As we have discussed in the past, different organizations include different processes and disciplines in Research and Development. We at InspiRD have started using Research, Development and Engineering (RD&E) as a generic term that includes technology development, product development and sustaining engineering.

Integrated management of RD&E can provide immense benefits to organizations…

RD&E Management or (R&D Management) can link diverse processes and disciplines involved in getting products to market.

• Business strategy
• Marketing and product management
• Advanced R&D and technology development
• Portfolio Management
• Program Management
• Engineering: Design, task execution, requirements management
• Staffing and skill-set management
• Manufacturing: Manufacturability
• Quality: Risk assessment and testing

Connected process can reduce the need for redundant inputs across processes and reduce process escapes. Connected processes make it much easier to make optimal management decisions:

• Business strategy needs to change. How can we change our project portfolio?
• A new market opportunity appeared. How can we best address it?
• Customer needs changed. How expensive will it be to change our projects?
• A break through technology has been developed. How should we engage customers?
• We face unforeseen technological challenge on a critical product. How can we use find staffing without disrupting the entire portfolio?
• Marketing needs to change requirements. What risks will the change introduce? What testing will we need to redo?
• Many more…

An integrated tool like InspiRD can facilitate this connection, enabling organizations to deliver more innovation while reducing administrative overhead.