presentation in a completely different mood. A simple ice-breaker can put everyone on the same level and energize them for your presentation. Get your audience to do a simple exercise to reset their minds and refocus on your talk. For example- Interact with them by introducing yourself and asking them about their interests.

2) Tell stories: - Stories are food of the brain when it comes to the presentations Storytelling is the most universal way to captivate your audience's attention, no matter where they are from or what they do for a living. People automatically tune in when you start telling your story because they want to know what happens next.

3) Ask questions during your presentation: - The audience's attention drops to zero after just 10 minutes of your presentation. That's right, 10 minutes. To get their attention back, it is advisable creating soft breaks within your speech. Therefore, take a break from your presentation from time to time and interact with your audience.

1.3 Platform Skills of presentation

People with good platform skills help us listen better with encourage interaction necessary for learning to take place. Platform skills are more about delivery.1) Voice 2) Body Language3) Controlling Nervousness

1) Voice

Volume: clear and Audible Pitch: High or low tone of voice, Inflection should used for interest. Avoid pitch Rate: Rate is the speed at which a person speaks. Speak about 125 words per minute. Slow

down for good effect at important points. Pauses: Pauses give added weight to the preceding word .Use pause at the end of an idea

and at the end of a paragraph.

Pronunciation: Use correct pronunciation, practice difficult words before the presentation.

Filler Words: Avoid or reduce filler words like I mean, Yeah ,okay, you know , also avoid using vocalized pauses such as uh ,er, un etc.

2) Body Language: Not only what you are saying is important but also how you are saying it. Your presentation should be animated, interesting and engaging. Your body language should be consistent with your voice.

Personal Appearance: Listeners always see you before they hear you, so your dress should be appropriate to the audience and not distracting.

Attitude: Be your natural self. Use natural styles Posture: Keep your posture erect and relaxed. Body Movements: Use smooth and natural motions not fast and jumpy. Gestures: What do you do with your hands, while delivering the presentation? Hand

gestures should appear natural and spontaneous and not robotic. Facial Expression: The expression on your face should be enthusiastic and confident. Eye Contact: Eye contact helps to establish and build rapport. Use uniform eye contact for

1-3 seconds per person for a reinforcing effect. Slowly scan the audience section by section.

3) Controlling Nervousness

Nervousness is the result of a desire to do well. Being nervous is quite normal. However the following tips can help to reduce or deal with nervousness.

Preparation Visioning Breathing Introduction Positive Thinking Relaxing Visual Aids Participation

1.5 Activity

Students will progress and present presentation on the given topics:

Self-Development Time Management

Color -Black Group Discussion Interviews Leadership Skills Stress management Social Media Soft Skills Motivation and Positive Thinking Team Work Importance of writing Dowry System in India

Power Point Presentation on Presentation Skills

Communication Skills

Importance of Communication skills

Communication is a vital life skill, developing your communication skills can benefit you in all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and in even business matters, communicating effectively with clients and colleagues is one of the most essential skills a candidate can have. Good communication is the oil that keeps the workplace machine running smoothly.The session will be delivered through presentation which will cover “Difference between Verbal, Non Verbal, Oral and Written Communication, Importance of 2 way communication, Effective speaking guidelines” etc.

Screenshots of the presentation is attached herewith.

Presentation to be covered in class:

1. IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

Activity 1: ‘Ice breakers’

Total Time -30-40 minutes

Activity Description: Ask the participants to introduce themselves and make three or four statements about themselves, one of which is false. Now, get the rest of the group to vote on which of the facts about that participant are false.As well as getting to know each other as individuals, this exercise helps to start interaction within the group.

Activity 2:‘Story of your name’

Total Time -30-40 minutes

Activity Description: Participants are asked to share stories about their names.

Presentation: 1. Introduce the activity by explaining that its objective is to give participants a chance to get to know one another better.2. Ask each participant to share with the group any stories, facts, history, background, etc., about his or her names, either first or last.3. As facilitator, be sure to share the story of your name as well with the group.

Debrief: Comment how everyone has a “story” about their name and its importance in their lives. Comment on how our names identify us in many ways. Ask for volunteers to share their stories about their names rather than asking each person to comment, especially if someone appears uncomfortable sharing this information with the group.

