Simple-PDH

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

certification

Principles of Integrated Product Development

Integrated Product Development (IPD) is a framework to help management and active project teams reach innovation goals. Originating in government systems, IPD is a management theory that promotes simultaneous integration of multi-disciplinary teams and concurrent engineering. By utilizing the life cycle concept of development and involving all team members early in the design phases, products are more customer-focused and achieve operability objectives with less rework and waste.

When new product development (NPD) processes are characterized in two dimensions – management philosophy and team structure – IPD is considered an integrated waterfall system. IPD processes, such as systems engineering, rely heavily on documentation and formal reviews. These gateways must be passed before a project can move to the next phase. Thus, IPD systems are typical examples of waterfall processes.

On the other hand, because IPD processes take advantage of cross-functional teams, they are characterized by integrated team structures. Team members from purchasing, maintenance, and other services participate in early design phases alongside the R&D, development, engineering, and marketing departments.

There are eleven principles supporting IPD.

#1 – Understand Customer Needs

As in any product or process development system that is successful, customer needs must be determined upfront. Most IPD processes, like systems engineering and project management, place emphasis on gathering complete customer requirements early in the development effort. Customer requirements include desired functionality and quality.

#2 – Plan and Manage the Product Development Effort

Planning any product development project should address overall, long-term strategic goals. IPD adds a focus to the specific business and innovation plans as well as longer range technology acquisition and development.

#3 – Use Integrated Teams

It should be apparent that in a rapid development environment that cross-functional teams better serve project efficiency. Manufacturing and maintenance participation during development of product specifications can smooth the transition to production and facilitate quality implementation. Empowered project teams will take ownership of the product goals, resulting in a more successful commercialization.

#4 – Integrated Process Design

As indicated, manufacturing, purchasing, and customer service personnel should be involved with product design. Excluding support disciplines when setting requirements and design specifications can reduce the product’s performance and result in costly delays. Worse yet, problems encountered post-launch are more difficult to resolve if the support staff is unfamiliar with the product. By integrating all disciplines in the design effort, product performance is optimized over its life cycle.

#5 – Manage Cost from the Beginning

An additional advantage of using integrated teams (principle #3) and integrated process design (principle #4) is that a product’s life cycle cost is more accurate. Target new product costs should be set early in the requirements phase and the project should be managed within this constraint. Early phase design changes are less expensive and effective planning can help to manage non-recurring development expenses.

#6 – Involve Stakeholders Early

Products are not commercialized without external project participants. IPD stresses that by involving vendors, suppliers, distributors, and other stakeholders early in the design process can reduce cost and development schedules. Understanding vendor limitations and capabilities enhances the team’s ability to predict cost and time-to-market.

#7 – Develop Robust Designs

One of the reasons an IPD system is successful in product development is that the process drives toward optimized and robust designs. Many tools are available for the teams, such as design of experiments, failure mode and effects analysis, and lessons learned reviews. Risk in product development is minimized by applying knowledge from past experiences and by tapping into the broad backgrounds of the cross-functional team members.

#8 – Integrated CAD/CAM Tools

Today much of product development and design can be done digitally. These tools, like computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM), should be utilized fully in cross-functional product development efforts. IPD systems emphasize modeling not only for the product but also for construction, manufacturing, engineering, and maintenance. Computer-aided design tools can streamline development processes.

#9 – Simulate the Product Performance and Manufacturing

Building on the use of computer-aided engineering tools (principle #8), IPD processes utilize simulation for quality control and performance validation. Checking for variations in digital mock-ups can save cost in construction and maintenance. Today, 3D printing models are relatively inexpensive to produce and can help to validate product and operational variables early in the design process as well as to garner customer feedback.

#10 – Create an Efficient Development Approach

One rule of project management teaches us that as the number of team members grows, the number of communication channels can nearly double. Efficient development teams should be limited to the required number of participants to make decisions. Policies, procedures, and paperwork ought to be minimized for the team to focus on the product development goals. Empowered teams (principle #3) can reach higher performance levels when unencumbered by bureaucracy.

#11 – Continuously Improve the Design Process

IPD systems encourage improvement by re-engineering the design process to eliminate activities that do not add value. Benchmarking other NPD processes and industry participants sets objective goals for life cycle development and time-to-market standards. Team members should be trained in innovation and these IPD principles to recognize waste and opportunities for improvement.

IPD Principles

The goal of IPD is to minimize later stage design changes, reduce project risks, and keep costs low. By incorporating these 11 principles into an IPD process, a company can realize the benefits of full life cycle design alongside the efficiency of multi-disciplinary teams.

To learn more about innovation processes, please check out self-study and other NPDP Workshops. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 281-280-8717. At Simple-PDH.com where we want to help you gain and maintain your professional certifications. You can study, learn, and earn – it’s simple!

 

Reading Recommendation

One of my favorite new books on innovation is The Power of Little Ideas by David C. Robertson and Kent Lineback. Another good book focusing on customer perspectives is Strategy from the Outside In by George Day and Christine Moorman. We also discuss application of strategy via disruptive innovation in NPDP Certification Prep: A 24-Hour Study Guide, and you can find additional references at https://globalnpsolutions.com/services/npd-resources/.

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC  

 

 

Project Management Contract Types

Project managers play an integral role in selecting third party vendors to perform work on projects.  It is no realistic, in most cases, to complete projects with only internal resources.  Additional skills can be accessed via outsourcing and often provide specialty services that are unavailable otherwise.

While procurement, purchasing, and legal departments normally take the lead in contract negotiations, project managers need to also take an active role in procuring third party materials and services.  After all, the project manager will be integrating the work of the vendor or supplier with all other aspects of the project.  This includes understanding the scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk of the third party work.

Contracts

Contracts are used in projects to outline the legal responsibilities of the seller and the buyer.  The seller may be also identified as the vendor, supplier, or third party.  The buyer may be identified also as the customer, client, or sponsor.

