Bringing the lost art of systems engineering & integration back to well control equipment
Is the Thought of Ramping Up Making You Feel Queasy?
You're not alone. We recently had lunch with a client who has a new and popular proprietary design and is ramping up production to meet increased demand. The client is looking for us to help identify key machining and welding/fabrication support. But, as with all...
read moreDeveloping A Working Prototype Takes Years, Right? Wrong!
In a previous post, Frank emphasized the challenges of product development and the importance of pre-planning and having an A-Team involved. We put his assertions to the test over the past 2 months by developing a product that allows a non-hazardous tool to be safely...
read moreHearing This Really Set Me Off!
I heard some depressing commentary last week regarding FMECAs (Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis). The commentary went something like this: the FMECA process is expensive, it ties up a lot of resources and offers little value. Further, on a...
read moreDon’t Gamble on Monte Carlo Until You Do This First
During a lunch conversation last week, I offhandedly mentioned that Monte Carlo analysis should be a risk management tool for only the most mature of organizations. My remark led to an interesting conversation which leads to this tip. What's Monte Carlo anyway? In...
read moreIt’s All About Customer Service: A New Year with (Re)New Processes
Well here we are, a month into the new year. And in the vein of "everything old is new again", this new year has brought a renewed emphasis on improvement. Basically, there is much more to keep track of than I can keep in my head. So, I chose to focus on "sharpening...
read moreProduct Development Doesn’t Have to be Painful
We’ve been busy these past few weeks. In addition to helping customers improve their businesses, we've been working on a product development challenge. The challenge involves producing a new system that enables remote control from a hazardous area for a tool located...
read moreRemember When Product Development Finished on Time and on Budget? Neither do we!
We have found that the best projects typically have sufficient planning up front. This has been accomplished with a handful of the right people, most of the time. This "A-Team" is typically diverse, with decades of experience. The team is capable of: understanding the...
read moreBitcoin, the Laws of Nature, and Your Project
Making no judgement about whether or not Bitcoin is a good investment, the following chart got me thinking about exponential growth, the Laws of Nature, and project success: The graph overlays Bitcoin’s exponential rise on top of previous “bubbles”. One thing we can...
read moreSolving Problems – It’s What We Do
Most of you know that we are continuously looking to help others solve their most challenging problems. It’s what we do - connecting the dots and aligning resources for the purpose of helping our clients. What is your big hairy problem? Why do I ask? Well, let me tell...
read moreAssess Your Schedule, Tip #5
A few weeks ago I started the "Assess Your Schedule" series in response to a client who asked me what things I look for when I see a schedule for the first time. This week, for my final post in this series I'm going to talk about cost. Sorry, this is more of a stream...
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