The saying “nobody is perfect” also applies to companies because no companies are perfect. Many organizations struggle with issues like getting their processes documented and their data management under control. Sometimes it is the members of the team that manage to hold it all together and enable substantial growth. However, this approach typically is neither scalable nor sustainable.

At EAC, we have a service called the Product Development System Assessment (PDSA). In short, the assessment helps identify areas within an organization that could improve — whether it be processes, data management, communication, or organizational change. We have helped companies across the country identify areas of their organizations that may not be reaching their full potential and provide them with a personalized roadmap for improvement.

One such company, Thermos (yes, Thermos — the company that made your really cool Spiderman lunchbox as a kid), has worked with EAC to identify areas where their organization could improve. “Hot Matters. Cold Matters. It Matters,” Thermos’s corporate mantra, not only identifies with their well-known product, but also refers to their high standards of quality, safety, living green, and giving back.

Over the last decade, Thermos has experienced tremendous growth. But as VP of Marketing Julie Ryan said, “We’ve got a great team and what we’ve been doing for the last 10 years has been working. But what’s making it work is the people — not the process.”

EAC was able provide a roadmap that included implementation of a project management system. This would allow Thermos to begin building a foundation that will support and sustain growth. Because let’s face it — Hot Matters. Cold Matters. It Matters.

At EAC, we’ve developed a framework that looks at product development as a system. We call this framework the Product Development Operating System — the PDOS. (Shown above.) To understand how the PDOS framework functions, you must first understand the elements of a competitive system.

The first element of a competitive system is information. Competitive systems have both generalized and specific information. Generalized information covers the full suite of potential strategies and tactics — a playbook. Specialized information is general information that is selected to appropriately address the specific competition — the game plan.

The second element in a competitive system is preparation. Like any sport, practice tends to be a primary contributing factor in who wins the game. In the system sense, behaviors used in competition are rehearsed to develop deeper skills. As learning occurs during practice, ideas, strategies, and tactics are then added to the playbook.

Naturally, the competition itself is the final piece in a competitive system. All skills and knowledge developed through the first two parts of the system are then applied during the competition.

Looking at the framework, you notice that the three components of a competitive system comprise the rows of the PDOS framework. The columns represent the three tiers of the organization. Each tier of the organization has responsibilities that impact the systematic operation of Product Development.

The PDOS thrives on the flow of information. Knowledge is the value medium of product development and information is what flows through the system. A knowledge base that includes Product Development specific information technology tools like PLM systems, design tools, and simulation tools serves as the foundation supporting the other layers of the PDOS.

The preparation layer is where the “important” work happens. This is a sanctuary for continuous improvement. This layer is a core part of the Japanese system. In Stephen Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he talks about the division of the urgent work and the important work. He notes avoid letting the urgent work overwhelm the important work because, if that happens, the important work never gets done.

The preparation layer is what is missing from the western approach to product development. We have made an orphan out of feedback, which is the learning element that is critical to continuous improvement.

In Product Development, the competition layer represents the “urgent” part of our charter, the execution of product development or projects.  Process thinking organizations see the upper right hand box as “Product Development”.  Organizations that shift to a Systems Thinking perspective of Product Development put themselves in a stronger competitive position.

Small and medium sized businesses may appear smaller and more nimble than their large corporate counterparts, but they have the same need to manage engineering, inventory and process changes. Their need for this change management is just on a smaller scale. SMBs should have access to the same high-tech solutions for Product Data Management (PDM), only scaled to meet the needs appropriate for their size.

PTC Windchill: for PDM Essentials

Engineering projects both large and small require up-to-date product versions. Design, production and quality control teams all require quick access to the correct and most current product information. And access to this change management process must also be controlled to prevent unauthorized changes.

Windchill PDM Essentials is an easy to deploy system that meets these goals. You do not need to spend countless hours configuring the software to meet your individual needs. Configuration and installation wizards allow for fast, easy setup with less cost to the company.

CAD with Creo

CAD data management is essential for effective product improvement. Teams need the ability to work together to share their ideas. CAD models are stored in a central location with revision control features. With the included ability to use a 3-D viewer and markup utilities, those without the CAD capability installed can still work with the same stored model designs and provide their input.

