Archive for December, 2010

  • In my experience, I've seen many sales and marketing executives take over the CEO role, but what about technical folks, like engineers, stepping into the CEO role? It certainly can be frequent with startups where a technology visionary builds the company from the ground up. But what about engineers stepping into the role for established manufacturers?

    Do Engineers Make Good CEOs?

    Posted on December 30, 2010 | 32 Comments
    In my experience, I've seen many sales and marketing executives take over the CEO role, but what about technical folks, like engineers, stepping into the CEO role? It certainly can be frequent with startups where a technology visionary builds the company from the ground up. But what about engineers stepping into the role for established manufacturers?

    Continue Reading...

  • Ready for the next step in your career? Well, at least you're not alone. Many engineers, feeling like the best opportunity for a better income lies in a managerial track, frequently ask themselves what they need to do to take that next step.

    Sage Advice from Executive Chris Weiss for Aspiring Engineering Managers

    Posted on December 29, 2010 | 1 Comment
    Ready for the next step in your career? Well, at least you're not alone. Many engineers, feeling like the best opportunity for a better income lies in a managerial track, frequently ask themselves what they need to do to take that next step.

    Continue Reading...

  • Just a quick note here to wish everyone a great holiday season. I hope it's restful and enjoyable for you all.

    Happy Holidays to All

    Posted on December 23, 2010 | No Comments
    Just a quick note here to wish everyone a great holiday season. I hope it's restful and enjoyable for you all.

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  • At the end of November, in a post called Are Engineers and their Employers Growing More Distant, I cite some points from a blog post by Jeffrey Pfeffer over at the Harvard Business Review called Take Care of Yourself First. I obviously saw this as a proof point behind a widening gap between engineers and manufacturers, but I think there's also a little more at work here.

    Could Engineering Transform into a Networked Service?

    Posted on December 22, 2010 | 6 Comments
    At the end of November, in a post called Are Engineers and their Employers Growing More Distant, I cite some points from a blog post by Jeffrey Pfeffer over at the Harvard Business Review called Take Care of Yourself First. I obviously saw this as a proof point behind a widening gap between engineers and manufacturers, but I think there's also a little more at work here.

    Continue Reading...

  • It is a fast-paced and complicated world, isn't it? While we've gotten instant access to information around the world, I think it's gotten harder for each of us individually to really understand what's going on in the world. There's simply too much to register. I think that's why, in general, we like concise perspectives that distill the gist of a situation so we can come to a conclusion and move on quickly.

    Does SharePoint Add Complexity to PLM?

    Posted on December 21, 2010 | 27 Comments
    It is a fast-paced and complicated world, isn't it? While we've gotten instant access to information around the world, I think it's gotten harder for each of us individually to really understand what's going on in the world. There's simply too much to register. I think that's why, in general, we like concise perspectives that distill the gist of a situation so we can come to a conclusion and move on quickly.

    Continue Reading...

  • Back at the beginning of December, I published a post titled The Very Real Skillset Challenges of Simulation Drive Design. It identified four main areas of knowledge or skills needed to really make a simulation driven design initiative successful including. It also looked at some typical engineer roles and their ability to gain and keep these four types of skills or knowledge.

    Is Teamwork the Key to Simulation Driven Design?

    Posted on December 17, 2010 | 16 Comments
    Back at the beginning of December, I published a post titled The Very Real Skillset Challenges of Simulation Drive Design. It identified four main areas of knowledge or skills needed to really make a simulation driven design initiative successful including. It also looked at some typical engineer roles and their ability to gain and keep these four types of skills or knowledge.

    Continue Reading...

  • Now, we all know the engineering organization is horridly busy. Development projects are sorely understaffed and engineers are overworked. But if the engineering manager is to take on an enabling role for the organization, not as an individual contributor but one that drives greater productivity from the entire organization, they must take on this challenge.

    What’s the Importance of Employee Alignment in Engineering?

    Posted on December 17, 2010 | 6 Comments
    Now, we all know the engineering organization is horridly busy. Development projects are sorely understaffed and engineers are overworked. But if the engineering manager is to take on an enabling role for the organization, not as an individual contributor but one that drives greater productivity from the entire organization, they must take on this challenge.

    Continue Reading...

  • A week or so ago, I iterated on a framework on terms and definitions for new technologies and paradigms used for 3D modeling. To provide a simplified view for quick reference, I wanted to highlight which capabilities are most commonly associated with feature-history modeling and direct modeling respectively.

    Quick Reference for Feature-History vs. Direct Modeling Differences

    Posted on December 16, 2010 | No Comments
    A week or so ago, I iterated on a framework on terms and definitions for new technologies and paradigms used for 3D modeling. To provide a simplified view for quick reference, I wanted to highlight which capabilities are most commonly associated with feature-history modeling and direct modeling respectively.

    Continue Reading...

  • Since PLM was first conceived, it has almost been inseparable from PDM. The majority of PLM deployments included PDM as part of the PLM deployments. However, more recently, the idea that PDM must be deployed with PLM has been eschewed. Some new PLM solutions only offer plug-ins or integrations to 3rd party PDM systems, all of which is optional. Is this a good or bad idea?

    PDM-less PLM: Is It Pragmatic or Just Problematic?

    Posted on December 15, 2010 | 14 Comments
    Since PLM was first conceived, it has almost been inseparable from PDM. The majority of PLM deployments included PDM as part of the PLM deployments. However, more recently, the idea that PDM must be deployed with PLM has been eschewed. Some new PLM solutions only offer plug-ins or integrations to 3rd party PDM systems, all of which is optional. Is this a good or bad idea?

    Continue Reading...

  • A few days ago, I came across a very interesting blog post over at engineering.com that details out a Day in the Life of an Automotive Design Engineer by Pawl Bearing. Besides being a somewhat funny and perhaps scary read, I think its fascinating because it seems like a realistic view into the day to day life of an engineer.

    Do Engineers Have the Broadest Reach Within The Enterprise?

    Posted on December 14, 2010 | 1 Comment
    A few days ago, I came across a very interesting blog post over at engineering.com that details out a Day in the Life of an Automotive Design Engineer by Pawl Bearing. Besides being a somewhat funny and perhaps scary read, I think its fascinating because it seems like a realistic view into the day to day life of an engineer.

    Continue Reading...

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