Article: Expert Warns: "Current State of R&D Metrics...is bad..."

Why this conference is important – metrics to ensure that your innovation efforts yield more value

R&D investments continue to be under more scrutiny as sluggish economic conditions stall and the pressure to do more with less persists across multiple industries. How can you ensure that your R&D dollars are being spent wisely? If your company is like most, innovation is likely a top priority but few metrics are in place to effectively measure its payback. According to a 2008 Boston Consulting Survey*, only 35% of executives are satisfied with their company's current innovation measurement practices. In addition, most companies surveyed use five or fewer metrics to track their innovation efforts. Finding the right metrics to effectively monitor and measure innovation effectiveness and new product development performance is critical; failure to select and implement the right measures can mean missed opportunities, misallocated resources and poor decision-making.

That’s why this issue is the main theme of Management Roundtable’s 13th Annual Conference, Product Development Metrics: Achieving Higher Returns on Innovation Investments with Aligned Strategies and Metrics, to be held October 19 – 21, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. This highly acclaimed annual event will bring together top innovation and product development metrics thought leaders and advanced industry practitioners to discuss the current trends and latest thinking on what key measures should be included in your company’s metrics dashboard to accurately assess the impact of innovation and product development on growth and profitability.

*Measuring Innovation Survey 2008, Squandered Opportunities, Boston Consulting Group.

15 KEY BENEFITS

By participating, you will learn:

• How to close the R&D information gap by applying the concept of “information turns” in your R&D environment
• What “heads-up design” metrics are, how to gain significant value from them and what impact they can have on changing the way portfolio and design decisions are made
• What high performing innovators are doing differently than average or ‘poor performers’ with their innovation metrics and how it impacts the bottom line
• Key metrics to accelerate innovation, drive execution and maximize return on R&D investments
• About Georgia Tech Research Institute’s system’s methodology to assess and manage innovation – specific methods for attaching value to emerging technologies and R&D activities
• DuPont’s approach of using market-based metrics coupled with methodologies to accelerate execution, provide adaptability and successful innovation for high risk/reward investments
• How to identify metrics for short, medium and long term innovation
• About the mix of internal and external metrics used at 3M to balance disciplined cost cutting with the right level of reinvestment in R&D
• What the Kennametal Value Business System (KVBS) - a set of six processes, associated tools, and metrics used throughout the company to manage strategic planning, portfolio management, lean, talent development, customer excellence, and new product development.
• How reinforcing the linkage of metrics both top-down and across the organization can help foster a performance driven culture and challenge greater accountability of project teams
• About Millipore’s current metrics system and their approach to developing clear decision making linkages between their stage-gate process, project, and portfolio reviews, as well as the importance of embedding these into company culture.
• How Amway approached its implementation of profitability, consumer focus, open innovation and human capital development metrics.
• What efforts GSK Consumer Healthcare Research and Development took to establish an appropriate balance between internal and external R&D efforts – role of metrics in helping to find the right balance
• How the effective use of metrics can help your company become more efficient at prioritizing both internal and external innovation initiatives and help you reap more value from your partnering efforts
• How metrics can drive the innovation process and minimize conflicts in partnering activities

Special Features

Streamlined Schedule: The conference agenda has been specifically designed to provide robust learning and networking opportunities in a compact agenda to minimize your time out of the office.

Cutting-Edge Keynote Presenters: Hear what top experts and advanced practitioners in product development and innovation have to say about increasing ROI on innovation and R&D activities and what to expect in the future.

Leadership Session on Metrics for Measuring Advanced Development Activities
If you’re struggling to find the right method to measure advanced development activities and want to hear the latest cutting edge thinking, reserve your seat early for this special session with renowned product development and R&D expert, Bradford L. Goldense, President, GGI.

Pre-Conference Tutorials: Take full advantage of your time at the conference and register for one of two pre-conference tutorials. The sessions are limited to just 35 participants and are included in the cost of your registration. Filled on a first-come, first served basis – register early to ensure your seat at the table! See page X for more details.

A. Advanced Topics: Knowledge Turn Metrics; Design for Gross Margin
B. Using the Four Panel Approach for your R&D Scorecard

Metrics Panel Session – Bring your toughest metrics questions to the table and find out how leading practitioners and top experts would address your metrics identification and implementation challenges. Learn what metrics they would recommend (and why) to measure return on R&D and innovation investments.

Content Application Sessions – Participate in small, facilitated group discussion forums to analyze conference take-aways, select key metrics for your company, determine what resources will be needed to successfully implement innovation and R&D metrics in your organization. And more importantly, you’ll build a network of like-minded practitioners that you can connect with on an ongoing basis to build on your knowledge of innovation metrics and current trends in measuring R&D effectiveness and NPD performance.

Special Team Discounts: Teams of 3 or more may deduct $100 per person from the conference fee. For teams of 6+, please call 781-891-8080 or 800-338-2223.

