Product Development Navigation: Concept Through Launch Morning Recap from PDMA 2010

The session leaders have renamed the session from “concept to launch” to “opportunity to money” (not as easy as just changing words, is it?). The analogy of moving from the ocean to the land represents the “upstream” challenge of NPD as represented by Robin Karol. Where are we in this journey? We’re all sharing….in the ocean? In the river? Downstream? In the lake and relaxing? Doing? Designing? Managing? Everyone is somewhere on the map---no one is on dry land!

First talk from Larry Levine from Sikorsky Aircraft discussing “Finding Innovation and Opportunity in the New Economy”.  Sikorsky is a sub of United Technologies Corp (UTC), focusing on the helicopter business. “We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere….every time™”. What a great slogan…..what if all of our products did that all the time for every customer every time? Products are used for troop transport, medical evacuation, offshore oil transport, search and rescue, head of state transport, flight training, and power line control----many useful functions from the same core product line. Nine new products in development and delivery. Challenge to get up to 250mph.  Competition in price. What do customers REALLY want? After market service delivery---maintenance, upgrade, training. Doing better than the customer can do. Locating near the customers----drug trafficking, military bases, etc.

Performance Based Logistics—relating goals to customer needs. Is it ready? With parts needed? On budget? Provide incentives to redesign parts over time to minimize long term cost. Tracking graphs to show continuous improvement (I.e 24 hour turnaround on aircraft). Fix everyone’s rotor blades, not just our own (get rid of the ego!). Local field service reps close to customer. Recently purchased LifePort to provide after support center. Example of post installation of medical support equipment. Joint venture in the UAE to provide support network in the Middle East for not only Sikorsky but Boeing and other suppliers.

How do we get closer to customers and finding out about their needs. Benchmarking parallel universes including their Boston Red Sox! Fleet demographics and intelligence provides real time data recording of how product is being used. (How could that be done for ANY product we sell? Automatic continuous feedback and logging of use?)“You fly it…we support it”.

How do we get more nimble? Getting around all the barriers of current business focus. Sikorsky Innovation group formed within the company—use Technology Fellows. Focus on operations analysis, rapid prototyping, advanced concepts, advanced programs, and special programs---want to demonstrate DIFFERENTIATION. Dual rotors, counter-rotating to deal with suddenly changing weather conditions.  Firefly--- no piston engine, all electric but flies only 15 minutes. Picture of all the parts eliminated, but need much better batteries. Clayton Chistensen’s analogies of inferior technologies taking over---shows the Sikorsky curves for helicopter technologies. 15 minute electric is useless now, but……remember the excitement of the first one hour flight of the first helicopter. Vertical flight challenges.

This internal venture approach has been tried before—will be interesting to see what happens. Question---how do tech fellows get involved? No longer have groups and are free to assist anyone.

Framing innovation concepts:

Who are your customers?

What are their needs? (They may not know!!)

Watch what they do!! (Really important!!) Don’t listen, watch!