CONFERENCES OF INTEREST - BDI Forum on DFMA; SCPD 8th Annual Conference; PLM; PDMA

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GGI's 2002 Product Development Metrics Survey was recently published.  The 2002 Survey focused on resource and capacity management practices and metrics.  Over 5 months, GGI is sharing with RapidNews readers selected results from each section of the survey. Last month focused on the first section, "Loading the R&D Capacity Pipeline." This month we present the second section, "Providing Capacity for RD&E Activities." This selected month's results are summarized below.

- Almost everyone is contracting out some of its engineering work.  90% of the respondents report that practice, but of that total 82% outsource less than 16% of the workload.

- Only 5% of the sustaining engineering work is outsourced.

- A significant minority of firms (39%) reported that "Sustaining Engineering/ spare parts/service is a profitable, revenue-producing business," and that they "organize resources around these activities."

The original survey questionnaire can be downloaded at http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/biennial/surveys/2002MetricsSurvey.pdf. Complete survey results are available for purchase at http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/cgi/catalog.cgi?display_p355.

Next month, look for results on "Balancing Cross-Functional Resources."

GGI's next Product Development Metrics Survey will be conducted in 2004. Please contact me at ars@goldensegroupinc.com if you wish to participate.

Registration Seminar:  Only 10 days left to register!  GGI, in partnership with Management Roundtable of Waltham, MA is presenting the Product Development Metrics Portfolios (PDMP) seminar on May 14 and 15 at Batterymarch Conference Center in downtown Boston.  This is the second public offering of this brand new seminar created by GGI, based on the positive response from the first run at MRT's Metrics Conference in October, 2002 in Chicago.  The purpose of this day and a half seminar is to create a set of metrics to manage R&D as a whole. Participants will walk out with a metrics portfolio suitable for implementation upon return to their company.  The course currently has 20 people signed up, and space is beginning to fill up, so register soon.  More detailed information is available by clicking on the new "PDMP On-the-Road" icon on GGI's web site: http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/, or on the Management Roundtable site: http://www.roundtable.com/Event_Center/PDMP/pdmp.asp?co=GGI.

In-House Seminar:  Bring the PDMP seminar on-site to your company for a focused and productive day-and-a-half workshop to develop your R&D metrics portfolio.  The in-house seminar is tailored to your company's individual needs and allows your whole team to collaborate on a metrics strategy and implement it right away.  For more information, including a detailed brochure, go to

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

Coursebook:  The companion Coursebook is also available for purchase at the GGI iStore. The product number is S4 "Product Development Metrics Portfolios (PDMP) Coursebook" [279 pages].  The Coursebook outlines techniques and tools to help you size, assemble and implement a comprehensive collection of product development metrics.  The book includes descriptions of infrastructures for corporate vs. project metrics and for proactive vs. predictive metrics. A superstructure of metrics in 10-12 areas is also described.

For more information on ordering this coursebook, go to GGI's iStore:

Creating the Innovation Culture: Leveraging Visionaries, Dissenters and Other Useful Troublemakers in Your Organization, by Frances Horibe.  John Wiley & Sons. August, 2001, 1st edition. 253 pages.

 

Innovation, not simply continuous improvement of existing ideas and products, is now a business imperative for survival.  Innovators are frequently viewed as counter-productive troublemakers or difficult-to-manage dissenters.  The author offers advice on managing dissenters to turn dissent into innovation, so new ideas are carried through to market success.

Innovation is disruptive to the status quo, and thus uncomfortable; dissent is essential to innovation.  Managers must encourage dissenters to express their opinions rather than suppressing them.  Dissenters promote innovation in two ways.  First, dissenters offer great new ideas because they resist the company culture.  Second, dissenters foster independent thought by forcing others to challenge their assumptions.  Dissent can benefit a company by redirecting it away from a wrong or outdated path or by helping to break out of a bad pattern.  Dissent can also elicit tacit knowledge of past experience that might not otherwise have been shared.

