Ce n’est qu’une expression car, dans la réalité, la différence de coût R&D peut dépasser 100 fois et il se pourrait même fort bien que ceux qui cherchent ne trouvent jamais.

La veille technologique est une clé pour devenir celui qui sait.

Elle peut faire découvrir quel projet lancer (manuel p7)

Elle est essentielle pour :

1. Un temps de réponse rapide
2. Un coût R&D bas et bien sous contrôle
3. Minimiser les risques (éviter la R&D quand il est possible de reproduire)
4. Des progrès plus rapides de l’entreprise (concentrer ses forces pour avancer, pas pour ré-inventer)

Je recommande 4 chapitres :

1. Général : tout ce qui concerne le domaine (ex : machines-outils, industrie agro-alimentaire), même si indirecte (ex : système de commande, méthodes de management)
2. Sous-section de domaine (ex : tours, procédés laitiers)
3. Dossiers R&D des projets précédents
4. Dossiers de test, qu’ils soient individuels, des POC (Proof Of Concept), des sous-protos, des protos ou des systèmes terminés-vendus

Procédure

1. Toutes les personnes potentiellement impliquées observent et rapportent (avec nom et date)
2. La structure des 4 chapitres est à mettre en place. Si existant, le faire dans le cadre du système de management intégré (SMI). Les structures R&D et dossiers de test doivent satisfaire à la fois les besoins immédiats et de veille
3. Enregistrer des infos durables. Ne pas enregistrer un lien internet qui pourrait devenir inactif
4. Préférer des copies à des notes moins objectives
5. Noter soigneusement la source car, le moment venu, on s’aperçoit de détails manquants
6. Les idées venant en dehors des projets doivent être sketchées, décrites et archivées

1 who knows is worth 10 who search !       Technical survey

It is just a sentence. In reality, the corresponding R&D cost difference can overcome 100 times and research people might even never find.

The technical survey is the key to become the 1 who knows.

It can contain the cause of launching a project (manual p 7)

It is essential for:

1. a quick response time
2. a low and better controlled R&D cost
3. risk minimising (avoid R&D when reproducing is possible)
4. a stronger progress of your organisation (concentrate your forces for going ahead, not for re-inventing)

I recommand 4 chapters:

1. General: all about what concerns the domain (ex: machine tools, food industry), even if indirect (ex: control systems, management methods)
2. Sub-section of domain (ex: turning machines, milk processes)
3. R&D files of previous projects
4. Test files whatever individual, POC (Proof Of Concept), sub-protos, protos or effective systems

Ways to proceed:

1. All potentially implied persons to be aware, observe and report (with name and date)
2. Structuring of all 4 chapters to be defined and reported in the Q system (if applicable). “R&D” and “test files” structures should satisfy both “immediate” and “technical survey” purposes.
3. Time lasting records to be assured. Do not record an internet link which might become inactive
4. Prefer copies to personal “non-objective” notes
5. The source to be noted down carefully
6. Ideas coming off projects to be sketched, described and filed

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Pourquoi des projets AGILE pour l’industrie ?

La multitude des disciplines et leur rapide évolution font que les personnes impliquées et les clients changent fréquemment leur  position. Ceci, associé avec un contexte toujours plus normalisé rend impossible la rédaction d’un cahier des charges initial fixe que l’on va suivre jusqu’au bout.

De nouveaux éléments vont apparaître en cours de développement, impliquant de nouvelles spécialités et de nouvelles personnes impliquées, amenant d’autres vues et demandant plus de flexibilité. Mais tout ceci est au bénéfice des clients et, finalement, de celui de l’entreprise.

Cependant il faut respecter les coûts, les délais de livraison et la qualité dans un contexte où les risques doivent être sous contrôle. Comment y parvenir quand le produit est à ce point indéterminé que le décomposer pour planifier le projet est impossible.

Facile !

Planifier selon les phases de projet au lieu de le faire selon la décomposition du produit et laisser les détails aux spécialistes.

Quelles sont les phases universelles à considérer et comment en tirer profit ?

Ce n’est qu’une astuce parmi toutes celles fournies par « l’outil de gestion de projets », la méthode de projet AGILE applicable à l’industrie.

Le monde informatique sait comment être AGILE depuis de nombreuses années. Les règles de conversion sont disponibles dans ce manuel.

Découvrez en davantage soit en acquérant le fascicule, soit en me contactant directement.

Why AGILE projects for the industry?

The diversity of the specializations involved and their rapid evolution make the implied persons and the customers changing their mind frequently. This, associated with the ever more standardized context, make it no longer possible to establish a fix product specification at the beginning of a project and to keep it all along.