Non-Verbal Communication/Body Language

Non- verbal communication means “communication without words”.

Non- verbal communication is a process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages. Studies have shown that 55% of what we communicate is based on nonverbal behavior. Nonverbal communication describes the process of shared cues between people, which goes hand-in-hand with public speakingIt's well known that good communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional. It's important to recognize, though, that it's our nonverbal communication—our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice—that speak the loudest. Actions are not always so parallel to words spoken. Thoughts, ideas, emotions and feelings are shared by people with expressions and movements. Even environmental factors can be taken as non-verbal communication. 

The session will be delivered through presentation which will cover “Impact of body language, main aspects of body language – eye contact, smiling, gestures etc.

Screenshots of the presentation is attached herewith.

Activity 1:‘Role Plays’

Total time -30-40 minutes

Number of participants: 2-3 students for each role

Activity Description: Role playing is defined as pretending to be someone else or pretending to be in a specific situation that you are not actually in at the time. An example of role playing is when you pretend that your friend is your boss and you have a practice conversation in which you ask for a raise.

I. Asserting Yourself with Friends and Family

1. You lend a friend one of your books. She returns it with pages missing.2. Your friend always asks to borrow a few dollars when you go out, but he never repays

you. 3. You begin to resent that he does this all the time.4. A relative calls you late at night just to talk. You are tired and have to get up early in the

morning.

5. Your friend comes to you with a problem you don't know how to handle. You know your friend has a counselor that she likes and you recommend that she talk to them, but your friend keeps asking you what she should do.

II. Asserting Yourself in Social and Everyday Situations

1. Someone in the van you are riding in decides to sing and does so for 15 minutes. It begins to get on your nerves and you politely ask her to stop, but she doesn't.

2. The new shoes you bought three weeks ago are already starting to fall apart. You take them back to the store where you bought them.

3. You bring your car to a garage for service. You ask the mechanic to call and let you know how much it will cost before doing the work. He doesn't call and when you call him he tells you he has already done the work and your bill is $250.

4. Call and tell your boss, you can’t come to work because of illness. The boss is thinking, the employee is bluffing.

5. The situation is between two neighbors; one is playing music too loudly in the middle of the night and is disturbing the entire apartment block.

Group Discussion

WHAT IS GROUP DISCUSSION?

Nowadays Group Discussion is being extensively used along with personal interviews for the final selection of candidates. It plays a main role in selecting the best among the best. Having scored high marks, students who get selected for a higher/another course or employment are placed on a par - on equal footing - based on their age, qualification and experience. It becomes necessary to conduct further screening for choosing a few among many. It is here, the Group Discussion plays an important part. It helps in choosing the socially suitable candidate among the academically superior achievers. It is one of the best tools to study the behavioral and attitudinal responses of the participants.

Rightly speaking, Group Discussion is more a technique than a conventional test. In fact it is one of the most important and popular techniques being used in a number of personality tests. It is a technique or a method used for screening candidates as well as testing their potential. It is also designed as a situation test wherein a sample of a candidate's group worthiness and potential as a worker comes out quite explicitly.

GD involves a lot of group dynamics, that is, it involves both -person to person as well as group to group interactions. Every group member has to develop a goal oriented or group oriented interaction. A participant needs to be aware of needs of other group members and overall objectives of the discussion.

So, it is said that Group Discussion is a systematic oral exchange of information, views and opinions about a topic, issue, problem or situation among members of a group who share certain common objectives.

WHAT IS TESTED IN GROUP DISCUSSION?

The rationale of the GD technique rests on the principle that leadership qualities with knowledge and power of expression are essential to achieve the results or objectives in all group endeavors. The leadership quality of one can nowhere be more clearly revealed than in a group discussion. Here are a few of the most important personality traits a candidate should possess to do well at a GD.

Team Spirit, Leadership Skills, Flexibility, Assertiveness, Out of the Box Thinking, Listening Skills, and inspiring Ability and last but not the least, Awareness.

DO’S AND DON’TS OF GD

DO’S OF GD

Group strength is usually 8 to 12 members When the group discussion topic is announced and if you do not get the topic properly, just

request to repeat the topic. Do not show surprises. Correctly saying what you want to say- speaking effectively and efficiently is very

important. Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be yourself. A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to hear you speak. Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.

Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject. Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion or agree with

someone else's point and then move onto express your views. Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you do

not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.

Be a good listener Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the team to speak (this

surely does not mean that the only thing that you do in the GD is to say "let us hear what the young lady with the blue scarf has to say," or "Raghav, let us hear your views" - Essentially be subtle), and listen to their views. Be receptive to others opinions and do not be abusive or aggressive.

DON’TS OF GD

Do not use high vocabulary Never use technical language while speaking Not knowing is not a problem , do not try to bluff Do not criticize on religion Do not criticize foreign policy of India Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the subject. Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are more likely

to reflect your attitude than what you say. Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your points across clearly

and fluently. Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your discussion and

analysis.

Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay objective: Don't take the discussion personally.

Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: `I strongly object' or `I disagree'. Instead try phrases like: `I would like to share my views on…' or `One difference between your point and mine…' or "I beg to differ with you"

Avoid talking too much Avoid Egotism or showing off – fake figures and information Avoid Grabbing Attention (most of it arises from the desire to be the first, and hence acts in

the wrong way) Avoid Nervousness

Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for their alertness and presence of mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to work as a team without alienating certain members, and creativity.

Here are some tips for effective participation in a GD:

A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of words on certain issues

Understand the topic and analyze it mentally before speaking Be clear about the purpose and content of your viewpoint One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be clear in

speech, audible but not too loud and above all remain confident Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness,

Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy You should maintain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a

particular person for he may benefit from that Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and open-minded

but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint. Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is

important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate your viewpoint

Always maintain your calm and never get aggressive. If you haven't been able to talk then one can cut in saying "Excuse me, but what I think is ........." or something of that sort

Never lose your temper and never attack anyone on a personal front. Your attitude should be one of cooperation and not one of conflict

Don't lose sight of the goal of the discussion. Listen to any criticisms and give them a thought before trying to defend your views.

TYPES OF GD:

Topic Based Case Study Based

TOPIC BASED GD’S

Topic based GD’s can be classified into:

1.Knowledge Based Topics2.Controversial Topics 3.Abstract Topic s4.Opinion Seeking Topics

Knowledge Based Topics:

Knowledge based topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in his day-to-day life. Typically these are about socio-economic topics. These can be current, i.e. they may have been in the news lately, or could be unbound by time. A factual topic for discussion gives a candidate a chance to prove that he is aware of and sensitive to his environment.

Examples: The education policy of India, Tourism in India, State of the aged in the nation.

The techniques that you can adopt to manage Knowledge based topics are:

Try and find the stake holders in the given issue- try and figure out those elements that have been responsible for the occurring of the problem. Also, figure out the elements that are going to lose or benefit from the issue

A good way to start is asking why- Try to find the root of the topic i.e. what has caused this issue

Try to explore the history of the topic- find the people/events that triggered the issue Discuss the Pros and Cons and offer your perspectives Give examples relevant to the issue

Controversial Topics: 

Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature. They are meant to generate controversy. In GDs where these topics are given for discussion, the noise level is usually high, there may be tempers flying. The idea behind giving a topic like this is to see how much maturity the candidate is displaying by keeping his temper in check, by rationally and logically arguing his point of view without getting personal and emotional.

Examples: Reservations should be removed, Women make better managers 

Abstract Topics: 

Abstract topics are about intangible things. These topics are given often for discussion. These topics test your lateral thinking and creativity.

Examples: A is an alphabet, Black, Life is a chair, The number 10.

The techniques that you can adopt to manage abstract topics are:

Creativity and Lateral Thinking: Focus the Group on thinking as creatively as possible and then translating that thinking into concrete ideas and words

Linking to factual issues: A creative idea is best if linked to a factual issue and preferably a matter currently in news

Ability to understand and develop: Paying close attention to other people’s points so that they can be developed further

Linking abstract concepts: Connecting two concepts to form a third one and creating a new area of thought is an impressive way to take forward the discussion

Funnel Approach: An advancement of the above idea where the participant combines not just 2 or 3 but a whole range of diverse ideas to find common grounds between them and bring them together

Opinion Seeking Topics: 

Opinion seeking topics deal with your opinion on a particular notion. Such topics are very easy to answer.Example- Love marriage or arrange marriage, Nuclear family or joint family.

