32 our customers on “Have you ever thought of trying this?” Or is it the President or VP, or CFO saying we need a better way to make this, which is a translation for: “This costs too much.” The idea can really come from anywhere. And this idea, in its infancy, needs an opportunity to come to see the light of day, or at least be vetted. Of course, there are always hurdles, road blocks, reasons why not to even consider an idea. We are too busy; we are too slow and don’t have the dollars to waste, or maybe it is just a bad idea. It has been written that geniuses may have 5-7 brilliant ideas in a lifetime. So, when you think of Einstein or Galileo, these guys were quantum computer type scientists, truly off the charts in the way we test humanity. But a normal genius, a run of the mill type, they are probably all locked down at a university or attempting to get humankind to Mars. So, if we assume that we have just some regular, really smart people; how many brilliant ideas will we get to see? Not just dog steps to get Fido into bed, but really great ideas like Ductile or Nodular iron, or nonlead brass, or equipment such as flaskless molding that can change an industry. Green sand mold forming process from the Taccome bladder, in-line systems, continuous mold cars, index lines, Formi-press, auto pouring, and so on. It takes so much effort, design, fortitude and vision to bring change to a manufacturing industry, especially our foundry industry. For sure we have seen growth, incremental growth, some amazing innovations such as the Key Core process that really has made a difference. When you think about the few innovations in our lifetime in our industry, how many really awesome ideas have fallen short and missed coming to fruition from their own self-inflicted demise? A sound R&D plan, vision, or idea can come from anywhere within the company. A company’s success is based on its people, and their dedication to improvement. That being said isn’t enough to guarantee this can happen. A solid R&D idea can come from anywhere in the pyramid, but it must be embraced by the entirety of the company, most importantly from the top. But having the top buy-in is more than a ribbon cutting ceremony where the goal is discussed at lunch, and concludes with a buttermilk sheet cake and a “Go get’em” speech. In fact, this is typically the beginning of the end before the R&D project even gets started. The top management just can’t give a speech and release the hounds; their participation and support need to be demonstrated every bit of the way. Of course, the top brass has confidence in their team, and they expect the working prototype next Thursday with a BOD presentation the following Friday. Although the goal is clear, the plan will need updating throughout a successful R&D process. There needs to be a written goal. A clear explanation of why this new product is so important. For these efforts to be fruitful, Sales and Marketing must be the visionaries on board not only providing the definition of need, but also the effective price point of the potential solution. Not every problem has the solution that includes “They would pay anything to have this.” The original idea, the new invention, the improvement that is desired must include thorough internal brainstorming. This concept must be clearly defined, and presented to the company by the champion with details that include the market research that will justify this investment in time and materials. Engineering, manufacturing and sales must be unified in this action. But most importantly, this is a company function, a company investment, and can not be achieved in a corner without the explicated buy-in from the top management, up to and including the President. The top brass must not only endorse the R&D, but must be an active part of the scope of the plan, and included in every step of the way. By inclusion, this at a minimum should be the project notes, milestones, costs, and regular updates that keep this in front of all active participants. The scope and regular reviews show the projects viability through development process and analysis. Not all R&D projects that are launched track as intended, and new developments and changes in innovations will be incurred along the way. Keeping the team abreast of the results will allow the teams efforts to be balanced against the rewards. In some cases, diversions to other pathways forward, or even termination of the project come into light. No one wants to throw good money after bad. As the project moves forward, the priorities, or biggest bang for the buck need to be kept front and center. If the whole project hinges on a single concept, bringing that to fruition from a manufacturing and assembly standpoint, then this is the initial target of the project. The complete function of the R&D project is made up of steps, each step becomes the foundation for the next step. After each milestone, a recap of the project including feasibility, cost, timing, and meeting expected outcome needs to be reviewed with top management.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDI4Njg=