Volume 4, Issue 2, February 3, 2003
GGI RapidNews is published approximately once a month.

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In This Issue

BOOK REVIEW - 60 Trends in 60 Minutes (part three of three)

MANAGEMENT PRODUCTIVITY - Intellectual Property

NEW BIENNIAL SURVEY - 2002 RD&E Survey Results available soon

TELEVISION EVENT - Alexander Haig's World Business Review

NEW WEB CONTENT - New GTKs - ISO 9000 and Logistics Software, Updated Calendar

FEATURED I-STORE ITEM - 1998 Product Development Metrics Research Summary

UPCOMING CONFERENCES & SEMINARS - SCPD 8th Annual Conference

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BOOK REVIEW

60 Trends in 60 Minutes, by Sam Hill. John Wiley & Sons; August, 2002, 1st edition. 282 pages.

Marketing guru Sam Hill explains the trends that will have the biggest effects on marketing, brand management and product development. This book will help you to move from merely observing trends to understanding and profiting from them, through trend analysis. Trend analysis "means systematically dismantling a trend to understand what is behind it, why it is or isn't important, how it will manifest itself in the day-to-day world, and when it will break into the mainstream." The book also describes the "Trendblasting" process, a workshop to get at the heart of a trend and develop opportunities rapidly.

Trends from this book have been presented in three installments. This month's trends, the last in this series, fall into the categories of "Business trends" and "Workplace trends."

60 Trends, Part Three:

Business trends
1. The death of demography: Almost every purchase can be tracked
2. Niche picking: Miller Beer was unprofitable as number 2 but profitable as number 12
3. Experience this! Companies expand service faster than product
4. On the brand wagon: Smirnoff brand goes on balance sheet for $1 million
5. A la carte business models: electronics is 73 percent outsourced
6. Reintermediation: Some Chrysler dealers won't service cars sold on the Internet
7. Strange bedfellows: 10,000 mergers and acquisitions a year
8. The price is wrong: Consumers know prices better than you do
9. "Gotcha" tactics: Local phone rates have risen by almost the same amount as long distance has fallen
10. Mass personalization: $6.5 billion in customer relationship management software sold each year
11. A pound of risk to go: $18.2 billion on corporate insurance in 1995

Workplace trends
1. Diversity: In a securities industry employment study, 75 percent of executive jobs were held by white males
2. Paraprofessionalism: Physician assistants will double in five years
3. What, me work? Personal time taken off from work has doubled
4. The last job review: More lawsuits over bad performance reviews
5. Celebrity CEOs: media coverage of CEOs has risen 53 percent in 10 years
6. Mercenary management: There were 33 million free agents in the U.S. in 1998
7. 24/7/365: One of six people works at night
8. Retooling: Adult education has doubled in 10 years
9. In a land far, far away: People don't have to live where they work anymore

MANAGEMENT PRODUCTIVITY

Intellectual Property

In its May, 2002 issue, Industry Week listed the following opportunities, through wise intellecual asset management, for IP to generate revenue:

"1. Selling or licensing IP assets outside of the company's core business or in a geographic region where the company has no plans to compete,
2. Licensing process technology, i.e., how to build and operate a complex plant,
3. Tax write-offs from donating patents with no future value to the company (for example, donating to a university),
4. Downsizing the portfolio to reduce patent maintenance costs.
5. Offering early-stage technologies outside of the company before they are introduced in your own products, which reduces your own risk of getting a new technology up and running."

Especially for companies with a new product focus, intellectual property - ideas and information - is becoming increasingly valuable to the firm. Trends over the next two decades will show companies focusing more on managing their intellectual assets to tap their enormous potential to generate revenue.

On the flip side, your IP, your competitive advantage and key to the success of the business, can be compromised and must be protected. Key steps to take for cost-effective IP coverage, as advised by Thomas G. Field, Jr. of Franklin Pierce Law Center, are:

1. Evaluate the income potential of your IP
2. Compare the full spectrum of actual and potential IP options:
a. Copyrights - low cost; not for ideas or processes
b. Trade secrets - useful and available for any kind of information, but reverse engineering is allowed; determined by state law
c. Patents - expensive ($15K - $30K filing costs) but a good barrier (reverse engineering is not allowed); thorough search must be done; determined by federal law; must be filed in different countries (if applicable) within a year

The opportunities as well as the risks are great when managing intellectual assets. Making the right decisions regarding IP can be key to the future of your company.

For more details, check the links below.

