Suggested Feasibility Study Outline

Copyright Charles S. Tritt, Ph.D.
April 6, 1997

Here are some topics you should consider covering in your project feasibility study due at the end of Fall quarter of your junior year. Understand that different faculty members expect somewhat different things in these reports. The best approach would be to prepare an outline of your report and then discuss it with key faculty members.

I suggest you take the attitude that you are trying to sale your project to a group of investors. Think about what they would want to know before investing in your project. Arrange the contents of your report in whatever order makes sense to you. You do not have to cover all the topics listed below and you may add other topics you think are important to your project.

1. Introduction & Background (What is the purpose or objective of your proposed project?)
1. What are you planning to design?
2. Why is it needed?
3. What else like it is currently on the market or under development?
2. Market Analysis
1. Annual sales estimates (in units and dollars) for 5 to 10 years (until steady-state is reached).
2. Economic analysis (Your best guess at your cost to make the product).
3. Survey results (if any).
4. Detailed specifications (physical and performance requirements based on users' needs).
3. Regulatory, Ethical and Standards Issues (including MSOE's IRB)
4. Technical Options (list alternative methods)
1. Current methods (literature review).
2. Proposed method(s).
3. Risks.
4. Experimental Results (if any)
5. Development Plan and Detailed Schedule (List tasks and milestones, Gantt or PERT charts, CPM)
1. Special equipment and software needs (if any).
2. Design concepts.
3. Detailed design.
4. Prototype construction.
5. Prototype testing.
6. Conclusions and Recommendations
7. Bibliography