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Business Value of Simulation16 DECEMBER 2010
We’ve got a couple of questions for you:
One way to avoid this problem is to ensure that you continue to develop innovative product, but just get smarter and more cost effective at it. This is where the utilisation of ‘Virtual Prototyping’ and Simulation tools play a major role. Computer based modeling and testing (Simulation) can be performed both quickly and early on in the development cycle, rather than the traditional building and testing numerous rounds of expensive, time consuming prototypes,. This allows companies to dramatically reduce their development spend and time to market – without compromising product quality – and this last bit is the real key!. To cut corners in a downturn only to hit the market with unreliable or lesser quality product may help you in the short term , but long term the damage to your bottom line and your Brand could be a show stopper! One significant positive example of what I’m talking about, and that I can attest to personally, is with the LIFE chair that Formway produced. The final year of development (2000-2001) saw the US market implode- badly! We were spending money hand over fist to get the product to market, our competition were laying off thousands left right and centre, and all the time we were revising sales figures downwards based on what was happening in the market. The market uncertainty was of huge concern and it would’ve been very easy for Senior management to have just said ‘Enough’. As project leader at the time, I kept waiting, and expecting, for that call to come. However, we stuck it out and saw the chair launched in the middle of the downturn-scary stuff! Whilst volumes had dramatically reduced in short term, what it meant in the long term when the upturn came, and it did, was that because we’d continued to innovative we left the competition in our wake and then they were the ones scrambling to catch up. As a result, the LIFE chair took off and did produce those expected revenues, which was a real testament to the vision, and fortitude, of Formway’s Senior Management. Whilst I moved on some time ago now, I understand that the one millionth chair just recently rolled of the production line in the US – not a bad effort for a small Kiwi company that saw the opportunity and stuck to their guns through in the face of real uncertainty. Incidentally, virtually every part on that chair was FEA’d to take as much weight out as we could yet still maintain the highest level of performance and certification around the world. The chair weighed up to half the weight of the competition and outperformed most - Something that never could have been achieved without the clever use of Simulation! Finally, I recently came across this very interesting article from Jim Brown at Tech-Clarity Inc. that does a great job of outlining The Business Value of Simulation and Virtual Prototyping for managers. It’s a very good, easy read and well worth a look if you’re trying to understand how to cut development spending yet increase product quality. If you have any questions about this subject, or anything else in regards to design, I’d be more than happy to discuss them with you. Read Jim Brown's article on The Business Value of Simulation and Virtual Prototyping → |
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