S-72.124 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Course Overview. Elements of Product Development Process. Tools for Generating and Cultivating Ideas.

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16.3. 10-12 Prof. Timo O. Korhonen, Helsinki University of Technology, Communications Laboratory: Course Overview. Elements of product development process. Tools for gathering and mapping ideas, extraction of useful information

16.3. 12-14 Research Scientist Merja Ranta-aho, Helsinki University of Technology, Communications Laboratory: Usability and Acceptability: Design for Successful Telecommunication Products

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23.3. 10-12 Prof. Antti Ainamo, Helsinki School of Economics: Operational and Strategic Management

23.3 12-14 Prof. Erkko Autio, Institute of Strategy and International Business, Helsinki University of Technology: Establishment and Development of High-Tech Enterprises

30.3 10-12 Presentations of Human Factors in Telecommunications Group, Communications Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology: User-Centered Product Concept Design Methods

30.3. 12-14 Innovation Advocate Panu Kuosmanen, Otaniemi International Innovation Centre, Helsinki University of Technology: Patenting, Innovations, and Copyright

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6.4 10-12 Prof. Karlos Artto, International Project Business, Helsinki University of Technology: Systematic Project Management: Aspects on Uncertainty and on Assigning Responsibilities.

6.4. 12-14 Director Jari Jokinen, Nokia Mobile Phones: Quality Assurance in Product Development Process. Nokia quality principles, Quality management elements.

13.4. 12-14 Prof. Veijo Ilmavirta: Otaniemi International Innovation Centre: Mission and Innovation Services

14.4 14-16, S2 Research Scientist Peter Kelly, Institute of Strategy and International Business, Helsinki University of Technology: Financing New High-Tech Enterprises

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27.4. 10-12 Research Scientist Arto Rajala, Helsinki School of Economics: High - Tech Marketing

27.4. 12-14 Prof. Paul Lillrank: Laboratory of Industrial Management, Helsinki University of Technology: Quality Leadership for Knowledge Systems. The evolution of quality management.

4.5 Introduction to course Workshop

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Example*: Developing Communicator

*S-72.124 in Spring ‘99

London is a basic model with all the essential properties. It has large target markets including both young adults as well as basic business users. It comes with a compact London BridgeTM display that enables small size and high usability.

– Compact High Color Display– Hi-Fi Wide Stereo FM radio– VOD enabled– Wireless Phones by BlueToothTM

Technology– PictureTelTM Phone– Speech Control

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Monaco is the new fashionable communication tool designed especially for Ladies. It carries a comfortable pearled shell outlook with changeable fashion styled colors ensuring fitting for every evening out-and-go. This model comes with fully equipped with

– Speech control– Touch sensitive display– Ultra ergonomic usability– PictureTelTM Technology

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Florida is the state-of-the-art model for the elderly people. You are ensured to be monitored while being at home or office and help can be immediately sent when required. This model incorporates a mass of functionality to enable life long enjoyment:

– Health monitoring: Pulse, blood pressure, blood glucose– Velocity and acceleration sensors to detect possible fall-outs– Voice recognition

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Implant. This is model is scheduled to be marketed early 2010. It consists of distributed components implanted near to the target sensory organs. The communicator enables real-time, 3D interactions with one or several persons in virtual reality.

– Earphone is connected directly to ear-nerve or transmitted via NMR technology

– Tooth or brain implanted microphone– Visual cortex or contact lens display

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Another example, S-72.124 in Fall’99:

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Topics today

Technical product development and innovation process

Decision making and analysis tools that are used to cultivate innovation processes:

– SWOT- and PMI- analysis

– Brainstorming

– Force Field Analysis

– Decision Tree

– Critical Path Analysis

Information skills

– Mind Mapping

– Efficient extraction of information

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How to select the cultivation method? An analysis tool is applicable when there is enough information

for its usage! Some methods are primarily targeted for mapping the current

status (SWOT), other for decision making (PMI) and some are general purpose tools to assist project management (Critical Path Analysis).

Methods work well when they are used simultaneously in-series or in-parallel, as for instance SWOT+brainstorming

Successful product development requires that one should have sufficient information about – customer requirements– competitors’ product launches– markets in general– latest technology

Also vision of future trends is important!

