Let the business backbone of the enterprise participate in the system construction. In the process of system construction, they purposefully exchanged, studied and discussed with each other, made clear the working mode of * * *, and deeply understood its profound meaning. At the same time, they find out the shortcomings of relevant links and make corresponding improvement plans to guide the follow-up study and training.
With the development of the times, products become more and more complex, customers' needs become more and more diversified, and product development is increasingly inseparable from professional division of labor and close cooperation. To do a good job, methods, abilities and cooperation are indispensable. Which is the weakness? This is the root of the difficulty.
If you don't know the method, you must learn it; If the ability is not enough, it is necessary to practice accumulation; If the cooperation is not good, it is necessary to change the communication mechanism and attitude and adhere to objectivity and trustworthiness. Easy first, then difficult, small first, then big, gradually establish the confidence of the organization, maintain appropriate incentives, and promote organizations and individuals to cross their own psychological barriers.
Only by making corresponding psychological preparation and resource preparation can the construction of R&D management system be guaranteed and grounded, and practice can prove how difficult it is. There is an old saying, "As long as the spirit does not decline, the road is always more difficult than it is."
1.？ The core process of IPD
1.？ Structured process
Structuralization refers to the framework structure of an interrelated work, which needs certain organizational principles to support it. Without structure, there is no constraint, the process cannot be repeated and the efficiency is low; Excessive structure, too many specifications, too thin and inflexible.
Structured process refers to the whole process system of R&D management, including IPD process, TD process and related supporting methods (CBB design, user experience design, technology R&D, DevOps, agile/lean method, listing/release management, lean operation, etc.). ). Its purpose is to ensure that the product R&D process is customer-centered and market-driven, so as to improve R&D efficiency, reduce R&D costs and support the effective growth of the company.
2.？ Separation of technology research and development from product development.
Technology research and development are separated from product development. For key technologies and technology platforms, it is sometimes necessary to develop by a special team before product development, so as to realize technology transformation, which can greatly reduce the risk of product development, accelerate the product development cycle, and be conducive to technological breakthrough and progress. At the same time, technology and platform are all components of products, so planning can be carried out in one process and verified in product development.
ITMT is responsible for the company's technology investment decision-making, while IPMT is responsible for the technology management and decision-making related to product lines; R&D technology department provides the required technology and capability for products. When the technology reaches the required maturity, it will migrate to the current product development. If the technology cannot meet the requirements of current product development, IPMT can terminate its previous large-scale investment in product development.
3.？ IPD product development department
In order to standardize and guide the activities in each life cycle of product development, the design is guided by the product version type. The first edition/large edition is divided into seven stages (product planning, concept, planning, development, verification, release and life cycle), and the decision review points, inputs, outputs and key activities of each stage are defined. The key review requires clear objectives and complete review materials. At the same time, it supports iterative small version to provide continuous improvement products for rapid response to the market, and the process can cut into key process activities, such as demand planning, demand realization, online, operation and maintenance, etc.
Distinguish between different product types: software products and cloud services include first release/large version (cycle is more than 6 months, or the function of the original product has obviously changed) and rapid iteration small version.
IPD process setting: The strategic control of product development is carried out through multiple decision review points, including commercial decision review (DR) and technical review (TR).
Integrate lean and agile ideas: customer value flows, products are quickly introduced to the market, and organizations can quickly turn ideas into value and deliver them to users from concept to landing.
Combined with DevOps practice: DevOps aims at fast and high-quality value delivery, and integrates the concepts, principles and practices of agile and lean, covering the process stages from development, testing, delivery, operation and maintenance.
4.？ Technology research and development TD
The goal of technology research and development makes technology and business highly integrated, and finally brings innovation in ecological chain, creates products and services with first-class experience, ensures the realization of technological value, and maintains the forefront and technological leadership. Similar to product development, technology research and development is divided into seven stages (technology planning, concept, planning, development, verification, migration and technology maintenance). After the technology reaches the maturity requirement (technology migration standard), the technical achievements will be migrated to PDT, which will be built into products (or platforms) as building blocks in product development according to the asynchronous research and development mode, and the subsequent development process of product commercialization from development, verification to release will be continued, so as to realize the technical achievements.
