This paper reports on some of the significant findings of the MADRID project - "Market Deman... more This paper reports on some of the significant findings of the MADRID project - "Market Demands that Reward Investment in Design". The origin of the project wasas a follow up, and development of, the earlier CID - "Commercial Impacts of Design" study (Roy & Potter, 1993). CID was undertaken by the Design Innovation Group, from 1987-90, as a study of over 220 design and product development projects in small and medium sized UK manufacturers. It provided, for the first time,quantified information on the commercial returns upon investing in professional design expertise at the product level. The MADRID project builds upon this work andsought to identify: (a) Which types of market(s) are most likely to produce the best commercial returns from investments in design and product development? (b) The most effective contribution of design in different market types. (c) The longterm commercial benefits of investment in design and product development. This paper presents the...
This paper presents the findings from an investigation into the training requirements for collabo... more This paper presents the findings from an investigation into the training requirements for collaborative innovation. The data was gathered by means of exploratory interviews and compared with that of a UK national survey about training for innovation, a summary of the key points is presented. The researchers recommend that many of the training needs can be met through the design of a web based training platform. The website (called InnoKnow) will host a number of different types of training content which are all conducive to the learning process. This paper focuses specifically on the use of innovation stories as an effective method for training and learning about collaborative innovation.
This speculative paper presents research questions concerned with the transition from manufacturi... more This speculative paper presents research questions concerned with the transition from manufacturing to service in firms and the role of design in firms making it. The transition is recognised in the marketing and operations-management literatures but the business implications are not fully understood, leaving scope for empirical research to fill the gap in knowledge. It is recognised that products and services are combined in bundles which create value, understood differently by different customers. This paper suggests that creating value means products must be redesigned rather than just packaged with different services. The Organisation, or network of firms, which develops and delivers value must also be designed, but there is a lack of practical guidance in the literature. The paper provides a research agenda for investigating the implications of a product-service transition and suggests questions which research should answer to better understand how products, service and organis...
Abstract Growing dependence on suppliers for production and innovation, together with increasing ... more Abstract Growing dependence on suppliers for production and innovation, together with increasing consumer demands, has prompted recent discussions of the importance of purchasing–marketing functional integration. However, empirical studies are needed to understand how to manage this interface within a new product development (NPD) context. This study, grounded in information processing theory, proposes a new model to classify integrating mechanisms as either information-sharing forums or optimizers. This model further postulates the greater capacity of optimizer mechanisms for improving NPD commercial and financial performance, as well as speed. The empirical results, obtained from a sample of 141 firms, show that forums only improve NPD speed, whereas optimizer mechanisms evoke better commercial and financial performance. This study therefore highlights the potential of different integrating mechanisms and contributes to the on-going debate about the very concept of functional integration itself.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the challenges of professional serv... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the challenges of professional service firms (PSF), which are referred to as cat herding, opaque quality and lack of process standardization. These result from misalignment in the mental pictures that managers, employees and customers have of the service. The study demonstrates how the process of articulating a shared service concept reduces these challenges. Design/methodology/approach A narrative methodology is used to analyze the perspectives of old management, new management and employees during organizational change in a PSF – a website design company growing to offer full-service branding. Group narratives are constructed using longitudinal data gathered through interviews and fieldwork, in order to compare the misaligned mental pictures and show the benefits of articulating the service concept. Findings Professional employees view growth and change as threats to their culture and practice, particularly when new man...
2015 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation/ International Technology Management Conference (ICE/ITMC), 2015
This paper presents the results of a survey of the use of serious games in manufacturing industry... more This paper presents the results of a survey of the use of serious games in manufacturing industry. A survey of 106 MBA alumni was conducted by telephone in summer 2014. A main outcome of this survey was the identification of the key business challenges and barriers for SG usage in corporate training. Based upon these findings an analysis of different commercial-off-the-shelf games was produced regarding their appropriateness for use in addressing the identified business challenges. From these two analyses some high level guidelines for what to consider for serious games adoption and integration in courses are presented.