Small and medium businesses can especially benefit from the ability to reuse and re-engineer existing designs. This is how a smaller business can leverage its prior work and find ways to grow. Control over different design versions allows small teams to be nimble and avoid design mistakes that could lead to increased costs and lost time. This is why Windchill PDM comes with PTC Creo View Lite and it works with a variety of other CAD systems, including AutoCAD.

Office Documents and More

This same change management can also be applied to regular office documents with a check in and a check out function. Check out locking prevents other users from modifying documents while the work is in process with a different team. Check in releases the document to other approved users. The history of when changes were made, and who made the changes, is stored to track the most current versions and ensure the changes were authorized.

Database searching is simplified to reduce the time needed to locate designs and documents. The interface allows you to search with multiple terms, from product numbers to created-by dates and names.

Keeping it all Moving at the Right Pace

Data publishing can also be scheduled to allow for viewing and access of documents at exactly the right time. This is how product lifecycle functions control when teams have access to data. It ensures that parts for manufacturing are not ordered before the final design is approved. Keeping everything on the right schedule is key and this level of lifecycle control ensures that all the people in your organization (regardless of size) are kept in the loop and product development flows smoothly and quickly.

These are the ways that PTC Windchill with PDM Essentials gives small to medium businesses the data and change management solutions that meets their current needs with the ability to add solutions as the company grows. From EAC’s perspective, we see PDM Essentials as an excellent base foundation that can be modified to meet your unique business needs – large or small. Please contact us so that we can tailor a solution that fits your business and your budget.

Computer-aided design (CAD) changed the way engineers, architects and draftsmen work from countless pencil and paper drafts to drawing on a screen. CAD designs can be changed and manipulated in numerous ways without crumpling a paper and starting over at the beginning and this technology that emerged out of the 1980s is still advancing rapidly today.

In 1886, Karl Benz received a patent for a gasoline powered automobile engine. This turned automotive engineering from steam power to the beginning of modern engine designs. Unfortunately, for auto enthusiasts, starting these engines was most often done by getting out and cranking an impossible handle. The first electric starter appeared on an Arnold in 1896. It was not until 1911, that Charles Kettering gave America a true electric starter motor.

You may wonder: what do cars and CAD have in common? The most important similarity is that they represent continuous advancements in technology that are designed to make life easier, better and more productive. Keeping up with advancements in technology can keep your business advancing and increase your bottom line. If you are still using a compass and protractor to create ink on Mylar drawings, you are driving a Model T. If you are using a FORTRAN based system, you are driving a Yugo. You are going, but not very far or very fast.

Upgrading Your CAD Software

Many businesses are relying on CAD software that is outdated. It functions like an old trusty car, but does not offer cruise control, power windows or air conditioning. Who could imagine driving in a car without these amenities? Likewise, CAD is no longer simply two-dimensional modeling. The latest CAD software uses 3D surface and solid modeling, dynamic mathematical modeling and even photorealistic rendering.

PTC Creo gives you CAD software that you can customize to your business needs and then build on, without having to learn to drive all over again. If you are only comfortable with front-wheel drive, you can work with 2D software. When you are ready for all-wheel drive, your 2D can seamlessly move into 3D.

If your business uses an entire fleet of different CAD solutions, you do not have to worry about putting a Ford muffler on a GM SUV. PTC can provide you with the right tools for Multi-CAD environments. You can even test drive PTC Creo software for free.

Using Your Upgraded CAD Software

Have you heard enough car related puns yet? Well there’s more.

Upgrading to the latest software is just the start. If you do not use the functions your upgraded CAD system offers, you are driving a Porsche in first gear. You have the capability but something is holding you back. Many users fear change or do not understand how to implement the change. With PTC Creo, you simply push in the clutch and shift. For instance, PTC Creo Flexible Modeling Extension (FMX) allows you to make rapid design changes at the last minute by selecting only the parameters you need to change.

PTC Learning Exchange offers free tutorials so you and your employees can learn to drive your CAD software and utilize all of the benefits. So getting the most out of new technology is not as difficult as you may fear.

Taking a horse and buggy across the country will take you forever, but embracing PTC Creo FMX will shorten design cycles and lower production costs. Let EAC show you how easy Creo is to use so you can get your business on the road to success. All puns intended.