Companies often suppress dissent because it is disruptive and caused by a "difficult employee."  Dissent is however essential to innovation, and managers must recognize and handle the different types of dissent, which range from useful to destructive.

1. Situational Dissent: The employee is committed to the company's strategic direction but has complaints in a particular situation.  Advice: Listen to the employee, and the dissent typically stops, even if no changes are made.

2. Persistent Dissent: The employee does not give up, even though you have listened to them.  Advice: If the objection is not worth pursuing, explain that, but be prepared for the conversation to keep going in circles.

3. Underground Dissent: The dissenter chooses not to express the objection openly, potentially leading to sabotage and subversion.  Advice: Avoid this situation!

4. Whistle-Blowing: Dissenters share internal information with the media, the police or a regulatory agency, which is almost always a disaster for the company. Advice: Avoid this extreme situation!

Clearly dissent must be kept in the open to be productive.  Dissenters who are valuable to the company rather than just troublemakers must be recognized and managed well.  Dissenters typically have characteristics of persistence, single-mindedness and intelligence.  They tend to be nonconformists, need a high degree of autonomy, and often lack some people skills.  Dissenters typically devote a lot of energy to their idea and getting the right answer, but little into acquiring the power to implement the idea.  Valuable dissenters work to promote company goals, while troublemakers protect their own power without benefiting the company.  Dissenters can be managed by guiding them through the political process or by helping them develop political skills so their ideas will be implemented.

Companies can create a culture of innovation by creating structures and mechanisms for dissent that increase the company's capacity for risk.  These would include training, rewarding risk-takers, allowing innovators autonomy, and leading by example.  Companies also can encourage dissent by avoiding punishing failure and by actively promoting dissent on an ongoing basis.  By challenging the status quo often, dissent will become a normal part of the innovation process.  Dissenters can be an organization's most valuable asset as agents for constructive change.  When people are free to present new ideas, companies can break free of old ways of doing business and move to true innovation.

Summarized from "New Dimensions in Multidisciplinary Thinking: Issues, Trends, and Implications for Mechanical Engineers and ASME," by Patrick Heggy and Michele Bowman. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2001.

As the world evolves with more complex problems to solve, multidisciplinary approaches offer the promise of solutions and whole new directions for engineering and science in the 21st century.  Multidisciplinary thinking is "the interaction of different disciplines as a means of addressing complex challenges and finding new solutions."  Interdisciplinary initiatives dissolve boundaries between the traditional disciplines, often resulting in the formation of new fields, such as industrial ecology or nanotechnology.  A well-known example of multidisciplinarity is the Human Genome Project, begun in 1990, which involves the collaboration of biologists, chemists, computer scientists and others worldwide.

Some of the key drivers of multidisciplinary thinking are:

- Information Technology: increased speeds and processing power enable new technologies and enable R&D to perform advanced modeling and simulation.

- Economic Prosperity: allows experimentation with new technologies and work on complex projects.

- Globalization: drives cross-functional collaboration to speed product development through use of multidisciplinary teams.

- Time Acceleration: the continuous need for innovation and product improvement drives the blurring of functional distinctions, which makes knowledge more accessible, leading to faster solutions.

- Complexity: the complexity and variety of products has led to large increases in patents, many in new fields and emerging subdisciplines.

- Diversity: the emergence of diversity and multiculturalism as social trends fosters openness to others, which has led to changing attitudes and the acceleration of multidisciplinary thinking.

Multidisciplinary thinking has affected R&D by driving increased investments and by shifting the focus to knowledge integration.  "[R&D] investment is increasing most rapidly in information technology, electronics, biotechnology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries."  Governmental and industry-sponsored R&D has made a commitment to the multidisciplinary approach. The various disciplines bring their skills and knowledge to the solution of complex problems.

Some of the significant implications of multidisciplinary thinking for engineering are:

- The Emergence of the Multidisciplinary Engineer: engineers will need to augment their core expertise with knowledge in other disciplines.

- Research Discoveries and Transformational Learning: the gathering of diverse scientific and engineering professionals will lead to unexpected advances and the creation of new fields.