Support asynchronous R&D: Technology R&D and product development are separated and managed separately, so as to better reduce risks and realize asynchronous R&D. Technology planning and technology R&D process are the methods of innovation and technology management, and the establishment of corresponding technology management system is the guarantee for its effective operation.
Combined with TD process setting: strategic control of technology research and development is carried out through multiple decision review points, including business decision review (DR) and technology review (TR).
Pre-research and CBB portfolio management: on the one hand, explore and study the next generation of new products and solutions and new business opportunities required by customers. On the other hand, break the boundaries of product lines, determine the key technologies that are public, basic and needed by the company's development, and build a technology research capability center.
2.？ Organization and responsibilities
The full name of IPD is integrated product development. As the name implies, IPD emphasizes "integration"-not only the high integration of products, but also the high integration of R&D processes and organizations within enterprises ... Therefore, when some enterprises implement IPD, they call the implementation process "tearing down the wall"-not only the physical wall between departments and offices, but also the "wall" in the minds of business personnel. In order to make all enterprises face the market and customers, IPD usually sets up three kinds of inter-departmental teams according to the hierarchy: the decision-making team responsible for product development/technology research and development decision review-IPMT/ITMT; Negative capital market management and product/technology planning portfolio management team-PMT/TPMT; Product development team responsible for product development-PDT; Technical development team responsible for product platform and technology development. The organizational design of each team should meet the requirements of specialization, cross-border and horizontal connection.
(organizational structure of IPD company)
(TD organizational structure of the company)
1.？ IPMT/ITMT: responsible for business decision/technical decision.
IPMT/ITMT represents the decision-making level of the company and is an inter-departmental team organized by senior managers. Make product/technology development plans on behalf of the company, make investment decisions on product development/technology research and development projects, cultivate market management and product development/technology research and development processes, and select appropriate personnel to ensure the effective implementation of the whole implementation process. IPMT/ITMT is generally composed of high-level enterprises, and some enterprises will hire a team of experts to join IPMT/ITMT to listen to professional opinions in the decision-making process.
2.？ PMT/TPMT: Responsible for the comprehensive management of market management and product/technology planning.
PMT/TPMT is the executor of market/technology management and an inter-departmental team composed of representatives from various functional departments. PMT/TPMT collects and analyzes market information and customer requirements according to the company's market/technology management process. Carry out specific market measurement and product/technology planning according to the internal capacity of the enterprise, and track the market performance and market/technology demand changes of the product/technology. PMT/TPMT is the most important department in IPD R&D organization. One end of it is connected with the market, and the product strategy is formulated by collecting and analyzing market performance and market demand changes, and reported to IPMT/ITMT. On the other hand, it also manages the product development/technology R&D process and marketing process determined by IPMT/ITMT.
3.？ PDT/TDT: Responsible for the whole process of product development/technology research and development.
PDT is the specific implementation team of product development, and it is an inter-departmental team composed of representatives from various functional departments. Established at the beginning of the project, dissolved when the product goes on the market or the project is cancelled. The product development team summarizes and analyzes the customer requirements and reflects them in the specific design through decomposition. The product development team is responsible for the market success and financial success of the product, which means that PDT must constantly stimulate the market demand and collect feedback during the product development period in order to get the maximum benefit when the product is put into the market. PDT holds the core technical secrets of enterprises, so strict information security management is essential.
TDT is the implementation team of product platform and technology development, and it is also an inter-departmental team composed of representatives from various functional departments. Different from PDT under TDT, PDT is mainly developed for a specific product, while TDT is developed for product platform and technology. At the beginning of development, the product platform does not consider the needs of a customer or a specific market, but expands and upgrades according to these needs. From the beginning of design, it considers a series of possible customer needs and possible market needs, and then designs a basic platform according to these needs. The basic platform has no practical significance, but it can meet the specific needs of different customers or markets by connecting different functional components.
