2025_EML Capstone Projects

8

Mentor Link Solutions: A Hybrid Mentorship and Knowledge Retention Model

improved retention and morale (Guerra, 2023). Unfortunately, even structured mentorship often fails

due to poor execution, a lack of clear goals, ineffective communication, or inadequate continued

organizational support (Emerson, 2022). NASA’s APPEL Knowledge Services initiative has demonstrated

success by pairing cultural reinforcement with robust systems for storing and retrieving expert

knowledge (Insight, 2024). Another missing piece in most programs is effective change management.

This program utilizes Kotter’s (1995) 8-Step Model, which emphasizes the importance of a clear vision,

achieving short-term wins, and aligning stakeholders to maintain momentum during change initiatives.

Other sources even suggest that pairing digital tools with the integration of process documentation into

daily tasks can increase productivity by 5 to 10 percent (SolveXia, 2023). Similarly, building the system to

allow for iterative improvements driven by employee feedback and performance metrics can allow the

program to become self-sustaining over time (Pereira, 2024).

This project builds on the industry research to create a solution that leverages the strengths of

mentorship and documentation best practices. It addresses the lack of practical and scalable tools that

engineering organizations can implement without a significant budget or staffing increase, as noted in

the literature. Our hybrid model is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure (e.g.,

Google Workspace or Microsoft Teams), allowing organizations to test, refine, and scale the program

according to their specific needs.

Project Plan and Timeline

This capstone project was structured over seven weeks and employed a collaborative approach

between both team members. Our primary goal was to stay ahead of the course guidelines and allocate

tasking based on our strengths and weaknesses to ensure we mitigate schedule risk given the short

project timeframe. One individual was better suited to writing, research, and integrating the course

frameworks, while the other focused on presentation design, visual formatting, and decision modeling.