34 surpass the original estimate due to changes, discoveries, and challenges that far exceeded expectations. This should not discourage the team, as changes are the life blood of engineering, and management will let you know if the costs surpass the ROI goal. If it was easy, it would have already been to market, so stay focused. Like cooking a brisket, the engineering and design phase is the long “stall” before we make the turn to perfection. Testing requires detailed recording that allows for the analysis of the resulting efforts, and is really where the tire meets the road. This is the “proof is in the pudding” part of the project, and where the team can clearly visualize the end results. Enough cliches, but hopefully the point is well taken. The test results can be used to rejuvenate the team, and must be shared regardless of the results. When successful, the enthusiasm is at a fever pitch to put this idea into a production package. Positive results will generate the desire to fast track to market. Again, the launch plan must now be reevaluated by team based on the market. It should be noted that the launch is as critical, if not the most important part of a successful R&D project. In that respect, you have generated interest internally (management), as well as externally with the market, but you get just one chance to be first and it needs to be right. If this plan to market is pushed and has some erroneous results, all your efforts may well have been for naught. Or in other cases, as you repair your product and reputation, the ROI can move out years. As the project progresses, you must always be aware of the audience, the environment surrounding your idea must be checked against your progress, as well as your underlying goals. What if you had developed a piece of equipment or cell that could automate several steps of a complicated process, and you had envisioned this demand being fulfilled by your new design. But alas, before you could put the finishing touches on your 7-figure system, someone came along with a robotic solution that eliminated the need, or condensed several steps that your solutions are no longer seen as innovative or necessary? The harsh reality is that this can happen. Therefore, time is always of the essence in R&D, from an internal attention deficit disorder, and an ever-changing market. Your team’s internal communication must be aware of your surroundings during this process. There maybe hesitation in the market, if your industry is Contact: JERRY SENK [email protected] conservative. Maybe no one wants to be first, but they will line up around the corner if it works. This type of environment must be known, communicated by the sales and marketing team, and managed to. This may require a different sales approach for the first unit, followed with full support of the entire team, the entire company, where the customer knows that the company’s management is fully vested in the successful launch. Just remember that throughout the entire R&D process, success can only be achieved when you have a documented communication plan that include all the necessary details on the meetings. This is the when, the how, and structured for real time milestone check points that kept a successful project on task, or make corrections or termination based on data. Communication isn’t just about what is said, written, texted or emailed, it is actually the old-time ritual of face-to-face teams that ask questions, seek assistance resulting in a collaborative effort that allows everyone’s input and participation. Old time face-to-face discussions may go out of style, but will always be the most effective method of communication. Maybe my wife is correct when she tells me “Teamwork makes the Dreamwork.” This seems quite universal to me.
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