3.？ IPD decision review
1)? The functions of IPMT and formal communication with PDT are usually conducted through meetings, so the efficiency of meetings is very important. If the meeting is not well prepared, the following consequences may occur:
I didn't read the information carefully before the meeting, so I couldn't make a decision at the meeting, which led to the incompleteness of the whole meeting (especially the quality of decision-making was affected, and each IPMT member represented a department);
Insufficient communication with PDT leads to PDT's failure to prepare and answer questions in advance, which makes a DR (decision review) meeting last for many times;
Too many issues have not been discussed and agreed in advance, especially between closely related departments, which may turn decision-making into discussion or debate;
For important issues, the opinions of others in the department were not collected, which led to the inability to attend the meeting on behalf of the department and only to represent themselves;
Without a clear distinction between business decision review and technical review, review documents cannot be released in advance:
The document has not been written yet, but the milestone node is coming soon, so prepare the document while organizing the review meeting;
IPMT judges do not read the review documents in advance, and the review will become a document presentation meeting; No decision can be made at the meeting, which makes the whole meeting incomplete;
Lack of adequate communication before the meeting. Some judges read the documents in advance and found serious problems. Some serious problems should have been postponed or cancelled.
IPMT judges don't attend in person, but arrange representatives to attend the review, and can't give effective opinions or decisions, just collect questions and go back for feedback;
Some meetings have no results, and there is no arrangement for people in the corresponding sequence to make review records. Before the end of the review meeting, the recorded problems were not reviewed and clarified again.
2)? IPMT members must make preparations before the meeting, including:
Read the evaluation materials carefully;
Communicate with PDT, understand the progress of product development, consult relevant documents (such as decision-making evaluation criteria), and reach an agreement within this functional department. Different DR (project establishment, planning, list, etc. ) Different checklists should be applied, because different DR have different emphases;
Ask PDT to answer or prepare questions and reach an agreement with the functional representative;
Be fully prepared for matters (such as resources, progress, etc.). ) needs to be decided by the department in PDT;
IPMT members should fill in the decision form in advance when considering the decision of the project charter;
Comprehensive understanding of product line signpost planning and product line business plan.
At the same time, PDT members should make full preparations before the meeting, including all kinds of meeting materials, and be ready to answer questions from IPMT members. If the preparation is not sufficient, IPMT members can request to postpone or cancel the meeting before or during the meeting.
3)? Decision review is an important means for IPMT to manage product investment. In decision-making review, IPMT always reviews from the perspective of investors. The process of integrated product development (IPD) includes four main decision review points: project decision review, planning decision review, listing decision review and end-of-life review.
Project Decision Review (DR2)
At the end of the planning stage, a project decision review meeting will be held. At this meeting, PDT formally reported the initial business plan to IPMT, and IPMT decided whether to continue or terminate the project. In the initial business plan, PDT will give the following contents: opportunity analysis of a given target market segment, target customer group, product description to be developed, cost and risk estimation, initial sales forecast and initial financial evaluation. If the initial business plan is approved, IPMT will make the necessary commitments before the next stage, and the project will enter the conceptual stage.
Planning Decision Review (DR3)
At the end of the planning stage, a planning decision review meeting will be held. In this meeting, PDT submitted the final business plan and decision-making contract to IPMT, and IPMT made a decision on continuation/termination. The final business plan is based on the original business plan, which provides more details and commitments for the plan. If the business plan is approved, PDT and IPMT reach a consensus (IPMT promises resources and trains talents,? PDT promises performance, presents results and contributes value). The project enters the development stage, that is, every major department will support the project and give PDT the necessary resources; On the other hand, PDT will promise to complete the delivery target of the project according to the contract requirements.
Listing Decision Review (DR4)
The final decision review before the product is officially released to the public and put into the market requires IPMT to make a clear decision to continue/terminate. The listing decision review shall be conducted before any significant release cost is invested. The purpose of this decision review is to confirm the estimates and assumptions in the business plan made in the planning stage, and to evaluate the user's readiness before the product is released. If PDT has made a suitable business plan and carried out development work at the planning stage, there should be little work to be done in the evaluation of listing decision. At the listing decision review meeting, PDT formally put forward suggestions to IPMT, and IPMT made a decision to continue/terminate the listing. If the product is approved, IPMT will allocate funds and the project will enter the market stage.
