#176 – CAN ENGINEERING AND MARKETING GET ALONG? – GARY HINKLE

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02WEB-144x150-144x150They’re selling features we haven’t even designed yet!—is a common complaint from engineers about sales and marketing. Requirements are a moving target, thanks to marketing. They’re not well-defined. They’re growing and changing, yet deadlines and schedules are firm.

While engineering is pointing fingers at marketing, marketing is pointing back. Engineers aren’t getting the importance of cost, schedule, and features. To marketing, it seems that engineers care about creating technically superior solutions, regardless of cost or schedule. Continue reading

#176 – POWER COMMUNICATIONS – PETER HOLTMANN

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179fed3-150x150If I gave you six minutes only to communicate your next project; your current workload; the past hurdles; your wish list of positive activities; your best learning’s, how would you use the time? Remember only six minutes.

If I asked you to write down for me your thoughts on how you would change your work outcomes, how much would you write about the past, the present and the future? Let’s say I gave you six paragraphs to do it in with a 250 word-count limit. Continue reading

#176 – TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY ACCELERATED LIFE TESTING – FRED SCHENKELBERG

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ABC FredHigh temperature & humidity is a common test condition. For specific failure mechanisms there are models available (or you can create a model) to determine the translation from test to use conditions.

These acceleration models generally only apply to one specific failure mechanisms and do not apply to a system level estimate of life. If the failure mechanism is the dominate failure mechanism for the product, then an ALT exploring just that mechanisms would provide a life estimate. Continue reading

#176 – REPUTATIONAL RISK AND ERM – JAMES K. KLINE PH.D. CERM

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aIMG_4231-150x150Introduction

It is estimated that an organization’s reputation accounts for over a quarter of its market value. As such managing reputational risk has become an important issue for C-Suite members.  This piece examines the issues surrounding reputational risk and how an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) approach can help manage this risk. (This piece is an extension of an earlier piece on Reputation and Risk presented in #153.) Continue reading

#176 – HORSESHOWS AND CERTIFICATIONS – MURRAY GONZALEZ

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Untitled-150x150-1My family has owned horses for many years. Showing horses is a natural extension of this ownership. Equestrians are, by nature, typically somewhat athletic, but also, they can be fiercely competitive. The true purpose of horseshows, however, is for the equestrian to hone his or her skills to become more proficient at riding. Carriage driving, another equestrian sport I’ve engaged in, can also be quite competitive. As it turns out, those who prepare the best win the most in both showing horses and in the professional arena. Continue reading