A Message from the PDMA Pittsburgh Chapter President - April 2014

We started our 2014 programming slate in January with a screening of the documentary Design and Thinking.  It was a great event, and it's a topic that really epitomizes the PDMA community.  We are a collection of practicing professionals, academic researchers and service providers who look to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to solve problems and drive innovation and strategy.  Our Chapter is a platform for connecting, sharing experiences and exploring new thinking, and we encourage individuals, teams and organizations to join PDMA to become a part of this knowledge base. 

As a member, you get discounts on all Chapter events, and we have some excellent Innovation Forums planned for the coming months.  Topics include hardware accelerators, the power of adjacency, additive manufacturing and hybrid R&D. Please check your email and our Chapter website for dates and times.  Our Programming Committee does an outstanding job of bringing relevant content and some of the most notable industry experts to our area, but much of what they do is guided by input from our Chapter Community. Every good product developer knows the value of lending an empathetic ear to the voice of our customers, so we want to hear from you! Next month you will receive a survey via email asking for feedback about our Chapter and the events we offer.  Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts.  What are some of the topics you are interested in?  How important is networking?  The results will help shape our events and other programs in the months ahead. 

As a volunteer-driven organization, we attribute our success to all the outstanding people who support our events and give of their time and talent to make our Chapter a valuable resource for product development and innovation management.  I am proud to part of such a great organization and offer my sincere thanks to our board, our members and our guests.  I look forward to seeing you at our June event. Until then stay connected through our website, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Also feel free to contact me directly at randyr@ballydesign.com to share any and all things Pittsburgh PDMA! 

   

Randy Rossi

President, PDMA Pittsburgh
President, Bally Design 

June PDMA Pittsburgh Innovation Forum Focuses on Growth Strategies In Your Backyard

Join us June 3rd at Shadyside Courtyard Marriott

The June Innovation Forum - The Power Of Adjacency: Growth Strategies In Your Backyard, presented by Mark Carr, Managing Partner at South Street Strategy Group - will be held on June 3rd at the Courtyard Marriott in Shadyside. 

Identifying and exploiting new opportunities for growth is a constant point of tension for companies. Yet in this never ending quest for growth, many business strategists fail to see the opportunities that are right in their backyards - customer or capability adjacencies that are very natural extensions of their current strategies. An adjacency-based approach to growth has the benefit of leveraging business assets that already exist, but it does come with risks. For example, strategies that are too far afield from your core offerings - and thus with weak linkages - are likely to fail.

In this presentation, you will hear best practices in embedding an innovation culture into an organization through a structured approach of defining, scoping and exploiting adjacencies that can build a long-term pipeline of opportunities for growth. You will walk away from this session being able to: 

• Apply several methods for leveraging adjacencies in your own organization
• Understand how to evaluate and prioritize the best adjacencies for growth
• Identify the key issues required to succeed with adjacencies and the risks to watch out for
• Learn from case studies that demonstrate how a successful adjacency strategy can be developed and implemented.  

Register today! 

Watch your email, or find us on LinkedIn http://bit.ly/PDMAInnovate and Twitter @PDMApittsburgh for event updates. 

Thank you to our sponsors! @Kennametal @KoppGlass @BallyDesign @CarnegieMellon @newhazlett @MadeinSWPA @DraegerNews #amgresearch

Thank you to our sponsors! @Kennametal @KoppGlass @BallyDesign @CarnegieMellon @newhazlett @MadeinSWPA @DraegerNews #amgresearch

3 reasons why Pittsburgh #startups should attend this week’s Open Innovation Forum Event

1. Does your hardware or software start-up business model include the possibility of licensing to third parties?  Gain valuable insights from Yet2.com - a leader in online selling/sourcing of technology.
2. Are you looking to lower the execution risk for your start-up? It might make sense to explore the possibility of licensing some technology to lower execution risks, learn about an important resource to start your technology search. 
3. Do you plan to eventually sell your company or technology to a large company? Benefit from hearing real experiences in how to do it, what works and what doesn't. 

Don't miss this opportunity - Click here to register

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Open Innovation - A Valuable Tool For Growth That Few Companies Have Yet Mastered

Presented by: Tim Bernstein, COO, YET2.com
When: March 12, 2014 at 5:00 PM
Where: Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods

About the Speaker 
Tim Bernstein joined yet2.com in 2001 and serves as a member of the leadership team and board of the company. Tim leads yet2.com's technology transfer and scouting services. Areas of particular focus include the development of value-added upgrades to yet2.com’s technology acquisition scouting offerings for yet2.com's 'buyside' clients, and facilitating technology transfer deals. Tim delivers thought leadership on topics including deal-making, large-to-small-company interactions, innovation benchmarking, and open innovation best practices. Tim also sits on the boards of two yet2Ventures portfolio companies.
 
In addition to Tim's hands-on experience, he has an educational background in the IP industry including his Masters Thesis, which recommended improved licensing strategies for technology licensing out of universities. Prior to yet2.com, Tim designed and launched educational and enterprise software offerings for high-tech startup companies in Boston and in Silicon Valley. In addition to a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard, Tim has an MBA from Stanford University with an emphasis on entrepreneurial studies, and a BA from Yale University in Economics and Political Science...