Scrap review (DR5)
At the end of the product life cycle, the life cycle management team (LMT) shall submit a schedule proposal for stopping sales, production and service to IPMT, and IPMT shall make a decision on continuation/termination. IPMT must review whether the release at the end of the product life cycle is consistent with the new product strategy and whether the potential customer satisfaction issues have been fully considered.
4)? How to conduct decision review?
First of all, we should set up a stage decision-making review point in the product development process. For example, IPD process has set up four decision review points: project decision review, planning decision review, listing decision review and life cycle decision review. Examine product development projects in stages, cut off projects that are no longer of investment significance in time, and transfer resource allocation to projects that can get higher return on investment.
Second, make a list of decision reviews. The checklist is designed from the aspects of market and competition, project plan, resources, investment estimation, financial analysis and risk assessment. In the checklist, we should consider the analysis of the present situation and the judgment of the future. In the next stage of decision-making, we should pay attention to whether the market environment, competition trend and customer demand have changed at the beginning or the previous stage of the project, and analyze the maturity of the current products and what risks exist in the future.
Third, turn decisions into actions. No matter how good the decision is, if you can't act, then any decision is meaningless. Decisions and ideas are not particularly wise, but whether they can be implemented. After making a decision, we need to act immediately.
Fourth, standardize the decision-making review operation system. Without rules, there would be no Fiona Fang, especially the judges of decision-making review are generally the top managers of the company. If everyone acts according to their own will and there is no system to regulate its operation, then the decision-making review will soon become "four unlike". The operating system should include the selection and requirements of participants and the assessment of the attendance rate of the meeting; Determine the decision-making principles and conclusions; Formulate the process of decision-making review, the pre-trial requirements in the planning preparation stage, and the time requirements for submitting topics and materials; Record requirements, rhythm and content requirements in the reporting and decision-making stage; Requirements for meeting minutes, filing and tracking of remaining issues in the release and implementation stage, etc.
Satisfying the above principles can ensure the effectiveness and sufficiency of decision-making review of each product project.
4.？ Relationship between IPMT and photodynamic therapy
In the process of IPD implementation, IPMT (Integrated Portfolio Management Team) and? PDT (Product Development Team) is the two most important cross-departmental teams, and generally speaking, it is also the first team established and constructed in the process of establishing IPD system. IPMT is an inter-departmental decision-making team, which is composed of directors of various functional departments. PDT is an inter-departmental product development team, which is composed of representatives from various functional departments related to product development. The responsibilities and problems in the operation of the two teams have been described. The relationship between IPMT, functional departments and PDT is briefly introduced as follows:
IPMT issues development tasks to PDT team through project task book, and makes decisions at decision review points (continue/stop/re-adjust direction), and temporary decision review points can be added according to the situation;
PDT team conducts cross-departmental product development under the leadership of PDT manager, reports to IPMT and provides decision-making and process information;
IPMT has the obligation to coordinate the company's functional departments and other resources to solve the technical and management problems encountered in PDT operation;
IPMT evaluates the performance of PDT.
1.？ Appoint qualified PDT manager
Team leader plays a very important role in team operation, so does PDT operation. So, who should IPMT choose as the project manager of PDT? In practice, we find that in the operation of IPD system, especially in the early stage of IPD system implementation, IPMT tends to choose the person with the strongest technology or the most comprehensive technology as PDT manager. The reasons for this problem are as follows:
I don't know much about the characteristics of product development team in IPD mode. The structure and purpose of product development team are completely different from those of functional departments;
Do not understand the role, responsibilities and skills of PDT managers, or measure PDT managers according to the requirements of functional department managers, whose duty is to create excellent functions;
I don't understand the hardships of IPD in its early days. Under the IPD system, the working style of the development team is completely different from before, which requires PDT managers to have strong coordination and resource integration ability, which is different from professional and technical work and requires special skills.