2. CASE-BASED GDs

The case study tries to simulate a real-life situation. Information about the situation will be given to you and you would be asked as a group to resolve the situation. In the case study there are no incorrect answers or perfect solutions. The objective in the case study is to get you to think about the situation from various angles. In case studies, a short description of a situation (called a "case") is given to all the participants. The case will typically be a problem situation that requires a solution. The participants have to study the case, analyze the problem and then discuss various situations to the problem.

The details mentioned in a case study may include, but are not limited to:

Information about a company, industry, or project Problems encountered and Objectives that may need to be established.

The group has to discuss and come up with a solution or some recommendations to the problem. Unlike other discussions, a case study could be easily structured by looking at few parameters.

Here’s a small checklist on what is relevant to the case study discussion:

1. Read the case carefully and make notes; do not read it like a story.2. Put yourself in the protagonist’s position and analyze the case.3. In your analysis and discussion, always be ethical.4. Even when you are not speaking, listen carefully. Summaries in a case study are more

common than in a normal group discussion. You may even have to write a summary so make notes while the discussion is going on.

5. If you have to write a summary try to use the structure mentioned below but use the points mentioned in the discussion only. You could write in bullet point.

Topics for Reference:

Knowledge Based Topics:

Cricket and India Issues of managing diversity in a country like India

Honesty is the best policy Guessing is an act of intelligence Reservation: A Social Boon or Bane? Advantages and Disadvantages of  Demonetization policy Describe the relevance of  BRICS and its future How digitization is strengthening Indian Democracy? 100 percent FDI in E commerce - what it means to retail business? Make in India v/s Incredible India GST bill : Pros & Cons India’s performance in Rio Olympics Should reservation in higher education be allowed? Should Juvenile offenders be given a death penalty? Instagram - A curse to personal space?

Controversial Topics

Using animals in medical research helps people Should the death penalty be acceptable in some cases? Can torture be acceptable in some cases? Are we becoming too dependent on computers? Do we really need religion? Should Euthanasia be made legal? Should corporal punishment be allowed in schools? Is India a secular country? Should public sector be privatized? India or Indians Who Is Performing Better? Bullet train or Better trains - What does India need? Should Agricultural subsidies be stopped?

Abstract Topics There is no right way to do a wrong thing. Haste makes waste. Brands and lives To be or not to be Smart city Wheel Most important thing is beginning Business of a business is Business Modernization is not westernization

Door Majority vs. Minority Zero "Black & White” Black Box There is always a tomorrow. Majority vs. Minority

Case Study Topics:

1. Situation: The Hawkins Supply company is currently faced with an inventory rotation problem. This difficulty stems from the fact that some supplies must be used prior to a stated expiration date. Upon receipt, a new shipment of these perishable items must be stacked beneath the boxes that are currently in inventory. A substantial amount of time is consumed in restacking the items according to their expiration dates.

Question: The company would like to reduce the double and sometimes triple handlingof items. How can this goal be achieved? Are there alternative solutions which mightalso be effective?

2. Situation: The JAW Bottling company has recently introduced a new beer to the market called HEAVY. It is extra high in calories. It has been developed specifically for those people that enjoy feeling full after only one beer. The materials handling supervisors at JAW Bottling have been receiving complaints from lift truck drivers that cases of the new HEAVY beer are slipping off pallets during intra-plant movement and truck deliveries. Thus far the JAW engineering department has tried to eliminate or reduce case slippage through the use of the following methods: 1. Top case clamp on the fork truck. 2. Strapping cases to pallet. 3. Plastic wrapper around cases. 4. The use of a large size pallet with a retainer strip nailed along the edges.

Question: Using a method other than those described above, can the case slippage problem be solved?

3. Situation: Field, Bell and Weiss, a consulting firm, has been engaged by the Fizzle Beverage Company to determine possible methods for expanding their warehouse facilities. The current warehouse has 16' ceilings with a possible 10' clear stacking height. At the 10' level the obstructions are steam pipes, lighting fixtures and air ducts. Fizzle Beverage currently receives all pallets by truck. Each pallet load is 6' high (including the pallet). In order to take

full advantage of all available height the second level pallet in each stack must be broken down.

Question: How could Fizzle increase storage capacity?