CustomersCustomers

MarketsMarkets TechnologyTechnology

CompetitorsCompetitors

Future visionsFuture visions

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Technical product development process Theoretical functionality?

What about in practice?

Sub-unit functionality?

Functionality of the whole process?

Firstdemo

Practical proto

Mass production proto

Mass product

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SWOT analysis SWOT is applicable for sorting unorganized knowledge bases

and analyzing current status Successful SWOT yields structured mapping of the problem at

hand For instance in product analysis

– identify strength and weaknesses of the product– search through possibilities and threats (for instance for

product launch) Realization: List all the relevant properties and sort them into

SWOT boxes!

Strength WeaknessWeakness

OpportunityOpportunity ThreatsThreats

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The SWOT questions: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:– What are the advantages? – What is well-done?

Consider this from different point-of-views: As Competitors, Customers, Technology

Weaknesses:– What could be improved? – What is done badly?– What should be avoided?

Does other interest groups perceive weaknesses that you see? Could this give you a competitive edge? It is best to be realistic now, and face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.

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The SWOT questions: Opportunities

Opportunities (directed more outwards from the product than the strengths):– Where are the good chances facing the product? – What are the interesting trends?

Useful opportunities can come from things like: – Changes in technology and markets on both in broad and

narrow scale– Changes in government policy related to your field – Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle

changes, etc.

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The SWOT questions: Threats

Threats: (directed more outside than the weaknesses) What obstacles are to be faced? What competitors are doing? Are the required specifications for tasks, products or services

changing? Is changing technology threatening the product or process?

How? Is there some general ‘climate change’ going on? Does you your process have bad debt or cash-flow problems?

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The SWOT analysis; a case study:WAP-based knowledge base system

Strength Expandable, flexible, easy to use, dynamic, easy to personalize,

bypassing of telephone exchange

Strength Expandable, flexible, easy to use, dynamic, easy to personalize,

bypassing of telephone exchange

WeaknessNeed for WAP terminal

managing, search routines, requires

dedication

WeaknessNeed for WAP terminal

managing, search routines, requires

dedication

OpportunityYields tailored services for individuals and enterprises,

no more paper catalogs!, more effective graphics, utilization

of location information

OpportunityYields tailored services for individuals and enterprises,

no more paper catalogs!, more effective graphics, utilization

of location information

ThreatsNo popularity,

one applies terminal specificcatalogs, competitive

techniques may hit markets

ThreatsNo popularity,

one applies terminal specificcatalogs, competitive

techniques may hit markets

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Brainstorming* Objective: Bring about creative solutions (even for unidentified!)

problems Take solution candidates one after another until very unusual

solutions are also generated For a start take a word or words, from “a dictionary at hand” to

feed the process and apply associations

Generated ideas without critics! Thus

– many potential solution candidates are generated

– whole problem dilemma may change!

For concluding the session

– analyze results for instance by SWOT, PMI and/or Mind Mapping

– Condensed (classified) ideas can be used to support new sessions or they can be used to support conventional solutions

*Edward de Bono, Serious Creativity, HarperBusiness, New York, US, 1992

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Brainstorming - Leader and Group tasks

Session leader (The leader must be selected!):– definition of the start-up point– gives limits to the problem– gives limits to discussions (These limits must be very broad)– minute amount of critics– encouraging and enthusiastic– follows (the fixed) session time table!– Takes care that ‘idea jamming’ is only temporary!

Session participants:– have diverged orientations related to the problem at hand– their background is as different as possible

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Individual vs. Group Brainstorming

Individual BS– many ideas– tendency to jam into fixed trails– easy to find unresolved questions

Group BS– ideas develop themselves into more deep form– ideas develop more efficiently– there might be less ideas (group follows what you say!)

One may mix individual and group barnstorming: For instance one might first BS of his own and then have a meeting based on each individual BS sessions.

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23 Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen

PMI ('Plus/Minus/Interesting')

A simple method for decision making When you are facing a difficult decision, simply draw up a table

headed up 'Plus', 'Minus', and 'Interesting'. – In the column underneath the 'Plus' heading, write down all

the positive points of taking the action. – Underneath the 'Minus' heading write down all the negative

effects. – In the 'Interesting' column write down the extended

implications of taking the action, whether positive or negative.