I have been involved in many projects for many different topics. I have worked on everything from global new product development to ERP or PLM implementations to detailed global change process implementations.
There is a lot to the makeup of a successful project. However, for this blog, I am going to focus on the personality of the overall project team members.

What I have found interesting is that I can pretty much tell how well the project will go within the first 30 minutes of the first meeting. It has nothing to do with the abilities of the group, but more about the psychological makeup of the project team.

Many times the team is forced together from a corporate directive. Maybe one or two people are truly behind the project, but the rest are there because they have to be. The team selection is not thought out. The people selected are the ones with spare time or more commonly are the expert of the area being affected. When this happens I can almost guarantee the project will take longer than planned and be difficult to execute.

Here are the typical people I see in almost every project:

Old school is better: These are people who feel that there is no need for change. The way they do it now is fine and, in fact, better than the new way. The main reason these people are usually on a project team is because they tend to know the most about the current way things are done. They have detailed knowledge of the old process so management tends to feel they must be involved in the new project. I question that decision. You don’t always need the resident expert directly involved in a project. In fact often they are too close to the current process to see past it. Even if their attitude is good, the “expert” is not always best to have on the project team. They should be a key resource, but not necessarily on the core project team.

The know it all: This person can also bring a project down fast. They tend to dismiss or belittle other team member’s opinions. They will often quickly cause team friction. Once your team stops being understanding and open to one another’s opinions, you might as well scrap the project. Having team members that are willing to consider everyone’s comments is a good trait to have on a project team.

Leader: This is not always, and does not have to be, a manager. Many times it’s not even the project manager, but it is ideal when it is. This person drives the project. They take control and in some cases push the project along when it starts to stall from team inactiveness. They tend to be very hands on. This person is great to have on the team and helps to have a successful project.

True team player: They just get it. These are the people I love to see on the team. They truly understand what is trying to be accomplished in the project. They are forward thinking and understand that the reality of any new project is never cut and dry. These people can come from any discipline, but their good attitude and willingness to work through issues help to make the project successful.

There are other roles I see, but the above are the most common. Plus, I did not want to make this blog so long no one reads it.

Many times in smaller companies you don’t have a choice of who is on a project team. There are limited resources to pull from. You have to use who you have. However, no matter the size of the company, I would highly recommend considering the personality of each of your team members prior to establishing your project team. The people on a project team do not always need to be the expert of each department affected. They do need to have good knowledge of their department, but not necessarily be the expert. They will need access to the local expert, but a good understanding of how a successful project functions is more important than topic expertise in many cases.

Once you have a good project team established, a good realistic scope and milestones of the project needs to be defined. Too many times I see a scope of a project being set that is too aggressive and unrealistic. This is all relative of course, but keeping the project scope and milestones achievable is important. You can’t expect a complete 360 of an existing complex process in 30 days. Realistic (yet aggressive) achievable goals will help keep the project team optimistic, upbeat and energized to follow through with the entire project.

I don’t claim to know what makes up the perfect project team. You will always have some element of each role personality on a team. As long as they are not too extreme it can still be a manageable team and a successful project. I should know…I have had many successful projects with a team I had no say in selecting. The projects still succeed; but it can be a much more difficult than necessary with the wrong team psyche.

What personalities have you seen hurt or help a project? I would love to see some good stories on overall project team personalities posted here (no names please).

An enterprise’s ability to manage projects and programs will determine to a large extent the success or failure of the products they produce. Benefits reported by those companies that have completed Program Management Initiatives include:

• 27% greater return on investment in projects
• 30% improvement in project budget performance
• 34% improvement in project schedule performance
• 24% improvement in project risk
• 39% improvement in project requirements performance

Bottom line; Companies with a more comprehensive business perspective of program management are more successful. So how do these companies realize their program management goals?  By clearly defining key success factors, phases, milestones, roles and executing in accordance with these outlines.  Below we will define these characteristics and present a way to describe your organization’s implementation maturity.

The items we identify as key success factors are sometimes referred to as competencies.  We identify these as Key Success Factors to underline their importance in driving your project’s success. The order presented here is for convenience and should not be mistaken by the reader as ranking importance.

Key Success Factors

• Governance
• Alignment
• Coordination
• Management
• Planning
• Finance

Governance is the metrics and operations utilized to guide and measure progress. The development and adoption of these metrics enable the program team to gage progress. Incomplete adoption of this key success factor will cause misalignment of the team and the business decision points required for success.

