Product Development Challenges

[srollins]

What is the need for Process Training? How is process training different than feature function training?


Darcy Parker discusses today

 

[Mindripper]

I don't know about the definition of these terms as seen by PTC, but I do know this: Darcy has some good points about the difficulties of getting a concept turned into a successful product, but I remain unconvinced that PTC offers the best (or even a better) pathway to addressing some of the obstacles to improving the product development process.Some of the fundamental underlying issues I can seethat PTC faces in this global issue is their commitment to a closed system of software offerings that has limited interoperability with other vendor's products and the antiquity of their core product (for me, as a mechanical product design engineer): Pro/Engineer. While other MCAD providers tout their compatibility with a variety of other company's products as well as the advanced productivity of their MCAD products to their users, PTC remains much more focused on selling a 'turnkey solution' of their own products to their customer's corporate management.


This video is emblematic of this PTC philosophy: the whole presentation is geared towards management and offers no details or examples. When pressed to offer direct comparisonsto knowledgeable users, it's likely that PTC will hum and haw or use bluff and bluster to deflect any meaningful evaluation of their offerings.

 

[SRINIVASANIYER1]

It looks like Mindripper has an axe to grind against PTC. I won't subscribe to his views. It seems he has been forced into working on Proe while he would prefer Solidworks (having read his earlier posts).

By process one means the complete "Product Development Process". This is not a definition coined by PTC but is as defined in ISO 9001. A Product is an output of a Process with defined Inputs and is not mere solid models or drawings. Every designer MUST understand the process of product development which can include manufacturability (DFM), DFA, Reliability (DFMEA and PFMEA) or Risk analysis done in a STRUCTURED manner.
While looking at Mindripper's MCAD hours, I was tempted to calculate mine. Let us see...
24 yrs x 6 days (we work 6 days a week) x 10 hrs (average) x 48 weeks (excluding holidays) = 69120 hrs of MCAd and that is the truth....

 

[Mindripper]

The terms I was referring to were 'Process training' and 'feature function training', srinivasaniyeri. I definitely have an axe to grind with PTC, but it isn't just because SolidWorks offers a vastly superior line of products and solutions: so do a number of other MCAD companies. The original posting by srollins appears to be yet another thinly veiled marketing activity by a PTC employee. As I suggested, this whole posting appears to be just another attempt to sell a package of outdated goods by touting a management strategy: while the management strategy may be quite valid, some of the tools or the packaged solution currently being offered by PTC may not be the best choice.


A number of users have commented on the hours of MCAD experience I list in my signature. It's awild guess, based on 26 years of professional MCAD use. I took my first CAD class 30 years ago. I figure I have worked at least 60,000 hours during the last 26 years: I'm guessing only half of that was running a diversity of MCAD/CAE products.I haven't spent every hour of every working day at the monitor running PTC productsduring those years: I have also spent many hours in the lab and on the production line, testing and building the products designed by myself and many others (and many hours wasted in endless meetings too!). It's unfortunate that all of your workexperience is just 'tube time'. As you are suggesting, there is much more to being a successful design engineer than just sitting in front of a monitor. DFM, DFA, reliability, etc. are not learned by simply reading books or manipulating ones and zeroes. Most of my detractorsappear to have limited experience outside the PTC world, while most of those who have some appreciation of my critical comments seem to have a broader range of experience.

 

[design-engine]

I don't like to report over 20,000 hours because it sounds bad if you quote over that, no one believes it anyway. Ive been using Pro/E and various related MCAD tools such as Soidworks more later 1995 or so and AutoCAD .... does AutoCAD even count.... back around 1986.

And whats wrong with a sales oriented manager presentations anyway. You give managers to many details you loose them. You got to design for managers in under 20 minute presentations or you don't talk them out of any money.We do live in a consumer-istic society where a sales oriented organization = strength by the way.

I agree PTC does slant their presentations towards sales. Even their training program is sales slanted.

And to boot over 10 years ago our Design Engine and related companies became that same sales oriented organization.It has really helped us make payroll and grow.

My attempt at Sarcastic Humor ....
Paid for by our sales oriented success, I hope by July we can have our first CNC Machine at design engine to go with our Pro/MAN CNC class ... and to match all of our other tools in the shop. Im looking at the top of the line 48" Roland. http://www.rolanddg.com/product/3d/3d/mdx-540/mdx-540.html

Now we can really pretend to be Engineers! By milling our very own Christmas tree ornaments out of Aluminum and various custom parts for motorcycles because we don't really do anything other than sit in front of a tube anyhow which is why I think Ill fire up my new motorcycle.

All joking aside... I think PTC has a great product and it works incredible as an entire package. From concept thru prototype to production. And if you qualify your vendors into using Pro/ENGINEER products you will experience faster product to market and that means more money to make payroll for your very own sales driven organization.


Edited by: design-engine