Every design engineer knows that new products are the lifeblood of every
successful manufacturer. But where do great new product ideas come from? Florida
management expert James Higgins points out several paths to bell-ringer products
in his book, Innovate or Evaporate (New Management Publishing Co.)--
Find out what's happening in the rest of the company. At Rubbermaid, for example, engineers adapted a blow-molding technique used to produce picnic coolers to production of a fast-selling line of lawn furniture.
Listen to your distributors. Think about how you can repackage or modify products to make them more appealing to distributors and others who deal with the customer.
Develop brainstorming techniques. Hold regular, no-holds barred sessions that encourage the spontaneous exchange of ideas. An individual can even hold a private "mind mapping" session that starts by writing down the name or description of a central object or problem. Then he or she records all the random facets or issues that branch out from that central concept.
Provide formal training in creativity. A survey by Training Magazine finds that 40% of the nation's 2,500 largest companies now offer such training--double the number ten years ago.
Shake up the organization. If success means developing a product fast to servean important customer, form a skunk-works team with the authority to buck yourinternal bureaucracy and get the product out the door.
Leave room for mistakes. People will never feelcomfortable about exploring new paths if organizations punish them for taking risks that don't yield immediate payoffs.
Reward creativity. Innovative firms recognize that bright employees need more than just the satisfaction of doing a good job. So they have instituted systems of awards, bonuses, and formal "dual track" ladders that allow engineers to receive greater compensation for technical contributions without transferring to management ranks.
Higgins places a special value on "speed" as a trigger for innovation. "Give a designer a year instead of three to develop a product," he says, "and you'll be surprised at the creative things that can happen."
This issue of Design News showcases products that major OEM vendors believe are their most innovative offerings of 1995. Take some time to review these products, not just for their value to your next design, but for the creative touches that they employ. Finally, please help us pick the best of these products by marking the ballot you'll find on page 85.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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