A contract is a legally binding agreement in which the seller agrees to provide labor, equipment, materials, or other services in exchange for some form of payment.  The buyer agrees to pay the seller for the work provided; usually, the payment is made in monetary terms (e.g. $10,000 or 10,000 €).  However, in some cases, exchange of valuable goods may be made in lieu of money.  For instance, the right to license a process or access to patent-protected technology may be considered a valuable exchange by the buyer and seller in a contract.

It is important to keep in mind that a contract is a legally binding agreement.  Normally, the terms and conditions will state the jurisdiction of law under which the contract will be executed.  This may be stated as “according to the laws of the State of Texas” or in discussing mediation if the parties later disagreed upon the service rendered or payment received.  Thus, third party agreements should not be treated casually.

The Basic Contracts

Project, product, and engineering managers should be familiar with the three most common types of contracts.  While there are variations on these types of contracts that add risk or may reduce cost, most project managers can participate in a technical negotiation with a clear understanding of these basics.

Fixed Price Contract

The firm fixed price contract is used when the buyer can explicitly describe the materials, equipment, or services to be acquired.  The buyer agrees to a specific price (“fixed”) and the seller agrees to provide the goods and/or services.

A fixed price contract is of little risk to the buyer because there is no room for variation in the price of the goods or service being procured.  Of course, project, product, and engineering managers will prefer this type of contract since it allows a firm budget estimate.  However, the project manager must be extremely clear in describing the full scope of work in the contract as the seller will be constrained to provide exactly what is stated in the contract.

In a fixed price contract, the seller is at a greater degree of risk than the buyer.  Many factors can impact the completion of the work as specified that may add cost to the project work.  For instance, an unexpected period of high inflation or a labor shortage that drives up wages can impact the cost of the work that the seller provides.  Furthermore, if the seller underestimates the scope of work, they are still legally obligated to provide the agreed-upon work product, even at a financial loss.

Both the buyer and seller will be particularly attentive to changes in a fixed price contract.  The seller will view the contract as a minimum standard.  Anything that the buyer requests that is not explicitly called for in the contract may be considered a change.  Change orders are often expensive and can introduce schedule delays as well.  Again, it is important for the buyer to be familiar with the work and to provide a detailed scope statement to avoid eth potential of costly changes later.

Cost Reimbursable Contracts

Cost reimbursable contracts typically involve more risk for the buyer than the seller.  In this type of agreement, the seller is reimbursed for all actual costs as they are incurred.  Usually, the seller will invoice the customer on a regular basis, say weekly or monthly.

A buyer has more risk with a cost reimbursable contract than in a fixed price contract because the total cost of the work is not predetermined.  Sellers may incur more overhead costs using this type of contract since they will spend more time justifying expenses to the customer.  Buyers normally protect against financial risk by requiring specific documentation for costs incurred and/or by including a price cap within the contract terms and conditions.

A cost reimbursable contract is useful in situations where the end result in unknown.  This might be the case for a research study or if the scope of work is unclear.  For example, a home remodel project may involve uncertainties regarding the condition of subfloors, piping, and supports.  In other situations, the end product may be ill-defined due to the nature of the work, such as in new product development where customer inputs will guide decisions throughout the project life cycle.

Evaluation of fixed price contracts is easy.  Normally, a buyer will choose the lowest bid.  Cost reimbursable contracts must be evaluated based upon estimated total costs as well as other factors.  These can include approach to the work, experience, past performance on similar projects, and/or technical and management capability.  A vendor-customer relationship built on trust will enhance the execution of a cost reimbursable contract.

Time and Materials Contract

Finally, a time and materials contract is a hybrid between a fixed price and cost reimbursable contract.  Materials, equipment, and supplies are provided at a fixed (known) price while labor is reimbursed as necessary to complete the project work.  An example of a project in which a time and materials contract might be used is in venture software installation.  The cost of the software licenses is fixed (e.g. $300 per user) but operating system upgrades, testing, and data transfers are variable.  Like a cost reimbursable contract, buyers often include a price cap for a time and materials contract.

Procurement Contracts

Project managers should be involved when contracts are negotiated for third party work.  Technical specification and requirements are the responsibility of the project manager during negotiations.  Moreover, the project manager has a vested interest in the delivery schedule and cost of outsourced project work because it must be integrated with all other project activities.  Third parties also introduce special concerns regarding risk, quality, and communication – areas which are key responsibilities for a product, project, or engineering manager.

Project procurement is one of ten (10) knowledge areas covered on the Project Management Professional (PMP™) exam.  If you are planning on becoming certified, you will want to consider a PMP review course and/or practice tests.  Candidates who prepare with a PMP training course are more likely to pass the exam on the first try.  Join us for online study sessions – contact me at [email protected] or 281-280-8717 for more information on our next available study session.

Contract management is a key responsibility for product, project, and engineering managers.  Be on the lookout for a special PDH course on contract management where you can refresh your skills, learn new tools, and earn professional development hours (PDH).  At Simple-PDH.com where we want to help you gain and maintain your professional certifications.  You can study, learn, and earn – it’s simple!

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC

Sustainability in New Product Development

Sometimes words and phrases have more than one meaning.  We think of “sustaining the business” as an ability to retain customers and make money over the long-term.  “Sustainable forests” are those in which trees are replanted when their counterparts are harvested so we can have lumber for our homes and furniture.  Yet, “sustainable innovation” means designing and developing new products that follow practices that respect both economic and environmental-friendly processes in their sourcing, use, and return (disposal).  Thus, sustainability plays a significant role in life cycle management for new product development (NPD).