Industry Week Article:
http://www.industryweek.com/CurrentArticles/asp/articles.asp?ArticleID=1245

Links to Articles, Reports and Other Information on Intellectual Property:
http://www.brint.com/IntellP.htm

Intellectual Property Mall from Franklin Pierce Law School (links to resources):
http://www.ipmall.fplc.edu/

Technology Review Article and 2002 Patent Scorecard:
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/scorecard0502.asp
http://www.technologyreview.com/scorecards/patent_2002.asp

Patent Searches and Other IP-related Services:
http://www.corporateintelligence.com/0/index9809.html

NEW BIENNIAL SURVEY

2002 RD&E Survey - Resource & Capacity Management: We are now in the final stages of completing the 3 reports with results from our Product Development Metrics Survey. The composite results of this year's survey were first presented to the public by Brad Goldense at Management Roundtable's Metrics Conference on October 29, 2002 in Chicago. The 3 versions of the survey results reports that we offer for sale to the public are

1. 2002 SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS: A text-only report (approximately 55 pages),
2. 2002 SURVEY SUMMARY: A report of composite results, where the survey respondents are analyzed as a whole (approximately 110 pages, including a full set of graphics), and
3. 2002 SURVEY RESULTS: The most detailed report, complete with "special cuts," where the survey population is segmented and analyzed in the following groups: Public vs. Private, Smaller vs. Larger, Process vs. Repetitive/Discrete vs. Job Shop, Higher Technology vs. Lower Technology, and More vs. Fewer Employees (approximately 220 pages).

These reports will be available in the next few weeks in the Market Research section of GGI's iStore
(http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/iStore/store.html).

TELEVISION EVENTS

Alexander Haig's World Business Review: Brad Goldense has made several appearances on Alexander Haig's World Business Review. Streaming video is now available for the show that aired on December 15, 2002. The two previous shows (from August 4 and September 29, 2002) are also available on streaming video. See below for details.

One final broadcast of the September 29 In-Studio interview, a 22.5 minute program, will be shown on the PBS Business and Technology Network (a subscription service) and on Tech TV (for digital cable subscribers) sometime soon. We will let you know the specifics when they are available.

December 15 In-Studio with Alexander Haig (7.5 minutes) on CNBC paid programming: This In-Studio interview aired nationwide on Sunday, December 15. Streaming video for this segment is now available at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/ggiontv.shtml#wbr3

September 29th In-Studio with Alexander Haig (22.5 minutes): This In-Studio program aired nationwide and internationally on the PBS Business and Technology Network (a subscription service) and on Tech TV from September 29 through October 13. Streaming video for this segment (as well as the entire 30-minute show) is now available at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/ggiontv.shtml#wbr2

August 4th On-Location at GGI (3.5 minutes): This On-Location field report is now available in streaming video on GGI's website. To see the program, go to:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/ggiontv.shtml#wbr1

The web page includes links to download a streaming video player, if you do not currently have one installed on your computer.

For more information on any of Brad's appearances on television, go to:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/ggiontv.shtml.

NEW WEB CONTENT

GTK-Gateways To Knowledge: Your resource for industry and product development related information and contacts offers thousands of links to providers of technologies and services for line management functions. The main entrance to GTK can be found at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/gateway/index.shtml

One of our top 3 MEGA Gateways is the Calendar of Industry Events MEGA Gateway, a listing of links to conferences, seminars and distance learning opportunities. The Calendar has just been updated with approximately 20 new listings for 2003. It's sure to be an interesting spring, judging by the conferences and other events that are coming up. Be sure to check here for new listings. The Calendar of Industry Events MEGA Gateway is located at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/gateway/calendar2.shtml

Another top MEGA Gateway is the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway, which is a directory of hundreds of links organized by technical topic (hardware and software). The Technology Providers MEGA Gateway can be found at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/gateway/techproviders.shtml

ISO 9000 Software: Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway. This NEW Gateway offers links to over 150 companies that provide ISO 900 software. The URL is located at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/gateway/tech_iso9000software.shtml

Logistics Software: Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway. This NEW Gateway provides links to 100 companies that provide logistics and transportation software. The URL is located at:

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/gateway/tech_logistics.shtml

FEATURED GGI I-STORE PRODUCTS

Featured Item: GGI's iStore features one deeply discounted offering, which changes periodically. The current Featured Item is the "1998 Product Development Metrics Research Summary."

This 88-page report presents the detailed results of GGI's 1998 Product Development Metrics Survey, which focused on metrics systems in use in industry as well as rewards and recognition for product development performance. The report is organized in 5 sections, each of which contains factual observations, management analysis and a full set of graphics. This report, which analyzes the survey population of 190 respondents as a whole, will provide you with detailed information on

1. Types, frequency of, and specific metrics in use,
2. The state of corporate metrics,
3. The state of project metrics, including standardization,
4. Linkages from team performance in new product development activities to rewards and recognition, and
5. How companies are implementing metrics systems.

This research is still valid, given the fact that the economy has not been in a state of high growth for the past few years. We have found consistency between the 1998 and 2002 surveys in areas where we could compare.

The price for the report has been dropped from $1760.00 to $1056.00, a deep discount of 40%. For more information or to purchase this valuable report, go to

http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/cgi/catalog.cgi?display_promo.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

SCPD 8th Annual Conference: Save the dates of June 11 and 12 for the Society of Concurrent Product
Development's 8th Annual Conference to be held in the Boston area. More details to come.

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GGI RapidNews is an e-mail publication from Goldense Group, Inc (GGI). Its subject matter includes survey findings, company news, book reviews, key industry conferences and R&D information of interest to clients and associates. Please send communications to rn(at)goldensegroupinc.com. Thank you.