ABSTRACT This research focuses on how the implementation of strategic change can lead to new serv... more ABSTRACT This research focuses on how the implementation of strategic change can lead to new service development. To this end we examine a technology-based SME that implemented a new strategy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and how this strategic change led to the development of a new service offering. There is increasing pressure on SMEs – pressure that was previously felt mostly by large multi-national firms – to demonstrate social responsibility. As a result SMEs are increasingly adopting some form of CSR to remain competitive. Although there has been research on CSR in large firms, less is known about how CSR can be implemented in SMEs and what the implications and opportunities are. This research focuses specifically on CSR as a progenitor of new service development (NSD) in SMEs. Using in-depth longitudinal case research we examine the journey of an SME from its initial interest in CSR, through the implementation of a CSR strategy and on to the development of a new service based on the new thinking that came about as a result of the CSR implementation. While explorative, the examination of this case provides some initial indication about not only how SMEs can implement CSR strategies to good effect but, of particular interest, how implementing a CSR strategy can form the basis for the development of services that fall outside a SMEs’ previous scope of activities. Based on this research we find that in the SME studied the main driver of an idea for a new service and its subsequent successful implementation was the new thinking brought about as a result of the process of implementing a CSR strategy. For managers, this research offers suggestions about what kinds of activities and decision-making are needed to successfully implement CSR and how CSR implementation can be leveraged to instigate a change in corporate culture resulting in new ideas about services that can appeal to new (types of) customers and market segments.
The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D i... more The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D in the measurement of innovation. Design is difficult to define, which makes it difficult to measure in financial terms. R&D was previously considered difficult to measure, but, as it is now well defined, financial measures of R&D have been established. Several previous studies demonstrated the commercial value of design, but failed to propose a reliable approach to capture design spending at the level of the firm. This paper presents a framework for classifying design activities and capturing design spending in firms. A number of exploratory case studies were conducted, four of which are described, to explore how companies understood design and how it could be measured. A conceptual model, by which the extent of design activity in firms may be better understood, is proposed. This model will be used as the basis of questions in a survey of design spending in UK firms.
ABSTRACT The research reported here derives from a recently completed questionnaire survey of the... more ABSTRACT The research reported here derives from a recently completed questionnaire survey of the UK mechanical engineering industry and a series of follow-up case studies. The case studies investigated the product design strategies adopted by firms for achieving competitive edge. It was found that companies were consolidating their product ranges and increasing the use of bought-out components. There had thus been a shift from internal manufacturing (hierarchy) to bought-out manufacturing (market). This was complemented by the changes, over the last few years, in the production system. That is, the adoption of manufacturing, or FMS, cells. Here, companies were feeding more components through these machining cells rather than using other, more expensive, manufacturing techniques, such as die casting. Thus, product design has had to match these changes in manufacturing strategy. Increased competition from Japan had also led companies to reduce lead times on product introduction. The research identifies the product design strategies the firms had adopted to achieve competitive edge. These were the better management of the product design process through project teams or project management. The use of design reviews for tailoring designs for efficient manufacture and early consideration of manufacturability. The full utilization of prototypes to eliminate production difficulties. These management factors and the ability to use CAD/CAM-FMS technology enabled the companies to maintain competitive edge.
The research reported here arose from a survey of product design and CAD use in the mechanical en... more The research reported here arose from a survey of product design and CAD use in the mechanical engineering industry. The proportion and characteristics of CAD user firms were identified. The types of drawing and design analysis in use were investigated. The stage of the design process in which CAD was used was also examined. The impact of CAD on design modifications, standardisation, design-production co-ordination and integration was investigated. These analyses were compared with the achieved benefits of CAD to produce implications for further research into the management of CAD use.
Multi player multi-media simulation games (MMSG) are great methods for experiential learning. The... more Multi player multi-media simulation games (MMSG) are great methods for experiential learning. They create awareness, understanding and new knowledge about complex systems that would be very costly, even impossible to gain in practice through trial and error. For students, the simulations are very effective way of experiencing and understanding conceptual theories and to prepare for the challenges of the professional work. For companies, simulations and games provide a unique possibility to experiment and learn. Computer based simulation games (game model chosen for this research) have proven to be very motivating and efficient training tools thus delivering good learning results. However, there is no known methodology to design simulation training games. The design of these interactive computer systems has created challenges due to the complexity of human interactions and information processing during the engagement of such systems. Therefore, when designing a multi player multi-med...