The Product Life Cycle (PLC)

A product life cycle (PLC) is defined as the normal sequence of steps through which most products progress.  (You can learn more about the PLC in the professional development course on Disruptive Innovation.  The topic of PLC is covered for both NPDP and PEM candidates.)  In the Introduction phase, a product is initially commercialized.  A company will work to create brand awareness and may not make a profit in this stage.  The market is small and costs are high for manufacturing and in recovering development expenses.

The next stage is the Growth phase.  At this point in time, sales accelerate and firms begin to realize profits.  Costs begin to decline as manufacturing takes advantage of economies of scale.  More customers are aware of the product and sales volumes increase.

As products become more attractive in a market, competitors will begin to sell products with similar functionality.  This is called the Maturity phase of the PLC.  Sales peak during this stage and companies need to differentiate their products with added features and complementing services in order to maintain market share.

Finally, as trends and customers’ habits change, products enter the Decline stage.  During this phase, sales and profits tumble.  Companies must make tough decisions to either withdraw from the market or must make a significant commitment to revamp the product.  In the latter case, the revised product will re-enter the PLC at the Introduction phase.

Elements of Sustainability

Focusing on sustainability is really just another application of customer-centric marketing.  Sustainable innovation strives to meet the needs of one generation of customers without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Working on sustainable new product development takes into account three key elements called the Triple Bottom Line:

  • Profit,
  • People, and
  • Planet.

These elements both drive and support a business strategy’s financial goals (profit), social objectives (people), and environmental commitments (planet).  Metrics of sustainable innovation are built on financial, social, and environmental goals.

Note that sustainability issues are encountered throughout the product development and marketing processes.  Customers are interested in preserving the environment and so firms should address the Triple Bottom Line in raw material selection, for example.  Consumers are also more aware than ever of disparities in labor markets around the world, so companies can address social concerns through design and manufacture of products with appropriate attention to the people element of the Triple Bottom Line.  Finally, without financial motives, companies cannot support social or environmental causes, so new products must drive financial and profitability goals, too.  A well-conceived and unique business model allows a firm to differentiate itself from competitors and focus on the Triple Bottom Line in unique ways.

Sustainability and the PLC

Management makes a series of decisions throughout the product life cycle regarding the product, price, distribution (place), and promotions (e.g. advertising, marketing, and direct selling).  Not surprisingly, these decisions today must also look at the customer’s perception of the firm’s impact on the Triple Bottom Line.  For instance, as consumers demand more eco-friendly products, NPD practitioners and marketers will undertake decisions regarding recyclable packaging for the product.  Promotions in the Introductory phase can target customers with higher environmental values by emphasizing the reduced impact by using packaging that can be easily recycled.  Such marketing can help to build a favorable brand awareness and support the firm’s strategic commitment to the environment.

During the Growth and Maturity phases, manufacturing is often expanded –especially in international arenas to take advantage of lower cost labor and varying regulatory environments.  A firm committed to the Triple Bottom Line and sustainable innovation will maintain the highest standards for fair pay and pollution control regardless of the countries in which it operates.  The company gains a competitive advantage by reducing fuel consumption in distributing the product in global markets by establishing factories around the world.  Again, the company’s strategy, supported by its actions, will build brand preference and differentiation with customers focused on social and environmental concerns.

Finally, minimizing disposal impacts leads to sustainable innovation decisions in the design and development of a new product.  We all know the mantra of reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Companies committed to a product life cycle with these principles can outlive the Decline stage by breathing new life into old or retired products.  Reduce, reuse, and recycle also drive early development decisions regarding materials selection, manufacturability, and product usage.

Going Forward:  Sustainability in NPD

As consumers become more conscientious of their purchase decisions and the impact they have on profit, people, and the planet, NPD practitioners and engineering managers need to focus more on sustainable innovation.  Products have a given life cycle and a sustainable innovation strategy will encompass design decisions into the product development process to ensure the mission and vision are appropriately executed.  Life cycle assessments will look at a product from perspectives of raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life disposal.  Companies that meet customer expectations that satisfy financial, social, and environmental needs will succeed with NPD and innovation near the long-term.

Note that life cycle management, including sustainability, is now a part of the New Product Development Professional (NPDP) certification exam (starting May 2017).  To learn more, please check out our NPDP workshops.  We know that time is really the fourth critical element in managing products, so we want to make it simple for you to study, learn, and earn your professional certifications.  For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or 281-280-8717.

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC

Work-Life Balance

Depending from which generation you hail, your definition of “work-life balance” probably is quite different than your co-workers of another age.  Baby boomers stereotypically report to the office daily and value work above many other pursuits.  Gen X-ers (myself included) put as much energy into our time off work as we put into work.  Finally, Millennials are struggling to find out where the line is that seems to blur work and social life.

Regardless of your age and approach to work-life balance, it is true that all of us spend more time than ever connected to technology.  You know, that annoying habit of pulling out your smartphone to check a fact in the middle of a conversation.  Or asking Siri to identify the artist playing the background music at the coffee shop while you meet with an old friend.  And, of course, constantly checking email to see if the project work was done correctly while you were out of the office.  We certainly do rely on technology!

Technology for Learning

A second aspect of work-life balance is that we often stay connected in our off-hours so that we can get ahead.  While it is probably fruitless to imagine digging out from under the gigantic heap of bits and bytes that make up our cluttered inboxes, we can use technology to better manage our work tasks.  The calendar function is a great way to parse the day and schedule important activities.  In addition to project team meetings, you can use your calendar to block time for in-depth, quiet, strategic thinking and for personal growth.  My calendar is blocked Thursday starting a 3 pm for a networking event which will cover both items (quiet time for thinking during the drive to and from the event location, and personal growth by meeting new people at the event).

We also can use technology for learning.  Block time on a regular basis for building skills that will advance your career.  The amount and frequency of learning events will be a function of your educations and knowledge-building goals, but the time commitment needs to be regular and long enough to complete a new activity in each session.  Five minutes normally won’t cut it!  For new product development professional (NPDP) training, we recommend one hour per day for six weeks, with one day off each week.  Committing to learning new skills for a professional credential will reap huge rewards for personal and career growth.

