The home of QR_'s Industry Reflections column, the PLM Essentials series, and topically pertinent thoughts from across the QR_ business and wider industry.
QR_ Insights
A founding principle of QR_ is to approach PDM from a people rather than systems centric worldview. With this in mind, we publish a series of Quality Reads aimed at offering up insight and real-world examples.
‘Industry Reflections' covers the key challenges faced by both start-ups and established manufacturers, as we navigate a world of increasingly disruptive technology.
'PLM Essentials' touches upon the aspects of PLM any business must get right to accelerate their complex engineering product development, including how to create processes and systems that will help your organisation deliver the innovation it requires to thrive in an ever more competitive marketplace.
'Recommended Reads' explores recently or frequently encountered questions and conundrums through a data lens, with insight on how to best address them.
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The Why, How, and What of PLM: Key messages for business leaders and influencers
What do you and your organization call “product lifecycle management”, a.k.a. PLM, and how does it resonate with your employees, management board, partners, customers, and suppliers? In 2009, Simon Sinek introduced the Golden Circle idea in his book ‘Start With Why’ as he explained that “organizations need to move past knowing what they do to how they do it, and then to ask the more important question: why?”
Find out moreThe universal language
“Communication works for those who work at it.” It’s easy to focus on engineering and variant complexity, but a lot of fog and friction within NPD programmes comes from communication complexity. Here QR_ founding director Rob Ferrone draws on orchestras and elephants to illustrate the fundamental but often overlooked importance of effective communication in the context of complex engineering programmes, offering four top criteria for getting it right. As is often the case, a lot comes down to focusing more on people than systems, and getting the right data in front of the right people at the right time.
Find out morePre-requisites for introducing successful ECM in a start-up
When working with start-ups, Engineering Change Management (ECM) is often among the first processes identified as required and implemented by the QR_ team. This paper outlines the key pre-requisites that should be in place for ECM to function effectively. For each area, a minimum and ideal requirement specification has been outlined. Although having the ‘ideal’ requirements in place will help ECM function more effectively from day one and reduce process iterations, making decisions and implementing change management quickly is the priority to gain control of the change throughput. Therefore, a balance must be struck between speed and creating an ideal environment for implementation.
Find out moreLatest Insights
The Why, How, and What of PLM: Key messages for business leaders and influencers
What do you and your organization call “product lifecycle management”, a.k.a. PLM, and how does it resonate with your employees, management board, partners, customers, and suppliers? In 2009, Simon Sinek introduced the Golden Circle idea in his book ‘Start With Why’ as he explained that “organizations need to move past knowing what they do to how they do it, and then to ask the more important question: why?”
Find out moreIndustry Reflections - 14. Value stream mapping
For the 14th instalment of 'Industry Reflections', Lionel Grealou examines value stream mapping, and how it can empower stakeholders at all levels to implement improvements and changes that add measurable value to their organization.
Find out moreForbes identifies QR_ among "world's best management consulting firms"
Based on client and peer feedback, QR_ now features on the Forbes 'World's Best Management Consulting Firms' list for the first time. Here’s our take on how we can mix it with the heavy hitters and in many cases come out on top.
Find out moreThe universal language
“Communication works for those who work at it.” It’s easy to focus on engineering and variant complexity, but a lot of fog and friction within NPD programmes comes from communication complexity. Here QR_ founding director Rob Ferrone draws on orchestras and elephants to illustrate the fundamental but often overlooked importance of effective communication in the context of complex engineering programmes, offering four top criteria for getting it right. As is often the case, a lot comes down to focusing more on people than systems, and getting the right data in front of the right people at the right time.
Find out moreIndustry Reflections - 13. Business process engineering: right-sized solutions
For the 13th instalment of 'Industry Reflections', Lio Grealou elaborates on the value of effective process design and mapping, discussing the QR_ approach towards value-driven process solutioning and problem solving.
Find out moreThe people behind PLM
Rob Ferrone, founding director at Quick Release_ takes a look behind the PLM curtain, discussing the many forms and functions within the industry and the benefits of an integrated, people-centric approach.
Find out moreIndustry Reflections - 12. Looking at the big picture: integrated engineering change
For the 12th instalment of 'Industry Reflections', Lio Grealou follows on from Harley Beattie's recent thoughts on Engineering Change Management (ECM) with a higher-level view of what it takes to successfully integrate systems, process and people to build trust in data. Get it right, and better data will underpin enhanced change traceability, improved governance and enhanced engineering efficiency,
Find out moreIndustry Reflections - 11. Navigating the business change roadmap when implementing new operational capabilities
In the 11th instalment of his 'Industry Reflections' series, Lio Grealou discusses what it takes to build credible holistic business change roadmaps and associated considerations essential to successfully implementing new operational capabilities.
Find out moreDigital Plumbing: Diagnosing and fixing enterprise data leaks
An open discussion with Rob Ferrone, Quick Release_ co-founder and director, about bringing together product, enterprise, and customer data to deliver insight in a pragmatic, immediate, and outcome focused way. Why the "digital plumbing" analogy? In short, it refers to connecting things across a combination of data, processes, and IT systems—a.k.a. the product data management professionals, men and women who are able to think out-of-the-box and bridge the gap across business and technical domains.
Find out morePre-requisites for introducing successful ECM in a start-up
When working with start-ups, Engineering Change Management (ECM) is often among the first processes identified as required and implemented by the QR_ team. This paper outlines the key pre-requisites that should be in place for ECM to function effectively. For each area, a minimum and ideal requirement specification has been outlined. Although having the ‘ideal’ requirements in place will help ECM function more effectively from day one and reduce process iterations, making decisions and implementing change management quickly is the priority to gain control of the change throughput. Therefore, a balance must be struck between speed and creating an ideal environment for implementation.
Find out moreEstablishing effective Product Data Management: The lifeblood of any complex engineering programme
Effective product data management is a requisite of any complex engineering programme. Organisations that can get their products to market faster, better prepared and more efficiently will clearly be the winners. Without a capable PDM solution, your organisation could face reduced productivity, quality failures and loss in revenue; ultimately losing ground against competitors. From individual components to complete systems and assemblies, QR_ provide a fully-supported and scalable solution that delivers real results.
Find out moreQR_ 'Insightinar' #3: managing data against shortage
How the automotive chip shortage came about, and how better use of existing data can mitigate against supply chain disruption.
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