This paper reports on the findings from an empirical study of the knowledge creation process with... more This paper reports on the findings from an empirical study of the knowledge creation process within product development teams. Previous writings on knowledge, information, creativity, etc have been dominated by definitional discussions, prescriptive models, and debates about the social basis of knowledge, etc. A large proportion of research has focused on technological means, in particular ICT, to provide the means for sharing information - in the hope to promote knowledge and knowledge creation (see for example AKT - www.aktors.org). The seminal work of Takeuchi & Nonaka (1995) introduced the notion of explicit and implicit knowledge, coupled with the SECI cycle, in which implicit knowledge embodied within an individual is made explicit and socialized into the organization. The investigation reported here develops and applies a new methodology for the investigation of the activities of new product development teams to develop an in-depth understanding of the knowledge creation proc...
The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D i... more The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D in the measurement of innovation. Design is difficult to define, which makes it difficult to measure in financial terms. R&D was previously considered difficult to measure, but, as it is now well defined, financial measures of R&D have been established. Several previous studies demonstrated the commercial value of design, but failed to propose a reliable approach to capture design spending at the level of the firm. This paper presents a framework for classifying design activities and capturing design spending in firms. A number of exploratory case studies were conducted, four of which are described, to explore how companies understood design and how it could be measured. A conceptual model, by which the extent of design activity in firms may be better understood, is proposed. This model will be used as the basis of questions in a survey of design spending in UK firms.
This paper aims to explore leadership styles in relation to the management of design. The paper i... more This paper aims to explore leadership styles in relation to the management of design. The paper is based on the analysis of data collected during a multiple-case study of the role of design in business. The study involved interviews with senior managers in six case companies. The paper proposes a typology of design leadership, which defines some characteristics of different leadership styles. Design can make an important contribution to the commercial success of firms (Black and Baker, 1987, Rothwell, 1992, Walsh et al., 1992, Sentance and Clark, 1997, Hertenstein et al., 2005). For many managers, however "an excessively narrow view of design hinders a broader, more strategic approach towards its management" (Schneider, 1989). There are arguments that design is misunderstood (von Stamm, 2004) or neglected by "design illiterate" managers (Kotler and Rath, 1984). In some companies, however, design is valued by managers and is key to the success of the business. Ver...
This paper reports on some of the significant findings of the MADRID project - "Market Deman... more This paper reports on some of the significant findings of the MADRID project - "Market Demands that Reward Investment in Design". The origin of the project wasas a follow up, and development of, the earlier CID - "Commercial Impacts of Design" study (Roy & Potter, 1993). CID was undertaken by the Design Innovation Group, from 1987-90, as a study of over 220 design and product development projects in small and medium sized UK manufacturers. It provided, for the first time,quantified information on the commercial returns upon investing in professional design expertise at the product level. The MADRID project builds upon this work andsought to identify: (a) Which types of market(s) are most likely to produce the best commercial returns from investments in design and product development? (b) The most effective contribution of design in different market types. (c) The longterm commercial benefits of investment in design and product development. This paper presents the...
This paper presents the findings from an investigation into the training requirements for collabo... more This paper presents the findings from an investigation into the training requirements for collaborative innovation. The data was gathered by means of exploratory interviews and compared with that of a UK national survey about training for innovation, a summary of the key points is presented. The researchers recommend that many of the training needs can be met through the design of a web based training platform. The website (called InnoKnow) will host a number of different types of training content which are all conducive to the learning process. This paper focuses specifically on the use of innovation stories as an effective method for training and learning about collaborative innovation.
This speculative paper presents research questions concerned with the transition from manufacturi... more This speculative paper presents research questions concerned with the transition from manufacturing to service in firms and the role of design in firms making it. The transition is recognised in the marketing and operations-management literatures but the business implications are not fully understood, leaving scope for empirical research to fill the gap in knowledge. It is recognised that products and services are combined in bundles which create value, understood differently by different customers. This paper suggests that creating value means products must be redesigned rather than just packaged with different services. The Organisation, or network of firms, which develops and delivers value must also be designed, but there is a lack of practical guidance in the literature. The paper provides a research agenda for investigating the implications of a product-service transition and suggests questions which research should answer to better understand how products, service and organis...