Learning for Work-Life Balance

Learning a new skill can help us better balance work goals and find joy in our personal lives.  Career-oriented objectives often are only met through demonstrated commitment to our chosen profession.  Without a doubt, professional certification is rapidly growing and demanded by employers to show that you are absolutely dedicated and knowledgeable in the field.  Many job openings today require certification, such as Project Management Professional (PMP), to even apply for open positions.

Unless you let your certification lag (and we hope you don’t!), professional certification is yours.  You are equipped with the demonstrated education, knowledge, and experience regardless of your current job.  Professional credentials are portable and show your commitment to learning in the industry.  Most valuable certification require continuing education and your professional development hours (PDH) expand your skills to include emerging topics of interest and new best practices.  Learning is truly a lifelong endeavor.

As you learn and master new skills, you will find that it enhanced the work-life balance.  Your passion for your chosen career cannot help but spill into your personal life as you grow.  Leadership and team management skills are not limited to on-the-job implementation.  You can use leadership skills as Boy Scout Troop Leader, to organize a community garage sale, or to head a medical mission in Africa.  We all need continued improvement in our team skills to better manage new product development projects, engineering teams, or even sensitive family decisions.  Learning for career growth does not stop at the office door.

Using Time Wisely

While many of us check our work email as often as we check Twitter or Facebook, it is important to unplug.  Studies (CEP, March 2017) shows that the best workers actually take their annual vacation time, get enough sleep every night, and exercise regularly.  I tend to combine these pieces of advice and go hiking on vacation which leads to very restful sleep.

But, of course, we are not always on vacation.  In fact, most of the time we’re not.  Most of the time, we are striving to get better at what we do.  So, using the calendar function discussed above, along with the benefits of continuous learning, schedule time to gain or maintain your professional credentials.

For those that are already New Product Development Professional (NPDP), PMP©, or Professional Engineering Manager (PEM) certificates, you will need to commit at least two hours per month to on-going learning.  Some of that will occur during network meetings designed to bring together like-minded professionals.  However, re-certification for many candidates requires 60 PDHs every three (3) years.  You can supplement network meetings with easy-to-use online learning.

The advantage of online learning is that you can block one hour in your schedule every month for quiet time.  You can use downtime at the office, during your commute, or time at home.  Because online learning is easy to access on any platform, you can choose when and where to learn.  If you are seeking a new credential to advance your career, you will probably balance your home life against attaining new skills.  If your current employer actively supports educational initiatives, you can block one hour per day for six weeks to gain the necessary knowledge to back-up your work experience.  Online learning gives you flexibility to manage your own time against your own work, family, and leisure commitments.

Check out any of our online courses at Simple-PDH.com.  We know that work-life balance is important so we want to make it simple for you to study, learn, and earn your professional certifications.  For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or 281-280-8717.

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC

What Makes a Great Team?

We do not operate in a vacuum.  None of us exists solely for ourselves or for our own benefit.  All of us co-exist I relationships at home, at work, and in our leisure time.  Ata work, especially, we find ourselves in complex relationships that cross demographic, organizational, and experience ranges.  We work in and on teams to accomplish product and project work, advancing technology to benefit customers and markets.

Yet, some working teams are more successful than others.  It may be the composition of the team members or it may be the challenge of the problem that the team is solving.  Moreover, successful teams are often directed and managed by servant leaders.

Let’s take a look at each of these elements in turn to better understand what makes a successful project or engineering team.

Team Composition

Just as we do not, and cannot, operate solo to accomplish objectives, a great team is not homogeneous.  Creativity thrives when teams are made up of individuals with a variety of backgrounds.  These team members introduce different perspectives to the team and can broaden the team’s overall viewpoint in order to come to a better outcome.

In his book, “Smarter, Faster, Better,” Charles Duhigg relays a story of a Yale MBA student named Julia.  Julia was excited to be a part of Yale’s elite study groups.  Yet, she never really bonded with the other team members and instead felt like they were at odds – competing against one another.  Alternatively, Julie found herself serving as a very productive team on another team working on a business case competition.

The difference in team structure, Duhigg explains, is what makes a successful team.  Julia’s study group was mainly homogenous.  Team members had similar educational and work backgrounds.  However, her case competition team had a wide diversity in age, experience, and career pathways.  The latter team accepted open dialogue and encouraged idea generation.  Thus, the team’s composition allowed them to be successful.

Challenging Problems

Teams are most successful when dealing with “stretch goals” that drive extended performance but are not intractable problems.  If the problem is too simple, there is no reason to convene a cross-functional troubleshooting team.  And if the problem is impossible, then there is little chance an ordinary team can find a unique and lasting solution.

Interestingly, most of us recognize the depth and challenge of a problem right away.  You see the signs of a “too simple” problems as the team members check out and engage with their electronic devises instead of the project.  There is little conversation and one person gets saddled with creating the entire solution.

In the case of an intractable problem, tempers may flare as individuals imprint their personal ideology and philosophy on a solution that would not completely resolve the problem.  Perhaps, sub-dividing a “too large” problem can help direct teams to better solutions.

Effective teams are challenged by problems for which they share basic knowledge and in which they each bring a piece of the puzzle to solve.  As with team composition, the challenge for a team must be cross-functional requiring give and take among team members.  Also, team members must be free to collaborate in order to create a solution larger than themselves.

For example, introducing a different-sized package of cookies may be a problem that is too small for a typical new product development (NPD) team.  Creating a perfect snack that is fat-free and sugar-free but as tasty and pleasing as a chocolate chip cookie may be a problem that is too large for the same team.  Yet, introducing a flavor variant (strawberry newtons in addition to fig newtons) may be just the right-sized challenge for a team.