Alignment is the ability to maintain the team’s view of strategies. Product portfolio, sales and overall corporate strategies need to be within the program’s targets to ensure the product contributes to the overall success of the enterprise. Failure to align program goals with overreaching strategies will cloud decision making at every turn.

The coordination of data across the team and enterprise enables all stakeholders to work from the same assumptions. Incomplete data will disable the team’s ability to work effectively. Delays and missed targets will result if current data is not available to all.

Management’s ability to provide guidance, insure accountability and remove obstacles will set the tone for the program. Managers need to be proactive to deliver a best practice solution. Driving decision making and ensuring the team is equipped for the challenges presented.

The planning required to connect information and resources to maintain schedule and meet deliverables is the responsibility of program management. Aligning goals with the availability of information and resources will enable schedule attainment. Conversely, excessive dwell or loopbacks in the dissemination of data will cause delays.

Tracking financial goals and progress across program checkpoints to determine target alignment and support decision gates is imperative to the program’s success. Failure to do so will result in missed targets, ballooning budgets and ultimately canceled programs.

Incorporating a continuous improvement process to assess performance and take advantage of lessons learned. This is a way of institutionalizing the capture of tribal knowledge. Process improvement initiatives reduce the opportunities to repeat mistakes.

Mastering the above factors increases the enterprise’s ability to execute projects. As an enterprise’s execution maturity increases program management efficiency will follow. Continuing to monitor and improve performance will enable more projects and drive growth. Delivering successful products to the marketplace efficiently becomes engrained within the organization. On time and within budget are the typical metrics cited to define a program’s success. But, neither sufficiently define a product’s success once in the market. To do this meaningful metrics need to be established and tracked. Market share, profitability, and performance criteria targets need to be defined early in the program and tracked throughout. The phases and their respective phase gates described below enable the program team to track their progress and move the program forward

Program Management Phases

Step 0: Establish Processes for Various Types of Development Programs

• Define standard phases, gates, and decision criteria
• Develop templates for standard process deliverables
• Define guidelines for process execution and gate facilitation

Step 1: Initiate Program Phase

• Identify and recruit core program team
• Review program phase objectives and inputs
• Review standard operating procedures & identify exception
• Allocate responsibility and accountability

Step 2: Monitor, Control & Report

• Monitor process tasks, deliverables & metrics
• Manage development schedule & costs
• Manage program-level issues and risks
• Conduct internal program reviews
• Communicate to external stakeholders as appropriate

Step 3: Conduct Gate Reviews 

• Assemble gate packages for review
• Evaluate program performance against evaluation criteria
• Adjust allocated resources and funding as appropriate
• Review objectives, resources and deliverables for next gate
• Communicate to stakeholders as appropriate

Step 4: Transition Program

• Transition product to steady state management, if appropriate
• Archive program deliverables for reuse and historical reference
• Evolve, improve & institutionalize lessons learned

The above steps and their respective descriptions are provided here as the minimum criteria for a program to meet the established goals. Therein lies the secret to a program’s success; establishing the goals at the program’s inception. Without clearly defining the goals a program is essentially rudderless. After the goals have been established by a small cross functional team, a broader team can be engaged to initiate the program. Once initiated, progress is monitored to track goals and insure that all stakeholders are still informed. Monitoring is a way to manage risks as they arise. Gate reviews are performed only as necessary to maintain alignment with stated goals and milestones. As the program progresses the steps above and the associated reporting assure all stakeholders that the original targets established are to be met. Towards the end of the program when success is near certain the program transitions to archiving the success and developing a maintenance and improvement plan.

Program management is the work done to add substance and value to a set of disparate inputs to deliver products and services.  An enterprise’s success in the marketplace is determined by the ability to deliver products and services that meet the needs of the target customers. Obviously the success of the enterprise is driven by the capability to manage programs. Developing the capability of consistent governance to establish project goals and coordinate project teams will fuel growth. As these capabilities mature the enterprise will find it easier to aggregate performance metrics with financial targets.  Mastering the Key Success Factors through all phases of the program will drive increased maturity.  The ability to increase the problem solving and decision making capacity across an organization will enable the mastery of the competencies driving maturity. How an organization creates distributes and consumes data will provide the tools for solving problems and making decisions.