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Scoring your PMI table

You may be able to make a decision just from the table you have drawn up

Alternatively, consider each of the points you have written down and assign a positive or negative score to each appropriately

The scores you assign can be entirely subjective. Once you have done this, add up the score

A strongly positive score indicated that an action should be taken, a strongly negative score that it should be avoided

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A PMI Example

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Force Field Analysis

Objective: To create an unified description of the factors forming the problem. This is used to alter the process state to the wanted direction!

FFA is a weighted PMI method Benefits

– Describes all the relevant forces– Allows to plan

• contra strategies for negative forces• supporting strategies for positive forces

The FFA method: Identify, Sort and Grade the different forces and illustrate the problem by a diagram including the forces!

The first result of this method describes the current state Alteration of forces can change the current state to the

objective state!

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Force Field Analysis: Example

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Decision Trees

Usage: To analyze especially strictly economical and numerical decisions

Applicable when a lot of complicated information is associated to the decision making process

The analysis results in a system model that gives arguments to– make a justified ’best decision’– consider decision alternatives– understand effects of the decisions already undertaken– understand risks involved

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How to Draw a Decision Tree

Start with the decision that needs to be made In the tree squares represent decisions, circles represent

uncertainty or random factors. Therefore indicate the start with the square. Completed solution are indicated by just a line

From the starting box draw out lines towards the right for each possible solution, and write that solution along the line

At the end of each solution line, consider the results. If the result of taking that decision is uncertain, draw a small circle

If the result is another decision that needs to be made, draw another square. Write the decision or factor to be considered

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Consolidate=yhdistääReap=korjata

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Weight the Tree!

Now you are ready to evaluate the decision tree. This is where you can calculate the decision that has the greatest worth to you.

Start by assigning a cash or numeric value to each possible outcome - how much you think it would be worth to you. You should neglect the costs at this time.

Next look at each circle (representing an uncertainty point) and estimate the probability of each outcome.

If you use percentages, the total must come to 100% at each circle. If you use fractions, these must add up to 1. If you have data on past events you may be able to make rigorous estimates of the probabilities.Otherwise write down your best guess.

If you do not have statistical info apply civilized guesses!

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33 Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen

Considering the Tree: Net outcome of the alternate choices

Review of what has happed so far:– Net outcome of the potential solution are determined – branching alternative probabilities are evaluated

Next determine the true net outcome order of potential alternatives

Start from the right edge of the tree and indicate the true outcome of the each solution path as demonstrate on the next slide

The end result is an evaluation of the true net outcome associate to the each alternative

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Cash Outcome from the Potential Solutions

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Profit without expenses

Maximum profit while taking this path

Resulting total profit

Final Decision Tree with Costs

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Decision Trees Summarized

Decision trees provide an effective method for decision making because they:

clearly lay out the problem so that all choices can be viewed, discussed and challenged

provide a framework to quantify the outcome and the associated probability

help us to make the best decisions on the basis of our existing information (or the best guesses)

Successful application requires some statistical knowledge or sense (That is required for justified decisions anyhow .)

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Critical Path Analysis

A method for project analysis and management that points out the critical phases of the project.

Enables to define – minimum time span to complete the project– prioritization of tasks

Therefore it allows to focus on central project activities that require concentration of usable resources and activities.

Forms foundation for project scheduling and monitoring

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Series- and Parallel Activities

Analysis is based on identification of interdependent and independent project activities: For instance one can not put up the walls in a house before laying down the bases! However, much of the gardening planning can be done before the house is build up.

Series activities are interdependent: they must be processed in a certain order

Parallel activities can be processes relatively independently Series and parallel activities might be temporal, e.g. they are

defined for a certain project phase only.

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Critical Path Analysis: Listing the Project Phases

1. Give tittles for all the phases 2. Indicate for the each phase

– earliest possible starting time – estimated duration– estimate if the phase is of the serial type or the parallel type

Indicate interdependencies Try to make as complete listing as possible to reduce later

editing (=Get the required facts!)

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How to Estimate the Time Taken to Achieve Project Goals

Time evaluation is difficult for new tasks Typically time is underestimated due to

– Influence of the unexpected changes– Unscheduled high priority work is forgotten– Accidents and emergencies– Meetings– Break downs in equipment– Quality control rejections

If the accuracy of time estimates is critical, you may find it effective to develop a systematic approach to including these factors.

