2011 Learning Group: The Service-Centred R&D

01.12.2011

Summary

Sustainable strength and often even survival of most Western enterprises is determined by the power of innovation within the service sector. As a consequence, companies increasingly transform themselves from manufacturing and goods-oriented organizations into service oriented organisations with much more direct customer access than what they were used to. The classic “product life-cycle management” (PLM) of tangible goods is more and more accompanied by the need to develop selected service products and customer relationships further. R&D necessarily has to keep pace with this transformation as it is part of the service creation.

Such a change towards a service-centered R&D needs to be well orchestrated to be effective, sustainable and successful. Reality shows that many of these transformations fail. Classic R&D often is not prepared to think “service”. For instance, innovation of services related to classic R&D and product development is not only about “what” is being offered but also “how” the service is being offered. Customers therefore play a very important role in this process, as do employees.

As a consequence, efforts must be made to assure that engineers, R&D management but also product management and marketing fully understand new services and deliver them in ways that are consistent with the provider’s vision. Also, the intangibility of services means that there are no patents to protect the innovation efforts. It is therefore difficult to prevent competitors from copying service innovations. This means that innovations can have short life cycles because they are easy to copy.

This one and a half day EIRMA Learning Group focuses on key elements to successfully transform towards service-centered R&D. It offers a well-balanced programme of tutoring, case studies and mutual learning in interactive sessions and discussions on service innovation and development.  

•  It shows how R&D not only supports service creation and provisioning, but also leads the efforts towards service.
•  It provides experiences to participants, as well as, traps and tips. The useful case studies  offer opportunities to underpin the learning with practical interactive examples and “by doing”.
•   The training shall complement the participants’ knowledge and competences in service development and service management.

Announcement

Target Audience

R&D and engineering managers that are interested in better integrating services in their organisation. Product managers and strategists who are about to move towards service development. Participants in this Learning Group do not need to have basic knowledge and experiences in service and service-centered R&D. The necessary ingredients and approaches will be briefly introduced and contrasted to their applicability.

To Register

Please return to us the registration form below as soon as possible but certainly before 25 August 2011. The 2011 Learning Group will be located in Paris.