Abstract Growing dependence on suppliers for production and innovation, together with increasing ... more Abstract Growing dependence on suppliers for production and innovation, together with increasing consumer demands, has prompted recent discussions of the importance of purchasing–marketing functional integration. However, empirical studies are needed to understand how to manage this interface within a new product development (NPD) context. This study, grounded in information processing theory, proposes a new model to classify integrating mechanisms as either information-sharing forums or optimizers. This model further postulates the greater capacity of optimizer mechanisms for improving NPD commercial and financial performance, as well as speed. The empirical results, obtained from a sample of 141 firms, show that forums only improve NPD speed, whereas optimizer mechanisms evoke better commercial and financial performance. This study therefore highlights the potential of different integrating mechanisms and contributes to the on-going debate about the very concept of functional integration itself.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the challenges of professional serv... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the challenges of professional service firms (PSF), which are referred to as cat herding, opaque quality and lack of process standardization. These result from misalignment in the mental pictures that managers, employees and customers have of the service. The study demonstrates how the process of articulating a shared service concept reduces these challenges. Design/methodology/approach A narrative methodology is used to analyze the perspectives of old management, new management and employees during organizational change in a PSF – a website design company growing to offer full-service branding. Group narratives are constructed using longitudinal data gathered through interviews and fieldwork, in order to compare the misaligned mental pictures and show the benefits of articulating the service concept. Findings Professional employees view growth and change as threats to their culture and practice, particularly when new man...
2015 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation/ International Technology Management Conference (ICE/ITMC), 2015
This paper presents the results of a survey of the use of serious games in manufacturing industry... more This paper presents the results of a survey of the use of serious games in manufacturing industry. A survey of 106 MBA alumni was conducted by telephone in summer 2014. A main outcome of this survey was the identification of the key business challenges and barriers for SG usage in corporate training. Based upon these findings an analysis of different commercial-off-the-shelf games was produced regarding their appropriateness for use in addressing the identified business challenges. From these two analyses some high level guidelines for what to consider for serious games adoption and integration in courses are presented.
ABSTRACT This research focuses on how the implementation of strategic change can lead to new serv... more ABSTRACT This research focuses on how the implementation of strategic change can lead to new service development. To this end we examine a technology-based SME that implemented a new strategy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and how this strategic change led to the development of a new service offering. There is increasing pressure on SMEs – pressure that was previously felt mostly by large multi-national firms – to demonstrate social responsibility. As a result SMEs are increasingly adopting some form of CSR to remain competitive. Although there has been research on CSR in large firms, less is known about how CSR can be implemented in SMEs and what the implications and opportunities are. This research focuses specifically on CSR as a progenitor of new service development (NSD) in SMEs. Using in-depth longitudinal case research we examine the journey of an SME from its initial interest in CSR, through the implementation of a CSR strategy and on to the development of a new service based on the new thinking that came about as a result of the CSR implementation. While explorative, the examination of this case provides some initial indication about not only how SMEs can implement CSR strategies to good effect but, of particular interest, how implementing a CSR strategy can form the basis for the development of services that fall outside a SMEs’ previous scope of activities. Based on this research we find that in the SME studied the main driver of an idea for a new service and its subsequent successful implementation was the new thinking brought about as a result of the process of implementing a CSR strategy. For managers, this research offers suggestions about what kinds of activities and decision-making are needed to successfully implement CSR and how CSR implementation can be leveraged to instigate a change in corporate culture resulting in new ideas about services that can appeal to new (types of) customers and market segments.
The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D i... more The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D in the measurement of innovation. Design is difficult to define, which makes it difficult to measure in financial terms. R&D was previously considered difficult to measure, but, as it is now well defined, financial measures of R&D have been established. Several previous studies demonstrated the commercial value of design, but failed to propose a reliable approach to capture design spending at the level of the firm. This paper presents a framework for classifying design activities and capturing design spending in firms. A number of exploratory case studies were conducted, four of which are described, to explore how companies understood design and how it could be measured. A conceptual model, by which the extent of design activity in firms may be better understood, is proposed. This model will be used as the basis of questions in a survey of design spending in UK firms.