March 12 Event - Open Innovation: A Valuable Tool For Growth That Few Have Mastered

Open Innovation
A Valuable Tool For Growth That Few Have Mastered

Presented by: Tim Bernstein, CEO, YET2.com
March 12, 2014
Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods 

Harnessing innovation to provide systemic growth seems to challenge many organizations today. Open Innovation (OI) can be a valuable tool in the innovation arsenal. However, though many companies have tried, few companies have figured out a repeatable formula for actually implementing OI successfully. 
Many companies have cut back significantly on their efforts in the face of limited success. For the few companies that are finding success, Yet2 has observed a set of four themes that seem to be key to enabling a successful OI system, and include:

• Resourcing
• Strategy
• Managing Corporate Immune Response
• Enabling Individual Contributors

Drawing on Yet2.com's history, Tim will show that OI is not a theoretical construct. It is a full contact sport. Success requires dedicated preparation, practice and planning. He will compare and contrast examples of successful responses to common OI challenges to more common and less effective ones. Tim will show that both small and large companies can be very good at OI.
Learn what not to do and what a successful formula looks like for implementing a value-adding Open Innovation system into your corporate innovation arsenal.

Schedule of Events

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.     Registration Open and Networking
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.     Presentation and QA  

Registration Fees 

	Advanced Registration	On-Site   Registration
MEMBERS	$25	$30
NON-MEMBERS	$40	$45
STUDENT	$10	$15

REGISTER TODAY

Press Release: Pittsburgh PDMA to Host Regional Premiere of Critically Acclaimed Documentary “Design & Thinking” at New Hazlett Theater on Jan. 29th

Movie event includes a panel discussion following the film and marks the first of more than seven PDMA educational events slated for 2014  

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – January 22, 2014 – The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) will host the regional premiere of critically acclaimed documentary “Design & Thinking” on January 29^th at the New Hazlett Theater. Following the screening, an expert panel of local product developers and designers will provide individual perspectives on the connection between design and new product innovation.

PDMA is dedicated to sharing knowledge and best practices through professional development, education, collaboration, and networking opportunities.  This event will bring together product development professionals, practitioners, academics, service providers, and students to explore the idea of “design thinking” and share experiences.

The “Design & Thinking” reveals design principles through the eyes of businessmen, designers, social change-makers and individuals.  The film examines what design thinking is, how it is applied in business models, and how people are changing the world with their creative minds.

Doors will open at 4:00 pm for networking.  The movie will begin at 5:00 pm.  The panel discussion following the screening will include:  Colburn Jones, Manager of Product Design, Marketing and Product Management at Aesynt; Dino Mariano, Design Director and Senior Industrial Designer at Bally Design; and Eric Anderson, Carnegie Mellon University Associate Professor of Industrial Design, Co-director of the Integrated Innovation Institute, Co-director of the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (formerly Master of Product Development), Program Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), Member of the IDSA Academy of Fellows.  They will engage the audience in thought-provoking conversation design failures, the future of design, and the changing design requirements of business, culture and society.

Throughout the year, PDMA Pittsburgh sponsors educational and social events where individuals can develop new skills, learn best practices, and network with peers.  More than 10 events are scheduled for 2014.  Future topics include open innovation, the use of startup accelerators, branding for changing times, and using Big Data to address customer needs. Product development and design companies are encouraged to participate in PDMA events throughout the year.   This results in professional growth for individuals, an innovation-related competitive advantage for their enterprises, and the continued economic growth of the Western Pennsylvania Region.

To learn more about the “Design & Thinking” movie event and other upcoming Pittsburgh Chapter events, log onto www.pdma.org.

About PDMA Pittsburgh

The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) is a professional association dedicated to improving the effectiveness of individuals and organizations involved with product development, product management, and innovation.  The association’s mission is to improve the effectiveness of individuals and organizations in product development and management by providing resources for professional development, information, collaboration and promotion of new product development and management.  The Pittsburgh Chapter is dedicated to the continued to growth of a strong network of local product developers and managers while providing leadership to the next generation.

                                                                                      

Media contact:    

Andi Durkota

412-855-8687

pghpdma@pdma.org

 Download the Press Release: http://www.slideshare.net/PDMApittsburgh/pdma-pgh-news-release-final3-012214

Nominate an Outstanding Corporate Innovator

PDMA is looking for the 2014 Outstanding Corporate Innovator. 

This prestigious award recognizes companies with sustained quantifiable business results from new products and services. Past award winners have proven to be exceptional at integrating strategy, people, process, and technology to consistently turn creative ideas into successful products.

A company of any size and in any industry that meets the following criteria would be considered a candidate for the award:

• Sustained success in launching new products over a five-year time frame
• Significant company growth from new products                                          
• Well defined new product development practices and processes that can be described to others
• Distinctive innovative characteristics and intangibles                               

Self-nominations are encouraged.  Deadline is March 3, 2014.  Winners will be recognized and will share best practices at the 38^th International Conference in Denver, Colorado in October 2014. To learn more about the award and submit a nomination form, log onto: www.pdma.org