Keynote Presenters:

John Ranieri
VP & General Manager
DuPont Applied BioSciences

Dr. Gregg Zank
Corporate Vice President & CTO, Executive Director of Science & Technology
Dow Corning

Tom McDermott
Deputy Director & Director of Research
Georgia Tech Research Institute

Dr. Christopher Musso
Associate Principal
McKinsey & Company 

Metrics Leadership Session:

Bradford L. Goldense
President
Goldense Group, Inc.

Tutorial Instructors:

Wayne Mackey
Principal
Product Development Consulting, Inc.

Brian Krichbaum
President
Process Coaching, Inc. 

Case Study Presenters:

George Coulston
VP, RD&E
Kennametal

Peter Fritz
Manufacturing Manager
3M

Patrice Gausselin
Sr. Research Scientist, Product Development R&D
Amway Global

Greg Grashoff
Director, Strategic Global Resourcing
GlaxoSmithKline

John Tao
Vice President, Open Innovation
Weyerhaeuser

 * Download the brochure on the right for session abstracts and additional details

Who Should Attend

This conference is highly recommended for anyone charged with boosting innovation and return on R&D investment. It will be especially valuable to VPs, Directors and Managers of:

• Product Development
• R&D
• Technology Development
• Process Improvement
• Advanced Concept Development
• Innovation
• Open Innovation
• New Business Development
• Strategy
• Finance

To jumpstart implementation and facilitate organizational alignment, it is suggested that at least two members of your organization attend together; ideally at both the senior and project management level.  Click on the "Fees & Logistics" page above for information on team discounts and group rates.
 

What past participants say about the MRT Metrics conference:

I discovered many contradictions in the presenters’ information, but in the end all agreed on the criticality and the need for learning and knowledge gained measures. --Steve Ledbetter, Schneider Electric

It is very valuable to meet with Product Development Experts (both consultants and companies practicing PD) in formal presentations and informal settings. Networking with this group of people now and in the future will pay for my time and the trip many times over. --Bill Foster, Teledyne Isco

Outstanding opportunity to share insights, practical experience, and emerging methods. Invaluable sanity check for anyone charged with product development responsibility. --Randy Iliff, Bit7

After three participations to this conference, I can honestly say it is more than a refresher. Revisiting the metrics you use is a must and a conference gives you the best benchmarks you can find. --Michel Arnault, Exfo

Excellent mix of thought leader concepts and R&D leader metric examples and results. --Rich Gildersleeve, DJO

I tend to go to conferences with low expectations, mainly for the networking. This conference consistently surprised me with the quality of the speakers and the two or three presentations that were truly seminal. --Don DeLauder, Medrad, Inc.

The quality of conference speakers was tremendous. If you attended this conference, you'd walk away with an in-depth understanding of business metrics which drive success.  --Brian Burlingame, Merck & CO.

This event was timely and I appreciate the thoughtful, relevant content from each of the speakers. The overall organization of the event was particularly impressive - from the website and email communication to keeping the agenda on time and coordinating Q&A. Very excellent! --Steve Payne, Johns Mansville

The real value of this conference is the mind expanding discussions that provide options and notions that one (person or company) may not think of on their own.  --Bobbie Williams, Sandia National Labs

I was very impressed by the speakers and the attendee list. Wide variety of leading companies were there and gave credibility to the speakers messages. --Derek Mackie, Huskey Injection

Home run! Provocative concepts for fundamentally changing the games of innovation and product development excellence. I am walking away with tools and knowledge that could never have been acquired through experience alone. --Chris Bardeggia, Whirlpool

Excellent conference for the executive who wants to know more about how to raise the bar for product development and innovation performance. --Terry Vance, The Quazar group

Dates:
October 19 – 21, 2009. The conference registration and continental breakfast begin at 7:00 am on October 19, 2009 and the program adjourns at 12:15pm on October 21, 2009.

Fees:
The conference fee is $2295. Fee includes the two day conference, pre-conference tutorials, program materials, luncheons, wine/beer-and-cheese reception, continental breakfasts, and refreshment breaks.

Team and Group Discounts:
Teams of 3 or more may deduct $100 per person from the conference fee. For teams of 6+, please call Tracey Kimball, Conference Director, at 781-891-8080 ext. 214 or via email at tracey@roundtable.com.

No-Risk Guarantee:
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed – money-back or credit.  If for any reason you are not satisfied, let us know in writing and we will refund your entire conference fee.

Venue and Accommodations:
The conference will be held at the: The Hilton Walt Disney World Resort, 1751 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. Call 407.827.4000 or 1.800.Hiltons directly and be sure to mention that you will be attending Management Roundtable's "Metrics Conference." A limited number of rooms are available at a special rate of $189/night until September 25, 2009, 2007, please reserve early.