Successful teams need to be able to measure their own progress as well as recognize that they are each individually valued.  This starts with the right composition of team members with diverse skills and experiences.  Then, challenging the team with an appropriately difficult problem to solve allows the team to prosper.

Servant Leadership

We have all been there.  We were called to be a part of a team but the leader makes all the decisions and simply hands out work assignments without discussion.  The work gets done (grudgingly) and is delivered at a minimum level of quality.  No one wants to work with “that person” again.

The best leaders are servant leaders.  They ask what they can do to help the team.  They work to remove roadblocks and obstacles.  They get their hands dirty and they pitch in to help achieve the team goals.  Servant leaders respect each team member for his or her diverse skills, background, and experiences.  Effective leaders help team members select work that is within their expertise but will also challenge them to grow both professionally and personally.  Servant leaders think first and foremost of the customer, the team members, and the problem before promoting their own agenda.  Productive leaders are selfless, practice humor, and delegate work to build everyone’s strengths.

Leadership characteristics of a servant leader may be inherent within some individual’s personalities.  Yet, leadership can be taught and people’s basic skills can grow to make them more effective leaders.  Famously, focusing on one’s emotional intelligence (EQ) is one way in which to strengthen a servant leader’s capabilities and empathetic responses.

Great Teams

Great teams do no deliver great results by happenchance.  Instead, superb teams are carefully designed and structured to encompass diverse experiences and backgrounds.  This variety of experiences leads to greater creativity and ability to address challenging problems.

Moreover, teams should be challenged with appropriate problems to solve.  Problems that are “too small” discount the skills and abilities of team members.  Problems that are “too big” are overwhelming and can paralyze a team from making even small steps toward a solution.  Cross-functional teams should be convened to address business challenges that require diversity of thought and experience, and will appropriately drive focus and collaboration among team members.

Finally, teams will be most productive when led by a selfless, self-deprecating leader.  Servant leaders help the team accomplish its goals by removing obstacles and by reinforcing individual strengths.  Leadership skills can be taught and will enhance an individual’s basic skills and abilities to execute projects.

One way to grow your teams and leaders is through professional certification.  If you have questions about existing or upcoming certification or PDH courses with emphasis on project, product, or engineering management, please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at 281-280-8717.

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC

Marketing and Quality

Welcome (Back) to Simple-PDH

Welcome back to Simple-PDH.  We are celebrating our one year anniversary and a recent upgrade to our web page.  It’s behind the scenes stuff, but you can now access course materials faster than ever.  Our mission is simple – we want to help you gain and maintain your professional credentials in product development, project management, quality and marketing.  Feel free to share your feedback at any time by contacting us by email.

Marketing and Quality

What do marketing and quality have in common?  Among many things – the customer!  Marketing focuses on identifying the customer needs while quality focuses on meeting those needs to the full and complete satisfaction of the customer.

Marketing View of Customers

Marketing often takes a very data-driven view of the customer.  Marketing research will include studies of customer behaviors and attitudes.  Often this information is used to improve product placement but it is also utilized to generate new ideas for product development.  In fact, new products and services cannot be successful without customer feedback.

Customer feedback comes to the marketing professional in a number of ways.  First, financial data provides insight into perceived value of products and services.  For example, market share informs a firm of the percent of sales it makes relative to its competitors.  New products strive to impact a market share metric to validate that features in the product design meet customer needs.

Other marketing research methods are used to understand customers’ evolving needs as well as trends in social, economic, and political environments.  Tendencies in fashion or technology drive product and service development so that customers will continue to seek out and purchase desired products.  Trend analysis often leads to new product designs and helps project teams understand important attributes for the new product.

Customers and Quality

Customers also serve as the number one focal points in any sustainable quality program.  Companies are generally in business to make money and those revenues are achieved via sales to customers.  Consumers will not accept a low quality product as a solution.  Thus, quality improvements must first identify drivers of customer satisfaction.

Interestingly, many quality tools mirror or overlap those in marketing research.  For example, focus groups and nsurveys are both used to gauge customer satisfaction.  Results of these studies influence marketing campaigns and improved production.  Focus groups utilize collaborative discussions among a group of potential or existing customers.  The in-depth conversation may reveal new customer needs (marketing) as well as reliability concerns (quality).

Moreover, sustainable quality program, such as total quality management (TQM) and Six Sigma, recognize the value of the internal customer.  An internal customer is another party within your firm that receives your work product.  A poorly prepared packing slip is transferred to the accounting department (internal customer) who prepares the invoice.  A wrong invoice eventually triggers a complaint from the ultimate customer (external).  Thus, quality involves a full focus on customers throughout design, production, supply chain, marketing, and sales.

Marketing and Quality for the Customer

Companies need to always focus on the customer first and foremost.  Firms that fail to do so will lose business and flounder against the competition.  Satisfied customers will return to make additional purchases and will share stories of a positive experience with their friends, families, and social networks.  Online social sharing is especially valuable today as many new customers check product and service reviews prior to making a purchase.

Marketing and quality management share many tools and methods to gather data, such as financial analysis and customer interactions in focus groups.  When these functions collectively support identifying customer needs and delivering solutions that satisfy the customer, a business can beat the competition soundly.  Yet, it is an ongoing battle as customer needs continue to evolve over time and as technology and fashion trends drive new needs.

Finally, marketing and quality share one more trait.  We are happy to announce that we will be offering new courses in both marketing research and quality management in 2017.  These workshops are designed for you to learn how to implement a customer-centric view into all of your organization’s activation from development to production to marketing and quality improvement.  We also dedicate several modules of our New Product Development Professional (NPDP) courses to marketing and quality.

If you have questions about existing or upcoming certification or PDH courses, please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at 281-280-8717.

