Methodology to manage process technology innovation

Abstract

The research conducted for this thesis was performed at "Company X", a U.S.-based engineered goods manufacturer. This project focused on the company's Advanced Manufacturing group and its process technology development methodology. The newly founded Advanced Manufacturing group started multiple innovation projects, but did not successfully implement any of them so far. Lack of organizational integration, an overall R&D strategy, as well as a defined innovation methodology negatively affected the difficult situation of that small group of engineers. This project seeks to compare the innovation methodology and process technology development of Advanced Manufacturing with best practices from similar industries as well as literature. An analysis of how to choose the right R&D projects, as well as how to execute these projects, demonstrates the differences between Company X and other organizations that are considered innovative. Case studies of a specific R&D project, in addition to an interdisciplinary workgroup of Advanced Manufacturing, highlight the positive and negative characteristics of the current innovation process. The results of this analysis provide Company X with additional insights how to use the existing innovation resources more successfully. Recommendations provided in this thesis can be used by Company X to support future technology development projects but also to help the newly founded task force that started to develop a company-wide innovation strategy (process and product innovation). Keywords: Product Development, Process Development, Advanced Manufacturing, Innovation.