In fact, PDT is a heavyweight team across functional departments. They work in a cross-functional way under the leadership of PDT manager, and all members make decisions on behalf of their respective functional departments in all product decisions. This requires PDT managers and core team members to have strong organizational, coordination and communication skills. For PDT managers, they also need to master the necessary market and financial knowledge, especially a considerable sense of business. PDT manager is equivalent to the "small general manager" before the product goes on the market.
Simply emphasizing the technical level and selecting PDT managers according to their technical ability may not be conducive to team operation. The PDT team consists of system engineers (SE) and representatives from various functional departments, who will inspect the whole system and various special technologies. In practice, PDT has strong technical ability and weak management ability, which is often not conducive to project operation. Such PDT managers often give detailed technical guidance offside, which affects the enthusiasm of functional representatives and ignores what managers should do.
In the initial stage of IPD implementation, in order to ensure the implementation effect, the requirements for PDT managers are generally:
Mainly from research and development and market;
Post (position) level should have certain requirements (4A and above);
Before taking office, the performance appraisal results have reached certain requirements (B+ and above);
Have considerable management experience.
2.？ Give PDT full authorization
IPMT fully authorizes PDT team through system documents, project task books and processes. Therefore, it is necessary to operate in strict accordance with the specifications: in general, IPMT mainly intervenes at the decision review point, and the rest of the affairs are handed over to the PDT team.
The benefits of this treatment are:
Clarify the scope of authorization, such as the scope where PDT members can make their own decisions on planned changes;
Select the company's non-critical projects as IPD pilots to fully verify the IPD process. Prevent abnormal projects from affecting the company's operation and provide reasons for IPMT members to directly participate in the development work;
Promote competent employees as PDT project managers, and the conditions for qualified project managers have been discussed above;
All IPMT members are required to have a deep understanding of IPD system and define management functions. IPMT members who are suitable to be PDT managers can also play the role of PDT managers.
5.？ Total? knot
IPD provides a system path and a set of effective methods that can be landed. The first is the return of business common sense and management common sense. Externally, everything is user-centered, demand-driven and market-oriented, mainly through market planning (MM), demand management, investment decision-making and other tools. Internally, through the structured and systematic design of products, technologies, processes and people, the systematization of management is realized. The main practices include asynchronous R&D, structured processes and platformization. For enterprises with higher degree of specialization, most of them have done well and are constantly improving with the continuous development of enterprises. Today, Huawei spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year to hire the world's top consulting companies and management experts to help it improve its management level, because Huawei knows that specialization and systematization are a never-ending process. For those manufacturing enterprises that have grown up by groping, management is often extensive and professionalism is far from enough. Therefore, IPD often promotes their basic management construction to a great extent, or at least opens up the awareness of management improvement.
Secondly, the more important part of IPD is its horizontal cooperation mechanism. In the traditional bureaucratic and functional organizations, a clue is suddenly drawn, which spans all functional fields and faces and responds to customer needs in the most flexible and direct way. There is not only an end-to-end process, but also the authorization and empowerment of cross-disciplinary teams. At the same time, in-depth changes are made in the incentive mechanism, so that employees who pursue creativity can pursue Excellence around customer needs and completely release the innovation vitality of enterprises. This makes all the big enterprises, all the enterprises suffering from big enterprise disease when they are still very small, and all the enterprises that want to become platform-based organizations see real hope.
The problem of product development is a problem that most large and medium-sized enterprises must solve if they want to move towards standardized management. Introducing IPD process is one of the best ways for enterprises to improve product R&D system. Ufida's business continues to grow every year, and the organization scale is getting bigger and bigger; In order to promote the effective operation of the V3.0 framework of UFIDA R&D management system, the group established IPMT and ITMT, which are responsible for the overall decision-making of the group's product and technology development, so as to promote product development to better meet customers' needs and achieve the company's business objectives, and at the same time strengthen the identification and extraction of key technologies such as public and basic technologies, and build a sustainable technology leading system.
The article refers to the materials of UFIDA, UFIDA Developer Competition and YonBuider Development Center.