Industry work terms (internship or stage) are an integral component of the MMM program. Their objective is to provide an opportunity to see the operation of a manufacturing or logistics organization, and to get a wide view of how various principles are put into practice on a daily basis. The work term provides exposure to the high level of professional skills needed for operations management and represents a practical implementation of topics in university courses.
Each work term is centered around a project decided by mutual agreement between the candidate, the participating company and the course professor. The evaluation of the student's performance during the internship is performed by his or her immediate industrial supervisor. The completed project is evaluated by a faculty member. A presentation on the project is given by the student upon completion and a detailed report is submitted to both industry and faculty supervisors. A work term can be of any length agreed to by the student and the company. For academic purposes the project is deemed to be four months long and a mark is assigned; the student then graduates irrespective of the length of the work term.
The course professor and the MMM program coordinator help organize work terms with those firms associated with the MMM Program. Many internships are located by the students themselves. Candidates for these work term projects follow a procedure which is very similar to the job-seeking process of application - interview - offer - negotiations - employment contract. MMM students are also free to accept full-time employment upon completion of their academic courses. In such cases, their first project will qualify for the work term requirement. Salaries depend on the degree of difficulty of the project, budgetary considerations and on prior experience. The work term is the practical culmination of the MMM program. To date, 51% of MMM students have received permanent job offers from their internship hosts. If, for any reason, students do not succeed in locating a work term, a research project will be substituted.
Sample internships
| 3M CANADA | - Waste Reduction in Tape Manufacturing - a Six Sigma Approach - Developing a Cost Model for the Production of Aerosols - Box Waste Reduction in Custom Packaging |
| ALGOMA TUBES | Implementing a Plant Scheduling System |
| AMG MEDICAL Inc. | Outsourcing in China for Design, Quality and Manufacturing of Medical Products |
| ASTEC APS, MEXICO | Re-engineering the OEM Procurement Process & Optimizing Material Flow in a Mexican Plant |
| BD BIOSCIENCES | SAP Implementation and Stabilization |
| BENTELER AUTOMOTIVE | Design Initiatives in Construction of New Factory |
| CAE ELECTRONICS | - Improving Capacity Planning and the Subcontracting Decision Process for Machined Parts - Improvements to the Process of Material Movement from Stores to Cells - Rationalization of Common Fabrication Parts by Reducing Inventory and Cycle Time - Supply Strategies for Visual Systems Assemblies |
| CELESTICA | - Cycle Time Reduction in Circuit Assemblies for OEM Customers at LACFT Facilities - Implementing Operational Best Practices |
| CEPSA, SPAIN | New Strategies for a Continuous Improvement System in the Area of Safety |
| C.R. BARD, USA | Lead Time Reduction on a Manufacturing Line under a CONWIP Environment |
| CRYOCATH TECHNOLOGY | - Cost Reduction Initiatives in Sourcing Activities - Material Flow Improvement |
| DRAXIS PHARMA | Implementation of Re-engineering for Pharmaceutical Products Processes |
| DSM BIOLOGICS | Optimizing Material and Personnel Flow in Process Layout and Design |
| ERICSSON CANADA | System Integration Service Development and Evaluation Process |
| GE HYDRO | - Phased implementation of Lean Manufacturing Concepts and Practices at Four Locations - Automating Purchasing through a Web Application |
| GENNUM | Capital Investment Model for Total Cost of Ownership |
| GM CANADA | Chassis Material GMS Gap Closure Plan |
| GROUPE LACASSE | Design and Implementation of Supply Kanban |
| HANSCOMB, RUSSIA | Creating and Maintaining a Project Schedule of Automobile Plant Construction for General Motors-AutoVAZ joint venture in Russia |
| HONEYWELL USA | Low-cost-country Sourcing for Automotive Parts |
| IBM CANADA | Implementing a Supply Chain Scorecard |
| INCO | Development of Components of Network Communication Systems for Use in an Underground Mining Environment |
| JDS UNIPHASE | Improvement of Reverse Logistics |
| KRAFT CANADA | Cheese Vat Replacement and Protein Fortification |
| KRUGER | Developing Tactics for LCC Strategic Sourcing and Procurement |
| LIBERTY FOODS | Implementation of New Production Efficiency Measuring and Modeling Systems |
| L'OREAL CANADA | NPI Process: the Challenge of an Inflexible Supply Chain |
| MANAGEM, MOROCCO | Development and Valorization Strategy for Serpentine |
| NORTEL NETWORKS | - Re-engineering of Corporate Standard Process for NPI - Transfer of Nortel’s Wireless Supply Chain Operations to China - Passport Supply Management at Global Repair Service |
| PPG CANADA | Rapid Improvement Workshop on Finishing Line 1 |
| PRATT & WHITNEY | - Inventory Management Strategies - Lead Time Reduction on the PD31 Gas Generator Line - Implementation of Third Party Logistics |
| ROLLS-ROYCE CANADA | Improvement of Non-conformances in an Industrial Generator |
| ROYAL VICTORIA HOSPITAL | - Process Improvement at the Infertility Clinic - Improvements to Emergency Room Productivity - Development of a Business Plan for Transport IVF |
| SCHLUMBERGER USA | - Completions Outsourcing Project - Improvement in Shop Floor Scheduling |
| ST. JOHNS PACKAGING | Detailed Marketing Plan to Achieve Lead Supplier Status |
| TEMBEC | Technical and Economic Evaluation of Excess Sludge Disposal from the Treatment System |
| UNITED TECHNOLOGIES, USA | Assembly Lead-Time Reduction on the Horizontal Build of Specific Pratt & Whitney Engines |