4. Situation: The Acme Warehouse Company received a consignment of 20' lengths of 3" diameter stainless steel pipes. Acme had never handled pipe as part of their warehousing operation. The forklift truck operator assigned to this job used the truck's forks as a ram to load, handle, and unload the pipe. Inspection of the pipe by the owners revealed that the forks were bending and damaging the pipe.

Question: Suggest several alternative methods for eliminating the problem of pipe damage. From a cost and ease in application standpoint, select one alternative solution for adoption.

5. Situation: The Free Wheelin Car and Foundry Company is in the business of modifying and repairing the coupler pins on railroad cars. Due to the nature of the mechanism the complete coupler assembly must be removed from the car. Once detached, an overhead gantry crane is used to lift and move the coupler to a location adjacent to the car being repaired. Because of the various uses of this crane, many scheduled operations must be delayed.

Question: Preliminary investigation indicates that the super-structure is very sound with columns placed on 20' centers. Suggest an approach for the reduction or the elimination of the delays currently being experienced in the gantry crane operations.

6. Situation: The Jones Company operates a centrally located storeroom in their manufacturing complex. Every afternoon each craft foreman (Tin Shop, Electric Shop, Iron Workers, etc.) writes a requisition for common use items that will be required for the next day's work. These common use items include nuts, bolts, screws, washers, flashlight batteries, and gloves. All specialty items are ordered separately. During the night shift, storeroom personnel fill the orders of items requested by the craft foreman. Each morning, one or two workers from each department go to the storeroom with a four-wheel platform truck to pick up the filled order.

Question: Although studies have never been performed to determine the amount of time craftsmen spend waiting for supplies, it is the thoughts of the management that idle craft manpower is a problem resulting from this procedure. How can time spent traveling to and from the described storeroom be reduced, thus, eliminating or decreasing crafts' personnel travel time?

7. Situation: The Sure To Peal Paint Company stores all its metal compressed gas containers in a warehouse. These long cylindrical metal tanks contain various gases used in manufacturing cans of spray paint. The gas tanks are delivered to the warehouse by truck. Two receiving dock workers unload the containers from the delivery trucks and place them on four wheel trucks. Two materials handlers are responsible for pushing the loaded trucks into the warehouse, unloading the tanks and setting them up on end. The two materials handlers spend a major portion of their day moving loads of the gas tanks into the warehouse and placing them into the proper storage locations. In total, there are five different types of gases that in equal proportion make up 98% of all gas handled.

Question: Management would like to identify a better way to handle these gas tanks. How can the handling operation be improved?

8. Situation: The White Manufacturing Company produces a spring-loaded replacement spike for power rakes. Because of the small size of this item, they are packaged in separate small containers that are in turn packed into a larger carton (24 count) for shipping. The packing operation for this unit is on the third floor of a multi-story building. Upon completion of the packing operation the shipping cartons are placed on semi-live skids and taken to the second floor using an elevator. The same elevator is also used to move other materials to various floors in the plant for processing. On the second floor packages are sorted according to trucking line. After sorting, all packages are placed on a semi-live skid and moved to the first floor via the same elevator. On the first floor, the packages are stored awaiting shipment (pick up by the assigned truck line).

Question: Disregarding labor requirements, how can the movement of packages be improved?

9. Situation: The Allen Export Company ships sugar to many overseas ports. Over the years the company has stacked large bags of sugar onto pallets for shipping. Because of a lumber shortage, pallets for export have become very difficult to obtain. The management of Allen Export has presented the dock manager with the challenge of reducing the number of wooden pallets used and/or to find a new way to supplement or change their stevedoring system.

Question: Can a system be devised to eliminate the shortage of pallets?

10. Situation: The Double Rite Bottling Company delivers soda to vending machines throughout the northern section of Rhode Island. The Company takes pride in the fact that all the beverages are sold in returnable bottles. The president of Double Rite feels it is his civic duty to help decrease the roadside trash that is often attributable to disposable beverage cans. The returned empty bottles are stored on the roof of the truck when the driver is making his deliveries. Upon returning to the warehouse after deliveries are made, a helper passes the

empty cases from the roof of the truck to the driver standing on the ground. The driver then places the cases onto a conveyor.

Question: How can the handling of empty cases from the roof of the truck be accomplished in a more economical manner? Disregard the handling of empty cases in the body of the truck.