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Development Process
There are many important factors to take
into consideration when developing a solution for a problem.
Two of the major ones that I concentrate on in every project
are the usability of the product and the ability to expand
upon the developed solution to accommodate future
requirements. Both of these themes are evident throughout
the work that I do and hints of each can be seen in the case
studies, even though the case studies are brief synopses of
projects that may have taken several months or years and can
in no way come close to giving the full experience of the
solution.
No solution is any good if the people who
are using it are unable to accomplish what they need to.
Sometimes the solution is so complex that users are unaware
how to use it or find it too cumbersome. Other times the
functionality that the users need was never built in because
no one ever asked them what it was that they needed to do,
especially if the requirements are specified by someone
else. Often times upon seeing what can be done users have
more ideas about additional things that they'd like to be
able to do. Therefore it is important to treat the
requirements of any project as fluid and ever-changing and
involve the actual users in helping to determine what the
requirements are.
The easiest things to do are things that
have already been done. Likewise, the easiest things to use
are things that already exist. A solution is much more
valuable if it is able to be reused multiple times for
multiple purposes because it greatly reduces the amount of
development effort and time necessary. Since requirements
are often fluid and changing based on what the users need
anyway developing a solution that is easy to expand upon is
doubly important - not just for the current project, but for
any project in the future that may be an offshoot.
Non-Traditional Problem Solving
Methods
Often the worst way to beat an adversary
is to follow a completely formulaic pattern that could cause
your decisions to be easily predicted. If your adversary
knows what you're likely to do it's much easier to conquer
you and lead you into situations that you'd rather not be
in.
While straight logic and reason are
certainly very helpful tools in most circumstances often the
sole reliance on logic and reason can lead to a solution
that is sub optimized overall as the whole of the solution
is greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore I tend to
employ counterintuitive thought and busting requirements as
part of the problem-solving process.
Counterintuitive ideas are those which
don't seem like they would logically work at first glance.
However, by not confining yourself to that which is expected
to work often new possibilities are opened up as different
avenues are explored. If you knew exactly what was going to
work to begin with there would be no problem to solve
anyway.
Requirements often get in the way of
actually solving a problem. For each requirement or
stipulation, ask yourself if there is an underlying reason
that the requirement exists, such as the assumption that it
would be cheaper or easier to purchase one part instead of
two. An example might be that your project requires that all
parts run on 12 volts because it's cheaper to buy one power
supply than two. However, by busting through this
requirement you might see that you can buy a computer power
supply that provides you with 3.3 and 5 volts in addition to
12 volts for a reasonable price, thus meeting the intention
of the original requirement while allowing you additional
flexibility.
I'm sure this is not what the
manufacturer of the orangutan originally intended
Business Specialties
Figuring out what your customers want
Will your customers be
rushing out to buy your latest product, or will it be a
flop? Do you really know what your customers want? Are you
trying to deliver something they don't really care about but
missing the things that they aren't able to tell you that
they need?
There are countless stories
about potentially great products that were introduced to the
market but failed for reasons that could have been uncovered
beforehand. By spending some time on the front end to
investigate, the probability of success for your project
will be much higher. Proven product development tools can
make sure that you're putting your efforts in the right
place and that your end result is going to be something that
your customers enjoy.
Business
Strategy and Value Capture
Fighting a war without a
good strategy is a surefire way to ensure that your
competitors exploit your weaknesses and win instead of you.
Trying to innovate without a strategy to protect your
innovation doesn't make much sense either.
Through careful analysis and
planning strategies can be crafted to make sure that you
profit from your innovation instead of copycats or your
competitors. There are many great ideas out there, but there
are things you can do to ensure that you're the one who
profits from your hard work instead of somebody else.
Innovation Management
Which project should I fund
next? Is it better to go after something with a high risk
and high reward, or to concentrate on projects where the
outcome is not so uncertain? How can I get the most value
out of the innovative projects that I'm currently working
on? What's the best way to prepare my company for the
future? How can I make my company more innovative?
These are all very important
questions. The wrong choices could send your company into a
death spiral, while the right ones will open up a whole
field of profitable possibilities that will give you a leg
up over the competition.
Disruptive
Innovation
Are you trying to introduce
a new product into the market to compete with something
that's already well established? How can you make sure that
it will be competitive against the current entrenched
products? Or are you concerned that someone may be able to
undercut a product that you are offering? Don't allow your
competitors to blindside you without doing something to
protect yourself!
Business Process
Research and Evaluation
Are you curious why things
are happening the way they are in your company or why it
takes so long to get something done? Why don't things happen
the way you expect them to? Would instituting a new policy
really benefit your organization? By researching issues such
as these, recommendations can be made which will help your
company.
Technical Specialties
Mechanical and
Electromechanical Design and
Development
Do you have a mechanical
engineering problem that needs to be solved? Perhaps a small
or large device that you need help designing? Costs that
need to be cut? Or functionality that needs to be enhanced?
Make sure you take advantage of the best help available!
Software Development
Do you have a repetitive or
time-consuming data processing task that you'd rather have
automated? Is there an analysis that you would like to have
performed every day? Having a computer program developed to
handle your problems can save you lots of time and headaches
as your tasks can be done automatically and the potential
for errors can be reduced or even eliminated.
Database Development
Are you doing something in
Excel that's just getting a little bit too complicated? An
Access Database could be exactly what you need. Proven and
time-tested development techniques ensure that even people
who have never used Access before can jump right in to a
properly designed database with very little training and
begin experiencing the benefits of automation. The use of a
properly-designed database also allows multiple users to
access the data simultaneously for added benefits.
Human Factors
Do you have a process that
people are having a tough time figuring out or working with?
Are they making too many errors? Is the process
uncomfortable? Do you hate programs that have a terrible
user interface? By taking a Human Factors approach to
redesigning things, the tasks can be made much easier for
the humans involved.
Ethnography
How are people using a
product or service? Is this actually the way you think that
they're using it? By studying how people interact with
devices around them, you can gain insight that will enable
your next generation of products to meet the needs of your
customers even better.
Green Design
Are sustainability and
environmentally-friendly design important to your company or
your customers? Make sure that your company is doing
everything it can to take advantage of the benefits of
environmental friendliness!
Click here for case studies and
more information

Brian Feldman -
2/22/2010
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Cell:
484-695-5651
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