- New Opportunities: the expertise of engineers in one discipline will be needed in other fields.

- Changes in Engineering Education: more flexibility and options are available, including designing an individual program and programs that include courses from other disciplines.

- The Multidisciplinary Engineer as More Generalist Than Expert: there may be some sacrifice of in-depth expertise in the attempt to master several engineering or scientific disciplines.

Multidisciplinary thinking poses many challenges and affords great opportunities to the field of engineering.  New skills will be needed, and engineering fundamentals will become even more important.  Engineering education will evolve, and the traditional boundaries between engineering disciplines will continue to blur.  "Multidisciplinary approaches promise to set both the context and the agenda for science and engineering in the twenty-first century," and those that embrace it will be positioned for success.

2002 RD&E Survey - Resource & Capacity Management: Complete results from our 2002 Product Development Metrics Survey are now available, including our most detailed "RESULTS" report.

The survey focused this year on the following 5 areas of resource and capacity management:

- Loading the RD&E capacity pipeline,

- Providing capacity for RD&E activities,

- Balancing cross-functional resources (staffing ratios),

- Using systems, tools, & metrics to manage capacity, and

- RD&E metrics used in industry.

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 (65 pages),including the full text of all the results and analysis of the survey population analyzed as a whole,

2. 2002 SURVEY SUMMARY: A report of composite results, where the survey respondents are analyzed as a whole (116 pages, including a full set of graphics), and

3. 2002 SURVEY RESULTS: The most detailed report, complete with the composite results and "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 (223 pages).

These reports are available in the Market Research section of GGI's iStore (http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/iStore/store.html).  The original survey questionnaire as well as a description of the survey (including survey focus and demographics, tables of contents for the 3 reports, and examples of key findings) can be found at the Market Research Reading Room at http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/readmarket.shtml.

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:

 

One of our top MEGA Gateways 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:

 

CMM Manufacturers:  This NEW Gateway offers links to companies that manufacture coordinate measurement machines.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway.  The URL is located at:

Gage Manufacturers:  This NEW Gateway provides links to over 200 companies that specialize in gage equipment.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway.  The URL is located at:

Optical Measurement Systems:  This NEW Gateway offers links to companies that provide optical measurement systems.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway. The URL is located at:

Metrology:  This UPDATED Gateway provides links to firms specializing in metrology equipment.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway.  The URL is located at:

Statistical Process Control:  This UPDATED Gateway provides links to companies that provide SPC software.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway.  The URL is located at:

Process Simulation & Charting:  This UPDATED Gateway offers links to firms specializing in flow charting and simulation software.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway.  The URL is located at:

Vision Systems:  This UPDATED Gateway provides links to companies that specialize in machine and system vision software.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway. The URL is located at:

Visualization:  This UPDATED Gateway offers links to firms that provide visualization software.  Find it in the Technology Providers MEGA Gateway. The URL is located at:

New Item:  GGI's iStore has now been updated with 1 new Published Article. See details below, or go directly to GGI's iStore storefront:

For a detailed description of this item and information on how to order it, go to GGI's iStore:

Featured Item: GGI's iStore features one deeply discounted offering, which changes periodically. The current Featured Item is the "2000 Product Development Metrics Research Summary" (MR12).

This 96-page report presents the detailed results of GGI's 2000 Product Development Metrics Survey, which focused on metrics systems in use in industry as well as portfolio management. 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 122 respondents as a whole, will provide you with detailed information on

1.  R&D linkages to corporate strategy,

2.  Portfolio management metrics,

3.  Product selection metrics,

4.  Product success metrics, and

5.  Actual metrics in use in industry.

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 2000 and 2002 surveys in areas where we could compare.

The price for the report has been dropped from $1920.00 to $1152.00, 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.

SCPD 8th Annual Conference:  The Society of Concurrent Product Development's 8th Annual Conference will be held June 11-12 in Tyngsboro, MA. The theme of the conference is Achieving Concurrent Product Development.  The conference will feature hands-on sessions as well as tracks on CPD Lessons Learned and Engaging Top Management in CPD.

