Volume 8, #1 February 2010
Time for a Tune-Up
Five Tell-Tale Rattles that Signal Scheduled Maintenance for Product Development
By Sheila Mello
My car dealership is masterful at reminding me about scheduled maintenance. Every few months, I receive a flyer offering discounts on everything from an oil change or a minor service to a tire rotation or a major service. The flyer is even personalized, letting me know how many months (and estimated miles) have elapsed since my last visit.
A cynic's view says the dealership is out to maximize service revenue. But it takes only one good catch, like the frayed belt that's replaced before the 500-mile road trip, to create an argument for the benefits of regularly scheduled maintenance.
The same argument applies to regularly tuning up your product definition, product development, VOC, and product portfolio processes. Many projects begin with a spark of dissatisfaction or because something is actually wrong (think: sparks flying from your engine -- time to visit the mechanic!). The spark provides momentum and enthusiasm: You mobilize your team to make a change.
The further you drive away from the end of the project, the greater the chance that something has gone out of alignment. The process still runs, but not as smoothly or efficiently as it could.
Like the attentive car dealer, we recommend periodic tune-ups. This not only has the potential to avert major crises, but, like an engine tune-up, can make programs run more efficiently and extend the original investment in a program. And, unlike major repairs, tune-ups are relatively inexpensive.
Assuming the wheels have not completely fallen off your process, how can you tell whether you might benefit from a tune-up? Here are some questions to ask to help you decide:
1. How consistently do you apply the process? Like lawn fertilizer, spotty application leads to spotty results. If you are not using the process consistently, a tune-up can identify simple ways to encourage more groups and individuals to adopt the process.
2. How many months/years have passed since you initiated the process? If years have passed since the process was first introduced, does everyone currently using it understand it? Have you sustained the momentum that got the process started?
3. What are your project slip rates? Are you achieving dependable and satisfactory time-to-market goals with your new products?
4. Have you put in place effective metrics for success? Without metrics, you can't know whether you're driving a performance sports car or a junkyard-bound clunker. Spending time to tune the evaluation portion of your process can lead you toward the root causes of inadequate results.
5. Do you have a subject matter expert?If the person/people who managed the process or was the expert in applying the process is no longer there, have you filled that role with an adequate replacement?
Especially with diminished budgets, you may not be able to afford a complete program overhaul. But a judicious investment in any one or a few of the above areas can fine-tune existing processes to keep your product development engine humming.
Have a program in need of a tune-up? I'll put on my blue coveralls and get out my wrenches. Call (617-723-1150) or e-mail me.