New trends will rise up while developing, involving new specializations and new implied persons, who will bring other views. So the need of project management flexibility is increased. But all this will be finally beneficial to the customers, so, ultimately, to the company.

However, one must respect the costs, the delivery times and the quality in a context where the risks need to be well managed.

How to make it when the product is that much unknown that to make a breakdown of it and to plan accordingly is impossible?

Easy!

Plan as to the project phases instead of the product breakdown and leave the details to the specialists.

What are the main universal project phases to be used and how to take advantage of them?

This is one among several tips given in the “project handling tool”, the AGILE project method for the industry.

IT knows how to be AGILE since many years. The conversion rules can be learned with the manual.

Discover more by either getting the booklet or contacting me directly.

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This “Project Handling Tool” refers to the 5 phases of the PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT:

1. exigencies and function descriptions
2. function solution selection
3. main sizing and architectural concepts
4. detailed overall concepts or drawings
5. detailed realisation documents or coding

When most other project methods refer to the 5 phases of the PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1. initiating
2. planning
3. executing
4. monitor and control
5. closing

Equivalences between both do not really exist since the appraoches are different. It is like comparing the traditional quality management with the Toyota’s one, or trying to make a word to word Arabian to English translation.

The product development is the center piece of “the Project Handling Tool” and all other topics are “built in”. So the match with the Toyota’s goals is achieved, as:

• make it right, right away
• permanent risk control
• tight cost follow up
• permanent tracks search in order to stick to the planning
• the closing, even, is conducted in parallel, for instance through documents like the Why/What lists, tests and sub-proto reports, manual and assembly instructions made in parallel, etc…
• etc…

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However, since over 30 years, the Taylor theories have been deeply revised on the basis of the “lean” concepts. The method explained in this Project Handling Tool has been specifically taylored to follow the new rules. For instance it explains how to put up “make it right right away” project developpement technics instead of the “make – check – adjust” one used so far, as well as how to practice “built in” risk management. These are just exemples of the drastic changes as compared to nearly all the other PMBoKs.

If developing equipment without making prototypes is important to you, it is a must.

It is a new approach from scratch and not an upgrade of the traditional way.

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Application engineering technics assembled together can make a very creative project. So, “creative project” and “creative engineering” are not linked together.

The CAD software category to be used, “direct” for creative engineering, or “parametric” for application engineering, has to be selected carefully.

However, “creativity” and “application” are sometimes hard to differentiate.

Exemple:

“Application” is to design the revised piston engine version for the next generation of a car model. Pistons, connecting rods, valves, cylinders, crankshaft, etc… will all be similarly there ! Mainly shape variations will be applied to these components. So an application software (or parametric software) would be a good choice.

“Creativity” is when the same parts need major changes, as replacing the alu pistons by ones made out of the new steel technology, or using cylinder sleeves instead of a bored block, or looking for a new engine arrangement, as F1 did between 2013 and 2014. Therefore a creative software (direct design) could bring some benefits. Some F1 teams went for “direct design” by that time.

“let’s draw the part which…” is the beginning of a sentance which means that you might need an application (parametric) software.

“let’s imagine a system which…” is frequently used when a direct design software could be better.

Some “parametric” developpers recently offer “direct design” modules. However, some of them keep many parametric concepts and, somehow, miss the target.

“direct design” is a more recent approach and some other developpers worked it out almost from a white sheet and offer real “direct” performances.

Price has little relation with these performances.

Creative engineers spend most of their time studying, calculating, discussing, questionning, meeting, reporting, testing, etc… so their CAD practice time is short. They need “bicycle” type of softwares (never fergotten once learned) and not “violin” type (need permanent training). Most “parametric” and some “direct” softwares are of “violin” type. Pay attention to the point.

An “application” history tree, from a parametric software, is mostly around the way a part is drawn.

A “creative” history tree is around the way a system is conceived.

So, using a parametric software, working with a “part history tree” for “creative” activity happens to be sometimes conflictual.

So far the “creative history trees” need to be handled manually by keeping “what-why” log sheets (perhaps the subject of an other post!)

Using for the first R&D phases a creative direct design software then an application parametric one could be a solution.

The company core engineering activity high performance is very much what a software should serve in first priority. However, treat the compatibility with other applications very carefully while selecting a product.

More on the subject ? later, with other posts.

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Moreover, this strategy has proven that it challenges negatively the project performance (= how well the project is driven) against the performance of the product of the project, since the project performance can be improved by rejecting some innovative solutions comprising risks, which could otherwise benefit the product.
Alternative methods to the “project manager” can be found by means of the tool described here.

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