ABSTRACT The research reported here derives from a recently completed questionnaire survey of the... more ABSTRACT The research reported here derives from a recently completed questionnaire survey of the UK mechanical engineering industry and a series of follow-up case studies. The case studies investigated the product design strategies adopted by firms for achieving competitive edge. It was found that companies were consolidating their product ranges and increasing the use of bought-out components. There had thus been a shift from internal manufacturing (hierarchy) to bought-out manufacturing (market). This was complemented by the changes, over the last few years, in the production system. That is, the adoption of manufacturing, or FMS, cells. Here, companies were feeding more components through these machining cells rather than using other, more expensive, manufacturing techniques, such as die casting. Thus, product design has had to match these changes in manufacturing strategy. Increased competition from Japan had also led companies to reduce lead times on product introduction. The research identifies the product design strategies the firms had adopted to achieve competitive edge. These were the better management of the product design process through project teams or project management. The use of design reviews for tailoring designs for efficient manufacture and early consideration of manufacturability. The full utilization of prototypes to eliminate production difficulties. These management factors and the ability to use CAD/CAM-FMS technology enabled the companies to maintain competitive edge.
The research reported here arose from a survey of product design and CAD use in the mechanical en... more The research reported here arose from a survey of product design and CAD use in the mechanical engineering industry. The proportion and characteristics of CAD user firms were identified. The types of drawing and design analysis in use were investigated. The stage of the design process in which CAD was used was also examined. The impact of CAD on design modifications, standardisation, design-production co-ordination and integration was investigated. These analyses were compared with the achieved benefits of CAD to produce implications for further research into the management of CAD use.
Multi player multi-media simulation games (MMSG) are great methods for experiential learning. The... more Multi player multi-media simulation games (MMSG) are great methods for experiential learning. They create awareness, understanding and new knowledge about complex systems that would be very costly, even impossible to gain in practice through trial and error. For students, the simulations are very effective way of experiencing and understanding conceptual theories and to prepare for the challenges of the professional work. For companies, simulations and games provide a unique possibility to experiment and learn. Computer based simulation games (game model chosen for this research) have proven to be very motivating and efficient training tools thus delivering good learning results. However, there is no known methodology to design simulation training games. The design of these interactive computer systems has created challenges due to the complexity of human interactions and information processing during the engagement of such systems. Therefore, when designing a multi player multi-med...
This paper reports on the findings from an empirical study of the knowledge creation process with... more This paper reports on the findings from an empirical study of the knowledge creation process within product development teams. Previous writings on knowledge, information, creativity, etc have been dominated by definitional discussions, prescriptive models, and debates about the social basis of knowledge, etc. A large proportion of research has focused on technological means, in particular ICT, to provide the means for sharing information - in the hope to promote knowledge and knowledge creation (see for example AKT - www.aktors.org). The seminal work of Takeuchi & Nonaka (1995) introduced the notion of explicit and implicit knowledge, coupled with the SECI cycle, in which implicit knowledge embodied within an individual is made explicit and socialized into the organization. The investigation reported here develops and applies a new methodology for the investigation of the activities of new product development teams to develop an in-depth understanding of the knowledge creation proc...
The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D i... more The value of design is increasingly recognised, but design is often overlooked in favour of R&D in the measurement of innovation. Design is difficult to define, which makes it difficult to measure in financial terms. R&D was previously considered difficult to measure, but, as it is now well defined, financial measures of R&D have been established. Several previous studies demonstrated the commercial value of design, but failed to propose a reliable approach to capture design spending at the level of the firm. This paper presents a framework for classifying design activities and capturing design spending in firms. A number of exploratory case studies were conducted, four of which are described, to explore how companies understood design and how it could be measured. A conceptual model, by which the extent of design activity in firms may be better understood, is proposed. This model will be used as the basis of questions in a survey of design spending in UK firms.
This paper aims to explore leadership styles in relation to the management of design. The paper i... more This paper aims to explore leadership styles in relation to the management of design. The paper is based on the analysis of data collected during a multiple-case study of the role of design in business. The study involved interviews with senior managers in six case companies. The paper proposes a typology of design leadership, which defines some characteristics of different leadership styles. Design can make an important contribution to the commercial success of firms (Black and Baker, 1987, Rothwell, 1992, Walsh et al., 1992, Sentance and Clark, 1997, Hertenstein et al., 2005). For many managers, however "an excessively narrow view of design hinders a broader, more strategic approach towards its management" (Schneider, 1989). There are arguments that design is misunderstood (von Stamm, 2004) or neglected by "design illiterate" managers (Kotler and Rath, 1984). In some companies, however, design is valued by managers and is key to the success of the business. Ver...
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Papers by Johann C . K . H . Riedel