More detailed information is now available at SCPD's web site: http://www.scpdnet.org/boston/index.htm

2003 International Forum on DFMA (BDI):  Boothroyd Dewhurst's 18th Annual 2003 International Forum on Design for Manufacture and Assembly will be held June 17-18 in Newport, RI.  The goal of this conference is to provide expert opinion on DFMA and other early design technologies. Manufacturing leaders and research leaders will be on hand to answer your questions on such topics as cost management and reduction, lean manufacturing, shrinking time to market, concurrent engineering, and design for environment.  The conference features presentations from industry leaders such as Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, and Raytheon.

At the conference, Brad Goldense will present "Resource & Capacity Management:  Best Practices for Cross-Functional Product Development."

For more information and to register, go to BDI's web site: http://www.dfma.com/forum/index.html

PLM 2003:  Worldwide Business Research will hold its product lifecycle management event, PLM 2003, on September 16-17 in Scottsdale, AZ.  The conference is geared toward executives in all functional areas of product lifecycle management and will emphasize minimizing product cost and maximizing lifecycle value. Companies giving presentations include Deere & Company, Lam Research, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Sun Microsystems, Agilent Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.

Brad Goldense is anticipating speaking on the subject of Benchmarking and moderating part of the conference.

For more information, go to WBR's web site:  http://www.wbresearch.com/PLM/index.html

PDMA International Conference:  Advance notice for PDMA's Annual International Conference, to be held October 4-8, 2003 at the Boston Marriot Copley. The conference theme is The Business of Product Development:  People, Process and Technology Across the Life Cycle.  The conference will focus on successful product development and product life cycle management, with an emphasis on how-to's and new techniques to apply immediately to your competitive advantage.  Three conference tracks are featured: People, Process and Technology.

Brad Goldense is part of the conference planning team, is the track chair for the Process Track, and will speak on the subject of Industry Best Practices for Product Life Cycle Management.

More information is available at PDMA's web site: http://www.pdma.org/2003/.

Winning Practices for Product Development: This free, online seminar series is co-sponsored by Sopheon and SCPD.  These one-hour, online events feature experts and leading practitioners who will share process knowledge and practical advice about ways to improve your product development performance and results.

The currently-scheduled webinars are:

15 May - Raise Your Returns on Innovation, presented by Greg Stevens, President of WinOvations, Inc.

5 June - Taking Time to Market Beyond the Hype, presented by Preston Smith, founder of New Product Dynamics

For more information and to register, go to: http://www.sopheon.com/events_onlineseminars.asp

Alexander Haig's World Business Review: Brad Goldense has made several appearances on Alexander Haig's World Business Review last year. Streaming video is available for all shows, which aired on August 4, September 29 and December 15, 2002. See below for details.

One final broadcast of the September 29 In-Studio interview, a 22.5 minute program, will be shown on Educational Satellite Services, formerly the PBS Business and Technology Network (a subscription service) and on Tech TV (for digital cable subscribers) on May 20 - June 4, 2003. Those of you in Fortune 2000 companies might already subscribe to Educational Satellite Services (formerly the PBS Business and Technology Network).  For a partial listing of participating companies, go to  http://www.wbrtv.com/distribution/pbs_4_28.html.  The Tech TV channel is available in select areas to digital cable subscribers, in the 200-500 range of channels.  Check your local cable listings for availability. For a complete list of airing times for locations nationwide, as well as other program information, go to:

December 15 In-Studio with Alexander Haig (7.5 minutes) on CNBC paid programming: Streaming video for this segment is available at: http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/ggiontv.shtml#wbr3

September 29th In-Studio with Alexander Haig (22.5 minutes): Streaming video for this segment (as well as the entire 30-minute show) is available at:  http://www.goldensegroupinc.com/ggiontv.shtml#wbr2

August 4th On-Location at GGI (3.5 minutes): This On-Location field report is 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.

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