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

A division of Global NP Solutions, LLC

Components of Learning

learning_is_contentLearning is a lifelong activity.  An article in the newspaper relays information from recent studies documenting links between physical exercise, learning, and mental health in the elderly.  Lifelong learning bridges our knowledge and experience from the vast array of times and events in our lives.  Learning prepares us for the next step in our careers and in our lives.

For learning to be effective, it must contain and deliver three aspects:  content, access, and technology.  Professionals who gain certifications and credentials master these three perspectives of learning.  To maintain a professional certification, learning again engages through these three arenas so the candidate can earn PDHs or CEUs (professional development hours or continuing education units).

Content

You’ve probably heard that the volume of information and data doubles at an astounding rate – faster than ever in the history of mankind.  In just two years, they say, the amount of information ever created doubled from the beginning of time.  Consequently, for a busy professional, knowing where to find information, that is meaningful knowledge, can be a challenge.  Studies also show that knowledge retention decline precipitously if the information is not delivered when and how it is needed.

Today, anyone learning a new skill or refreshing basic competencies expects compelling content.  That content should be delivered so learners engage as many of their senses as possible.  This includes seeing (reading, viewing video), hearing (podcasts), and touching (writing, sketching).  As more senses are involved in the learning activity, the retention will increase.

All of our online courses at Simple-PDH.com include lessons to engage these different learning styles, such as reading, watching videos, listening to podcasts, and taking quizzes.  Online learning can be supplemented by face-to-face workshops where professional have opportunities to practice their skills in a non-threatening environment.  Often, busy professionals cannot find time during a typical workday to test new management theories.  An offsite training course provides the chance to apply knowledge in a risk-free environment with other like-minded individuals.

Access

Online learning has huge benefits for students and professionals.  Content is available 24/7 and is accessible in whatever format a candidate needs.  Learners can switch from a laptop to a cell phone and then to a tablet to complete an online learning module.  Having lessons available on digital devices, like smartphones, offers a quick reference in the field as well; thus supporting learning when and where knowledge is needed.

Maintaining professional certification is simple when the information is broken into small chunks.  A lot of people are too busy to book two hours per period for continuing education.  But, these same people can fill 10 minutes of waiting time with learning.  Online PDH courses break the content into small tasks on lessons, typically less than three (3) minutes each.

For candidates that require a deep dive into a new topic, labs and workshops offer access to knowledge and learning-engageexperiences shared in a classroom setting.  Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, known as “social learning,” is an effective way to increase knowledge retention.  We remember the stories we hear and share in the classroom.

Technology

Finally, learning has been irrevocably changed by technology.  Just 20 years ago, when I was in college, the professor wrote on a chalkboard and students took laborious notes in spiral binders.  Advanced technology at the time included overhead projectors.

Today, technology assists learning in many ways.  As indicated above, online learning delivers content to a candidate on his/her mobile device, transferring seamlessly between computer and classroom.  Technology allows us to access the different learning modalities – seeing, hearing, and touch – in order to improve knowledge retention.

Yet, technology can be a hindrance to learning.  We are easily distracted by ads and instant messaging while viewing internet content of any kind.  Our attention spans have shrunk as we expect to be entertained and we quickly make that decision within a couple of seconds of loading a new web page.  Consequently, technology can assist learning but it is not learning in and of itself.

Learning Components

If you want to learn a new capability or refresh an existing skill, you must consider three components to increase your knowledge.  First, the content must engage as many senses as possible.  Many subject matter experts possess great knowledge and experience in their trade but cannot adequately translate that information.  Candidates for professional certification should look for courses (online or face-to-face) that provide opportunities to see, hear, and interact with learning materials.  Particularly important to earning and maintaining professional credentials is an opportunity to practice the new skills.

Next, knowledge must be accessible.  At Simple-PDH, our online course materials are available on your laptop or mobile device.  Our classroom workshops provide reference material to check when you are back in the office facing a new situation.  And, we are available to answer questions and share our experiences from the School of Hard Knocks.

Finally, technology can enhance the learning experience but it is not a substitute for well-built lessons.  Our knowledge base is supplemented by carefully selected videos and podcasts to encourage multi-modal learner engagement.  While our online courses rely on technology as a primary means of delivering information, our labs and workshops still ask you to use pen and paper, role-playing, and active discussion among other simple exercises to cement new concepts into your behaviors as a manager.

Lifelong learning is an adventure.  We need to continue to learn to preserve our mental health as we age and to be successful on the job right now.  Learning new skills presents challenges to advance our careers and professional performance.  At Simple-PDH, learning is convenient and affordable.  It’s simple to study, learn, and earn!

information on project management certification.  At Simple-PDH.com, we want to make it convenient and affordable for you to study, learn, and earn your professional certification.

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

by Global NP Solutions, LLC

Individual Learning vs. Team Development

individual-learningContinuous learning is crucial for any person’s long-term success.  In today’s rapidly changing world, we must learn new technologies and new ways of doing business just to survive.  To thrive in a diverse economy, we also must learn how to develop relationships and master new skills.

Today’s world is not only changing at an ever-increasing pace but it also requires that we work intimately with others to achieve our goals.  Teams of workers create products, services, and results that cannot be accomplished by individuals working alone.  And like all people, teams must engage in continuous learning in order to maintain high levels of performance.

Both individuals and teams must continuously learn new skills and develop critical knowledge.  Individual talents can also help a team to grow while team growth in turn drives individual performance improvements.

Individual Learning

Individuals learn in a number of ways.  For example, we learn a lot of skills on the job.  By performing a specific task, we learn how to do the task correctly.  As we continue to do the task over and over again, we learn how to perform the task more effectively and more efficiently.  Learning on-the-job improves our skills to perform specific tasks and activities.

Individuals also learn through organized skills and knowledge development activities – conventionally known as “training”.  Education delivers a broad set of theories and practices, tested over history, to an individual seeking to learn.  Formal education, such as a college degree, includes cross-functional knowledge that an individual must integrate to gain a new perspective.

