A quick peek into some research on ... Equipment Service Management from my own recent research. The Tech-Clarity Insight, Equipment Service Management: Maximizing Profit and Customer Value over the Equipment Lifecycle extends some of my research on product innovation, product development and engineering into the service realm. There are some very good insights in the paper provided by a couple of very strong industry companies, including rental company Aggreko and the world's largest Caterpillar dealer, Finning.

The Conclusions of the Research
The research discusses a number of challenges in the service industry, and the growing importance of service t...Read More

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What I learned this week ... is a continuation of a conversation from last week. It came from from a conversation with an industry company that was gaining some questionable advice from a sales person - at least that is how it appears without speaking to them directly.

Summarizing the Conversation
Last time, I discussed the scenario in which a software salesperson is selling a respected solution to solve a problem it was not intended to solve (and not a good fit, most importantly). I discussed the fact that it hurts all of us - including the reputable sales person. Today, I discuss what we can do about it as an industry.

What to Do?

• Sales People - You already know what you should be doing. Do it. Educate you

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What I learned this week ... came from from a conversation with an industry company that unfortunately I can't name because of the circumstances. It is just another reminder to me that manufacturers have to educate themselves on what problems they are trying to solve and which software solutions can address them before entertaining serious conversations with sales people.

The Scenario
To keep it simple (and generic to protect the innocent and the less-than-innocent) we'll keep it short.

• Industry company has a problem
• Software vendor has a solution designed to solve other problems (and solves them well)
• Software could solve the company's problem, but it was not designed for this problem 

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A quick peek into some research on ... the value of PLM that I presented in a Design News webcast on Online Global Collaboration that really helped me formalize a concept I have been discussing for the last several years. I blogged about this early on in this blog, but I never had a formal way to speak about it or represent it. Speaking of blogging, I guess I missed my first anniversary for my blog a couple of months ago! It is hard to believe it has been over a year that I have been yammering on about this stuff...  

Why is this Important?
To start with, why am ...Read More

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What I learned this week ... came from and article titled Innovate out of the Economic Downturn in BusinessWeek by Sami Mahroum. Mr. Mahroum is a Research Director of Britain's National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts and a Visiting Reader at the School of Management, Birkbeck College, University of London. What really struck me about the article is his views on "turning the crisis into an opportunity" through innovation. I have to wonder what precious few companies can take that strategic view given the tactical challenges facing them (budget cuts, possible layoffs, etc.). I think this is article is good reading for anyb...Read More

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I had the chance to talk with Rick Veauge, the Chief Technology Officer of IFS about their recent announcement that they are launching a CAD integration and PDM tool as a part of their integrated ERP suite. To be clear, they announced Product Data Management (PDM) and not Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and they believe there are different scenarios where their customer will choose one or the other. It was a good conversation, and I was impressed with the fact that they are not trying to recreate PLM, but instead feel they have a niche where they can serve their customers better than anyone else can.

What do they Offer?
Specifically, IFS is launching a PDM solution that helps compan...Read More

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A quick peek into some research on ... PLM Solutions for the CPG Industry from Aberdeen Group points out the fact that CPG is still focusing on the basics in PLM. While the automotive, electronics, and aerospace industries have taken a more aggressive stand on PLM, CPG companies have taken their time warming up to the solutions. While there are exceptions such as P&G and Unilever (see Unilever Driving Value in CPG with PLM post), the majority of CPG companies are just coming around to PLM and starting with the basics - centralizing product data. The one ar...Read More

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What I learned this week ... came from a discussion in the PLM Group on LinkedIn about part classification. If you can't get to the link, let me know as it might be limited to group members. This is a great topic, and one that almost every company faces in their PLM implementation (or in any systems implementation requiring parts).

The Question Asked
One of the group members asked about advice, templates, or samples for MCAD/ECAD classification trees. He is in the process of implementing one, and was looking for feedback. In specific, he asked if there were standard cla...Read More

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I had the chance to talk with ... Chris Forbes, CEO of Knovel last week about their business. I know that I mostly write about software vendors in my "one to one" every Friday, but I really felt that Knovel had something worthwhile for engineers, researchers, and product developers to hear about. There service may not be as sexy as some of the highly graphical, whiz-bang features coming from the PLM vendors these days - but to me it serves the same purpose - making engineers as efficient and effective as possible to improve productivity and improve time to market. 

What do they Do?
They don't sell software, but they do develop a lot to deliver the...Read More

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What I learned this week ... came from an article in Chief Marketer on Using Online Communities to Find Breakthrough Ideas that pointed out some real success in using open innovation principles to develop new cat food recipes. The article offers an example of using the Internet to develop new Del Monte Meow Mix varieties, and also shares some helpful tips on how to apply this to your own corner of the world. Thanks to Brad Kenney for bringing this to my attention in the MFG 2.0 forum in Industry Week.

Note on Image: This w...Read More

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A quick peek into some research on ... the complementary roles of ERP and PLM comes from my own Tech-Clarity research library and highlights the respective roles of ERP and PLM for manufacturers. The research is from a while ago, but based on recent conversations is still an important topic for manufacturers to consider. And, it is a topic that still has some confusion in the marketplace.

Where ERP Shines
Re-reading the report after some period of time away from it, I chose to include this portion as is from the report. This is as true today as it was then:

The prim...Read More

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I had the chance to talk with ... Dan Demuth of TDCI the other day about their solutions for helping companies quote, sell, configure, and produce customized products. Selling products that are designed or produced to order has a unique set of challenges - starting right at the beginning of the process where companies need to generate a sales quote based on their customer's specifications.

What do they Do? 
Before we talk about what TDCI does, let's talk about the challenges their customers face. Selling and producing a standard product can be a challenge for many companies. Even with a set bill of material (BOM), manufacturing process, and cost many manufacturers have ...Read More

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