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Rose-Hulman Students Help Powerway Develop Product Ideas
Rose-Hulman Ventures’ student project assistants, Fred
Pabon and Stephen Caudle are making a significant contribution to
developing prototypes of advanced product concepts for Indianapolis-based
Powerway, Inc. Powerway, a client company of Rose-Hulman Ventures,
provides software solutions that reduce risks and costs, improve quality
and accelerate time to market by enabling connectivity, visibility and
real-time information sharing during product development.
DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and other leading
automakers around the world have selected Powerway’s Web-based
collaboration tool, Powerway.com, as the standard industry solution for
advanced quality planning with the global automotive supply chain.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology computer engineering students, Pabon
and Caudle, participated in several phases of technology development for
Powerway, including software design, development, testing and
documentation.
According to Sudershan Tirumala, Rose-Hulman Ventures project manager,
“This type of professional engineering experience enhances our students’
education and prepares them for early productivity in their first jobs.”
In the first phase, the students developed a prototype for a tool that may
be used in the future to provide another form of integration between a
user's applications and Powerway.com. The students are currently working
on enhancements to Powerway’s document management system, which increases
accessibility and manages the risks of document storage.
Pabon, a junior from Michigan City, Indiana said, I am applying what I’ve
learned in class to a product that will actually be in the marketplace.
Working at Rose-Hulman Ventures has enabled me to interact directly with
the client personnel and understand the variety of issues that a business
faces beyond the purely technical problems. This has definitely broadened
my perspective and I feel better prepared to face the real world when I
graduate."
Caudle, a senior from Mt. Airy, North Carolina, added, “I have gained the
experience of developing ideas based on clear objectives established by
Powerway and the engineers at Rose-Hulman Ventures. Working on a team with
a client and project engineers has been very good practical experience and
it has given me additional opportunities to learn.”
“Working with Rose-Hulman engineers and students has been a winning
situation for all involved.”
Bill Becher, Powerway vice president for development, stated.
“Rose Hulman Ventures project engineers and students serve as a valuable
extension to Powerway’s capabilities, enabling us to build advanced
concept prototypes,” Becher explained. “Our customers require complex
features and products, so it is extremely helpful to build prototypes
before the products are actually ready for the marketplace.”
Recently, Forbes recognized Powerway as a “Best of the Web” company for
2003. This is the second consecutive year that Powerway was named to the
prestigious list of business-to-business companies.
Powerway is one of only four companies recognized by Forbes for its
best-of-breed technology solutions widely used in the automotive sector.
Overall, 85 companies across 21 industries are included in the 2003 list.
About Powerway
Powerway’s information technology drives innovation and quality throughout
the product development process (PDP). Powerway’s PDP solutions enable
connectivity, visibility and real-time information sharing throughout the
enterprise and supply chain.
Founded in 1987, Powerway has offices in Indianapolis, London and Mexico
City as well as a strong presence in Detroit with partnerships and
alliances around the world. Powerway’s customer base spans discrete and
process manufacturing, including automotive, aerospace and defense, foods,
pharmaceuticals and medical devices among others.
For more information, visit
www.powerwayinc.com.
About Rose-Hulman Ventures
Rose-Hulman Ventures is creating economic growth and career opportunities
for technical professionals in Indiana. In 1999, the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
awarded a $29.7 million grant to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to
establish Rose-Hulman Ventures. The Lilly Endowment, Inc. awarded a $24.9
million grant in 2002 to build upon the success of programs at Rose-Hulman
Ventures to expand educational and professional practice experiences for
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students and faculty.
For the fifth consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report magazine ranked
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology No. 1 among all colleges and
universities that offer the master’s as the top degree in engineering. For
more information, visit,
www.rhventures.org. |