For instance, as an engineering major, I didn’t understand the value of classes like psychology or music history.  Years later, serving as an engineering manager, theories from psychology helped me succeed in building cohesive teams.  Finding common topics to discuss with customers and clients, such as the influence of Gregorian chant on the music of the 1800s, allows a person to build camaraderie and trust.

Individuals also can improve their skill sets through targeted learning.  Training in one’s field of study develops knowledge that amplifies on-the-job learning.  In particular, professional certifications offer targeted learning delivered at the right time in an individual’s career.  Professional certifications normally involve demonstration of experience, mastery of best practices within the field, and continuing education to maintain the credential.

Finally, individuals learn from others.  Interactions with team members include sharing of best practices and tools of the trade.  Such informal learning supplements formal educations and professional training.

Team Development

Teams must also learn together in order to accomplish their goals and objectives.  As individuals gain skills, these are shared with the team through informal interactions and implementation of best practices.  As a single person demonstrates an improved process, the rest of the team learns how to approach the task more effectively.

Psychology, specifically the work of Bruce Tuckman, teaches us that teams naturally progress through known stages of development as they learn to work together and gain knowledge to improve task completion.  These stages are:

  1. Forming,
  2. Storming,
  3. Norming, and
  4. Performing.

When the team’s work is finished, the team disbands during a final stage called “adjourning.”

As the team comes together (forming), individuals bring specific skills to the group.  The team begins to identify necessary tasks, skills, and knowledge during the storming stage and then designs work practices, policies, and procedures through the norming stage.  With a high level of interpersonal trust and knowledge sharing, teams reach the level of performing that supports sharing and learning.

In addition to informal learning that occurs among team members as the team develops, many groups also benefit team-learningfrom formal training.  For instance, individuals benefit personally and professionally by earning credentials in project management, new product development, and engineering management.  Moreover, an entire team that goes through the training together realizes even greater benefits.

When an established team takes professional certification training together (whether online or in person), knowledge and skills are developed to address professional growth as well as specific, real-world problems.  A team that enrolls together in Scrum Training will learn the practice of Agile project management as well as individual skills.  Even more so, the team will collectively gain formal knowledge to deploy best practices in their own specific situation while at the same time learning to interact and share as a group.  For this reason, at Simple-PDH.com, we offer special discounts for multiple attendees from the same company.  We believe in the most effective training to develop teams quickly.

Learning as an Individual and as a Team

Individuals and teams cannot stop learning new information or new skills.  Their very survival depends on continuous learning. Informal learning, such as on-the-job and shared experiences, can help to improve specific task performance.  Formal education, like a college degree, provides board-based knowledge that individuals can apply at different times and at different depths to improve their own performance in a given situation.

Team development also centers on learning but in learning new skills and knowledge to solve immediate problems together.  Learning as a team can be informal via shared experiences but knowledge retention is more powerful when the team participates together in targeted professional learning events.  Join us as a team for Project Management Professional (PMP®), New Product Development Professional (NPDP), or Scrum Training.  You will study, learn, and earn.  It’s simple!

In the meantime, practice using early detection of problem areas in projects.  EVM is one tool and frequent communication with team members is another.  Good luck!

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

by Global NP Solutions, LLC

The Value of Learning

While most organizations agree that learning is important for employees, they also struggle to measure the learning-gradeffectiveness of learning programs.  Does a training class better prepare the worker to do his or her job?  Is productivity or quality enhanced when learning modules are completed?  Does the performance of the organization change as a result of training?

Intuitively, the answer is “yes,” yet senior management often requires hard numbers to justify continued or increased investment in learning programs.  One way to validate enhanced performance is to treat knowledge gain as a project.

Project Phases

Projects go through five phases in a traditional framework.  These are:

  • Initiation,
  • Planning,
  • Execution,
  • Monitoring and Controlling, and
  • Closing.

In the initiation phase, a business case is developed for a project and key stakeholders are identified.  For most projects, the planning phase is quite extensive and may last one-third to one-half of the total project lifetime.

Planning includes clearly and succinctly identifying the project scope of work, boundaries and constraints, schedules, costs, risks, and required resources.  Clarity of the quality of project elements is also designed during the planning phase as well as training of team members to accomplish the project work.

Implementation of project plans and execution of the project accounts for about another half of the total project life cycle.  Execution of every project is different, of course; however, many projects encounter unknown circumstances during implementation.  The project manager and key stakeholders must adopt flexible and creative solutions to problems faced during execution in order to deliver project results successfully.  This is a key feature of the risk management plan which is used to evaluate, analyze, and prioritize unexpected trouble spots in a project.

At the same time that a project is being implemented, the scope of work is evaluated for performance as compared to the plan (monitoring and controlling).  The project sponsor and key stakeholders will be monitoring the project status and progress while the project manager will control the performance of project activities.  For instance, if the schedule is falling behind the plan, a project manager can add staff or re-prioritize tasks to speed up the work.

Finally, a project retrospective is conducted during closing.  Here the project team addresses what went right, what went wrong, and what could be improved next time.

Learning as a Project

Treating learning activities as a project can formalize skill development and improve the measurement effectiveness of knowledge building.  Just as we put forth a business case to justify installation of new equipment, learning must have a clear purpose and expected benefits.  These benefits should be documented as part of the learning project’s initiation phase and should be measurable.

projectmanagement-puzzleAs with any project, planning for the learning activity should be detailed and encompass scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk.  Plans should be specific and include boundaries and constraints for the learning activity.  For example, mid-level managers will attend a communications training course in person but factory employees may receive the same training form a computer-based module.  Certifications in specialized fields should be considered as part of training and learning plans since they are unbiased and measurable demonstrations of successful knowledge and skill building.