Typically realistic time estimation is done based on past experience.

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Plot the Tasks on a Graph Paper

Head up graph paper with the days or weeks through to task completion

Start on the earliest start dates, and mark on the duration

Show the tasks as arrows, and the ends of tasks with dots

Above the task arrows, mark the time taken to complete the task. Do not worry about task scheduling yet - all we are doing is setting up the first draft of the analysis

Once you have plotted the tasks, plot in lines to show dependencies

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46 Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen

Scheduling Activities

Take the draft analysis, and use it to schedule the actions in the plan, in such a way that sequential actions are carried out in the required sequence.

Parallel actions should be scheduled so that they do not interfere with sequential actions on the critical path, if possible.

While scheduling, bear in mind the resources you have available, and allow some slack time in the schedule for hold-ups, over-runs, failures in delivery, etc.

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Presenting the Analysis by Gantt Charts

Here time is marked out in columns across the chart, with individual tasks represented as arrows terminating at dots. The length and positions of the arrows show the start date and duration of the tasks

You may prefer to show tasks in pure Gantt format, as solid bars rather than arrows terminating in dots. Similarly you may prefer not to show the linkages between related tasks - this is a matter of personal taste and personal convention

The Critical Path is the longest sequence of dependent activities that lead to the completion of the plan. Any delay of a stage in the critical path will delay completion of the whole plan unless future sequential activities are speeded up

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A Gantt Chart

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Summarizing Critical Path Analysis

Critical Path Analysis is an efficient project planning tool that indicates– Project tasks – Parallel tasks – Serial tasks– Project time table – Required resources – Internal timing – The most important, interdependent tasks – Can be used to analyze risks when the critical path is

identified and secured

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Information skills*

How it is possible to extract information(1) from the raw data(2) efficiently? Two simple methods– Appreciation - The ’So what?’ - techniques – Mind Maps

Information skill include also concepts like– How to read efficiently - and extract what you need to know– Summarizing information– Speed reading - reading generally as fast as possible

(1) Information: Knowledge required to accomplish certain, bounded task, (2)Raw date: as an article in the Web or in a newspaper

*See G. Dryden, J. Vos: The Learning Revolution

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Appreciation: So what?

A technique for extracting the maximum amount of information from a simple fact.

Ask the question 'So what?' - i.e. What are the implications of that fact? Keep on asking that question until all possible inferences have been drawn.

Appreciation is a technique used by military planners, so we will take a military example

Fact: It rained heavily last night So What? The ground will be wet So What? It will turn into mud quickly

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Appreciation: So what? (cont.)

So What? If many troops and vehicles pass over the same ground,

movement will be progressively slower and more difficult as the ground gets muddier and more difficult.

So What? Where possible stick to coated roads or expect movement to be

slower than normal.

While it would be possible to reach this conclusion without the use of a formal technique, appreciation provided a framework within which inferences can be extracted quickly and effectively.

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Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping is a technique organizing information in its natural associative way, that is multidimensional.

Procedure: – List the main topic, subtopics and facts. Search short

expressions for them all.– Identify the main connections between themes– Set the main theme in the middle of the paper and arrange the

sub-themes to surround the main theme– Connect the themes– Use colors to separate different idea groups– Indicate interdependencies as the cause and consequence by

arrows– Use symbols and figures and even sub-maps to give to total

picture

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A Mind Mapping of Time Management

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Mind Mapping Summarized– A mindmap is an associate structure. Therefore its topology

contains a lot of information. – Mindmap allows to identify the essential features and links of

the problem at glance. – Mindmaps can be an extremely compact way to present

information. – A problem of mind mapping is that the chart may up to be so

messy that it can even hide the main themes. Therefore mindmap can, and should be cultivated after it is formed by pruning less important branches.

– Mindmaps can be created by a computer program or by using simple detachable notes in a blackboard.

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In Conclusion...

We discussed the following ”mind- and process mapping” techniques:

– SWOT and PMI analysis

– Brainstorming

– Force Field Analysis

– Decision Tree

– Critical Path Analysis

In addition we had a look on mind mapping and information extraction skills

The best way to learn these methods is to try them!