“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” -Albert Einstein February is the time when, fresh from January retreats and planning sessions, scientists, researchers, developers and engineers tee up an entirely new set of issues feverishly in search of the next Big Idea. So, in the first RTEC article of 2012 we start off on the topic of [...]
Read more(The Motor Report, 3 January 2012) In Brief: Hyundai Kia Automotive Group is planning to expand its R&D spend this year. The company’s R&D budget will be increased by 10.9% to $4.41 billion, with the total budget in R&D and production amounting to $12.2 billion, a 15.6% increase to last year’s budget. Our View: Progressive [...]
Read more(The Star, 23 January 2012) In Brief: This article, directed to RIM’s new CEO, makes suggestions that he should address and improve the efficiency of the company’s R&D program and hire a marketing team that drives customers toward an emotional connection to the company’s products. Our View: Many organizations that attempt to improve product development [...]
Read more(Bloomberg Businessweek, 14 December 2011) In Brief: While Lego is for boys and girls, the Danish toy maker is launching a new line of products called “Lego Friends” to better appeal solely to the girls segment. The new products feature “friendlier colors” and figures that girls can identify with while trying to stay sensitive to [...]
Read more(Smart Planet, 11 December 2012) In Brief: From chairs to cars and buildings, American design has not seen dramatic shifts in the past two decades. Possible reasons include a lack of creativity, a demand for historical design elements, and inhibiting costs. Our View: An overreliance on rigorous stage-gate reviews for breakthrough projects hinders creativity and [...]
Read more(CFO.com, 6 December 2011) In Brief: Growth companies may perceive the creation of a robust product line as the key to financial success, but having too many options often confuses consumers. They will either not make a purchase at all or base their purchase decision on factors such as brand or price. Our View: Progressive [...]
Read more(Industry Week, 12 December 2011) In Brief: Leading manufacturers are integrating processes and tools into their day-to-day operations to monitor key cost control points. Projects generally start small in scope with one product or functional group, and an effective cost management program can eventually go so far as profit margin increases, new product innovation, faster [...]
Read more(Smart Planet, 6 December 2011) In Brief: The US Department of Defense is turning to open-source software projects to help slash the product cycle of defense systems from 10 years to 2. Our View: Progressive companies identify the critical inefficiencies at every stage of their current development process where they can adopt lean principles to [...]
Read more(Harvard Business Review, 30 November 2011) In Brief: It may be better for companies to tailor their products to unique customer needs and not just try to match the leading competitors’ prices and models. At the end of the day, consumers will often decide among similar products based on price, which will only hurt profitability. [...]
Read more(Harvard Business Review, 30 November 2011) In Brief: It may be better for companies to tailor their products to unique customer needs and not just try to match the leading competitors’ prices and models. At the end of the day, consumers will often decide among similar products based on price, which will only hurt profitability. [...]
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