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Product innovation is rarely a no-brainer. No company can afford to try every new idea or technology that comes along. Customer needs are always changing, hard data is often lacking, and timing is critical. Yet growth requires risk -- and action before opportunities slip away. The question is, which risk(s) are most worth taking and how do you justify the investment?  Many companies have found answers through product and technology roadmapping. When done correctly, roadmapping helps product developers make better decisions and forge more effective development strategies.   According to Dr. Jay Paap, one of the world’s foremost innovation experts, it all starts with ...
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Exclusive Webinar December 13, 2018  at 2:30pm EST

• How you can take advantage of ML today to enhance innovation and improve your new product development.
• How managing ML programs is different and how to change your process to derive full benefit.
• How to enhance your career by supporting or leading ML programs.

Taking advantage of the benefits of Data Science is no longer just for companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (FAANG) – we will show you how to leverage the benefits in your company. In this 60 minute, interactive webinar ...
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Are speed to market, fast-changing customer needs, and insufficient resources a challenge in your organization? If so, an Agile Stage Gate approach could help. This approach works for physical products and is faster and more flexible than traditional stage-gate. Plus, it can fit within your current set up – no need to buy or overhaul anything. However, implementation is not a slam-dunk, and many of you have asked us what to do. So we turned to Dr. Robert Cooper, the world's leading authority on Agile Stage Gate, for answers. Here are two of the most common questions we have received -- watch this ...
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In this age of Alexa, self-driving cars, and Google Home, it's clear that smart products are here to stay. But what's coming down the pike may surprise you. Imagine ten years from now when your intelligent "VitAImix" not only guides your recipes and grocery purchases, but influences the price of certain ingredients for everyone! Rebecca Chesney, Research Director, Institute for the Future (IFTF), explains in Three Strategies for Designing Kitchens of the Future: "As machine intelligence becomes an easily embedded utility service, connected objects are becoming capable of more sophisticated interactions. Amazon, Alexa, and Google Home are now answering open-ended questions about ingredient conversions and calories ...
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The third big question posed to Dr. Robert Cooper in our ‘Ask the Agile Stage-Gate Expert’ series is about roles of team members in Agile (versus traditional) stage-gate. Here is what he says:   Dr. Cooper: There is a fair amount of controversy and some disagreement among manufacturers regarding the ‘roles’ of people in the new Agile-Stage-Gate system. Some of the confusion comes from the fact that most manufacturers end up using a ‘blended’ system – most of their projects still use the traditional or classic gating process, and a smaller proportion – say 20% of projects (often the riskier or more ambiguous ...
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“How do we justify truly innovative projects when hard numbers are lacking?” By definition, truly innovative projects will have few, if any, 'hard numbers.’ You might hit it big – or not. But like the lottery, you have to play to win. The challenge is securing resources and having a realistic plan to hang in there until it makes sense not to.   According to technology and innovation expert Jay Paap, president of Paap Associates, a common mistake companies make is to minimize risk by waiting until unknowns are resolved. Unfortunately, the consequence is missing the window of opportunity while competitors step in.   There ...
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Recently published research by Dr. Robert Cooper in Research-Technology Management and the Journal of Product Innovation Management documents how leading organizations are blending Agile techniques within their Stage Gate systems for all kinds of products, not just software. This emerging approach allows organizations to gain the speed and rapid customer feedback of Agile methods along with the control systems and longer-term planning capabilities offered by Stage Gate systems.  Dr. Cooper offers public and inhouse workshops on how leading organizations are combining Agile methods with their stage-gate systems and achieving superb results. This is a great opportunity to get expert guidance on how ...
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