13th R&D-Product Development Metrics Summit

OVERVIEW

This Summit addresses the process and metrics information that senior executives need to direct, stimulate, monitor, and report the results of R&D organizations as a whole. People who are responsible for leading companies, organizations, budgets, and projects will derive the most benefit.

Why is this Summit of value to you? Because there is little repackaging of knowledge. In three days, we will get you to a place that is five to ten years ahead of industry averages and enable your company for competitive advantage through right measures for R&D.

What's new? Projects are a mainstay of R&D and many measures have stood the test of time. Much is changing though. The need to get a better handle on overall output from R&D necessitates increased sophistication in aggregating the results across all projects. New measures are being created and some of them are getting traction. The "Vitality Index" is now used by over half of industry. The new "Return On Innovation" metric is approaching one-third. "NPV Efficiency" has a following. Several asset-based measures are emerging.

What's new? The operating manner of companies is becoming more knowledge-based. Measures that nurture employee knowledge development and retention must be present. The speed at which functional competencies are changing requires a dual focus to be ready for the next competitive differentiator.

What's new? R&D spending is shifting slightly toward more innovative and advanced development projects. While it is a small change for Product Development, it is a double-digit change for Advanced Development and Innovation-plays. Two things happen here. First, the need to drive and reap tangible results from research and advanced innovative projects is moving to the center of the table. Second, intellectual property strategy is on a geometric rise and IP is rapidly becoming a monetized commodity. IP is being bought and sold in public markets. As well, licensing is often a better economic alternative for a company than putting the IP into products.

Do your organization's metrics reflect these industry-leading practices? GGI's Summit will move your measurement thinking forward and will leave you with a strawman set of metrics that are five to ten years ahead of industry practices today.

ANNOUNCEMENT

The ability of officers, managers, and key professionals to direct and make their organizations productive through metrics and measures is the focus of the 13th R&D-Product Development Metrics Summit to be held October 25-27, 2011 in metro Boston.

The Metrics Summit is a series of 3 seminars, focused on major areas of importance to professionals responsible for product creation and commercialization.

The First Two Seminars

The first seminar [Measuring Product Development II (MPDII) - October 25] is focused on the issues that top management has to deal with that are hard to quantify. The topics span the subjects of setting hurdle rates, assessing risk and complexity, tradeoff analysis, measuring capacity, and assessing overall financial performance.

The second seminar [Proactive and Predictive R&D Metrics (PPRD) - October 26 AM] is focused on the three different stages of developing early, predictive metrics that will enable managers to foresee issues on the horizon or to know that success is in front of them. GGI is a pioneer in the differentiation of early stage proactive and predictive metrics leading to the further development of that management science.

The Third Seminar-Workshop

The third seminar frames a hands-on Workshop [Product Development Metrics Portfolios (PDMP) - October 26 PM and October 27]. The room will be rearranged to a team layout. Executives will work together in groups to discuss the merits of the different metrics. These groups will then create a set of metrics suitable for directing, stimulating, monitoring, and reporting the results of the R&D and/or Product Development organization as a whole - that reach three levels deep into the organization. Once the groups have established the basic performance metrics that must exist, new content will be presented and discussed: Advanced Development, Functional & Technical Competencies, and Intellectual Property. Groups will then augment their portfolios to reflect the practices of industry leaders.

If companies bring three or more folks, they will be a dedicated team and work on a portfolio specifically for their company. For all other folks, we will have a group discussion to determine a best-fit for everyone. Sometimes folks choose to group themselves by industry or market. Sometimes folks choose to group themselves by R&D strategy: Pure Innovators, Platform-Derivative, Balanced Product Strategy, or Followers/Extenders. No two R&D strategies are the same, but executives build lasting relationships with colleagues as they discuss the merits of a given metric and its contribution to achieving a desired strategy.

The Linked Metrics Portfolio� framework is used during working sessions. The result is a set of metrics that span multiple organization levels while remaining integrated. Strategy, budgets, and many other drivers roll up and down organization levels -- and so should metrics.

Who Should Come

CXOs, P/L and General Managers, Business Development, Product Strategy, Portfolio Management, Product Management, R&D, Product Development, Engineering, Software, Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Purchasing, Intellectual Property, Finance and other professionals involved from the concept through the commercialization of new products and IP will find the material in this Summit to be on target for them.

Please view feedback from Participants in prior GGI Summits who were kind enough to share their experiences with us in writing. Please note that the overwhelming majority of these folks are senior executives.

Please view a list of Companies who have participated in prior GGI Summits.

Please download our Summit At-A-Glance or our Brochure.

Summit Faculty

The Summit will be led by Bradford L. Goldense, NPDP, CMfgE, CPIM, CCP. Brad has 35 years of industry experience. Brad founded GGI in 1986 and has consulted to over 200 of the Fortune 1000 in 500+ manufacturing locations. Since the early 1990s, Mr. Goldense has been recognized as a subject matter expert in R&D and product development processes and as a thought leader in metrics and measurement for these innovation activities. In addition to directing GGI's business, Brad was a member of the graduate engineering school adjunct faculty at the Gordon Institute of Tufts University for nineteen years. He is Founder and past Worldwide President of Society of Concurrent Product Development [SCPD]. Brad has an Engineering degree from Brown University and an MBA from Cornell University. He has authored or been quoted in over 150 articles in trade press. He will be supported by others from the GGI Team. For a more complete background on Mr. Goldense and GGI's team, please visit GGI's Staff page.

Registration

There are significant discounts for companies that bring Company Teams of three or more people, $254 per person.

There is a registration option to attend just the first day and one-half of the three-day Summit, the first two Seminars. New material [including Advanced Development, Intellectual Property, and Functional Competency Metrics] is covered in the third Seminar-Workshop while participants are crafting their own desired portfolio of metrics. We encourage folks to participate in the entire event.

Please consider joining us. It is easy to visit us online to Register.

Where Is It

Our location is convenient from either Boston-Logan or Providence-Green [great rates] airport. Mention GGI's Summit when you call the hotel. This newly upgraded Sheraton Conference Facility is completely wi-fi, has all amenities, a great walking trail, and boasts a five star chef. For more information about the conference hotel, alternative hotel accommodations, transportation, restaurants, and other area information, please visit the I'm Already Registered web site.

For more information about Goldense Group, Inc., a twenty-six year old internationally recognized company in the areas of product development and measurement, go to the GGI Home Page, or give us a call at 781-444-5400.