Unlike installing a new piece of equipment, execution of learning projects is highly flexible and adaptable.  Changes to curricula can be implemented on the fly while feedback (monitoring and controlling) is often immediate.  Learning activities can be easily analyzed and evaluated during the project implementation to ensure the goals and objectives are met.

Finally, closing of the learning project must be more substantial than in a typical project.  Beyond asking what went right, what went wrong, and what can be improved next time, a learning project must include follow-ups in the field to verify the objectives of the learning event were accomplished (e.g. improved behaviors and performance).  The project manager should assess skills after the training and compare them to an assessment taken before the training.  Moreover, the specific goals dictated in the business case of the learning project should be clearly measurable in performance improvements.

Again, certification are an essential tool for measuring specific learning.  Certifications require objective testing and are validated by experts in the field.  For example, Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification is a rigorous validation of project management skills including education, experience, and knowledge.  The certification exam verifies that candidates demonstrate understanding and practice in the ten knowledge areas and receive a passing score on a very challenging and comprehensive exam designed by experts in the field of project management.  To learn more about PMP certification, please join a free class by emailing “PMP” to [email protected]

The Value of Learning

Senior management will validate the financial return on learning and training as with any other business activity.  Treating learning as a project with clear business objectives, detailed plans, flexible implementation, performance monitoring, and validation at close-out can increase the confidence of senior management to support training activities.  Often, certifications and continuing education to sustain trade certification provides meaningful, industry-wide measurements of the value of learning.

All of the courses at www.Simple-PDH.com offer objective tests and certificates of completion to validate and measure the value of learning.  Check out our newest course, Cost Estimating, for example delivered to any device, any time.  We also offer group discounts for PMP Boot Camps and New Product Development Professional (NPDP) Certification (next class is 12 & 13 October).  We want to make it simple for you to study, learn, and earn!

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

by Global NP Solutions, LLC

Practice and Talent

olympic-medal120727As we’ve watched the joys of gold medal winners at this summer’s Olympic Games, we recognize their hard work and dedication to their sport.  These athletes practice and practice, putting in hours daily to achieve the highest rewards offered in swimming, gymnastics, and running.  Many of these young athletes are lucky enough to become household names for a few weeks or months.  Although, Ryan Lochte may regret sharing a special spot in the Olympic game of name recognition, competing alongside Tonya Harding as a great Olympic goof-up.

Even so, practice is the enduring and shared quality of athletes around the world. We may view their “talent” with great admiration from our armchairs in front of the television set (as I do Ryan Lochte’s speed and strength in swimming).  After all, the 100m track race is over before I can even lace up a single running shoe.  I’m still adjusting my goggles by the time the 100m freestyle winner has touched the wall.  But, as Geoff Colvin presents in his 2010 book, “Talent is Overrated,” practice is what really makes the difference.  He argues there is no such thing as in-born talent.

Is Talent In-Born?

Colvin presents significant evidence that counters our belief in natural talent.  Using examples of Tiger Woods and Jerry Rice, Colvin chronicles their hours of daily practice – practice in the basics of their skills to be an elite athlete and practice that is almost painful, certainly not fun.

Of course, most of us have heard of the “10,000 hour rule” and Colvin presents examples form chess, music and sports fields to demonstrate the validity of practice over talent.  Moreover, successful artists required years of non-success, and even failure, to reach the pinnacles of their careers.  The Beatles toiled for nearly 10 years before their first hit album. Even Mozart produced so-so composition for a decade before writing the scores we love and admire today.

These examples hint at dedication and hard work, just as we see with the Olympians.  But, how do we apply an argument of practice vs. talent to project management or any other business function?

Basic Skills Training

In “Talent is Overrated,” Colvin relays a story of Tiger Woods’ practice regime.  Tiger would drop a golf ball into a sand trap and then stomp it into the ground as deep as possible.  Then, he’d work to perfect hitting the ball out of the sand trap.  And, he’d repeat the exercise dozens and dozens of times.  When Tiger encountered the same situation in a real game, he was prepared to tackle the situation since he had practiced and perfected the basic skills required for a successful outcome.

Likewise, chess masters study the game board and moves in depth.  They read volumes of different strategies and practice the moves mentally many times before participating in a high-stakes chess match.  Again, the basic skills are practiced as much as the full game.

Of course, Olympic swimmers like Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky spend hours in the pool but also hours in the gym building strength and agility.  Simone Biles left public school and had a private tutor so she could practice jumps, leaps, and balance on her quest for Olympic gold.

Engineers and project managers must also practice our basic skills.  We must know the steps to initiate and plan a project.  We must know the fundamental skills to motivate a team to accomplish great feats.  We must practice communication and listening to understand the new product development needs of our customers.

However, our training is not so obvious as hours at the gym or running on the track.  Engineering and project managers often demonstrate basic knowledge skills through education and experience.  Instead of a gold medal worn around our necks, we proudly hang our framed credentials on our office walls – Project Management Professional (PMP®), Scrum Master (SCM™), New Product Development Professional (NPDP), and Professional Engineering Manager (PEM).

Certification Training

In business, engineering, and project management, our credentials demonstrate our dedication, diligent practice,guitar player and success.  It takes hard work to become a PMP, SCM, NPDP, or PEM.  All good Olympians have a strong coach guiding them in basic skills and training.  You, too, need a great coach to guide you in gaining your professional certification.  Simple-PDH offers convenient and affordable online courses in project management, new product development, and Scrum.  We also offer you an easy way to maintain your certifications after you’ve passed the exam.  It’s simple to study, learn, and earn.  Check it out with a 50% discount for our popular Disruptive Innovation course.  (Please email us at [email protected] for the discount code.)

Good luck in your quest for the gold standard!

 

Study. Learn. Earn. Simple.

© Simple-PDH.com

by Global NP Solutions, LLC