pdma-nz - Newsletter - October 2008

Scrabble was invented during these years by a jobless US architect
Film as a medium began in earnest: the pioneers of American film like the Three Stooges and Marx Brothers - kept the world laughing

And if you look at the period of the Great Depression, you'll find some great inventions, including:

Scotch tape patented by 3M
Electron microscope
First parking meter - maybe a bad example!
FM radio
First canned beer made
Jet engine
"Differential Analyzer", or analog computer
...

Click here for more many examples.

So what are you waiting for? Get out the no. 8 wire and let’s show the world what fantastic innovative technologies, products and services we can come up with!

PDMA-NZ team

pdma-nz.org

About PDMA-NZ

NEWS

We're Famous!

Check out the article in the latest Visions Magazine:

September 2008

Science Park and Precinct in the Making?

We mentioned an event in our last newsletter where Jane Davies, CEO Manchester Science Park, UK delivered a public lecture on "Science Parks - Economic Catalysts for City Growth".

Auckland City Council is playing a leading role in fostering a science park and promoting a ‘science precinct’ in the area around the Tamaki campus of the University of Auckland.

If you would like to find out more about this initiative, click here.

TechNZ support for product development and innovation

The new TechNZ programme provides funding to help small and large firms build R&D capability, undertake research projects and engage with technical experts. Product development projects that involve R&D, technical stretch and risk, employment of a student, IP advice or contracting external technical experts have potential to attract TechNZ co-investment.

Click here to continue reading.

Location Innovation Awards

In the near future, location based applications will be commonplace, with electronic coupons being sent to your mobile phone because you are near a service you have opted-in for, such as a Happy Hour deal for the bar you are walking past.

GeoSmart Maps Ltd wants to bring the future forward to 2009 by establishing the Location Innovation Awards, a competition to encourage people to come up with concepts and applications based on four categories; Social Networking, Proximity-based marketing, LBS Games and widgets for the AA Maps website.

Click here to continue reading

Digital content project launched

This project is a series of programmes to improve collaboration, build capacity and capability and increase commercialisation in the digital content sector.

Click here to continue reading

PDMA-NZ Library

Want or need a product development library?

An idea we are kicking around at the moment is to put together a library of books on NPD which our members can access. Is this a good idea?

Click here to continue reading

EVENTS - Upcoming

Next PDMA-NZ Events

Auckland

Our next Auckland event is scheduled for 4th November. Mark Cowsill (MD Frucor Beverages) will be telling the "V" Story:

How do you find a consumer need and then turn it into a real NPD project.
How does the organisation manage this process and bring the "need" to market?

Join us for some great networking!

Click here to findout more.

Christchurch

The PDMA team in Christchurch are working on organising a networking event prior to Christmas. Details of this event will be posted soon.

The Christchurch team are also working on putting together a series of more regular events, which will commence in the new year.

In the meantime, PDMA members might be interested in a series of workshops that SmartNet are running in Christchurch and around the country (see below).

Knowledge Café workshops - David Gurteen

A half-day seminar on knowledge sharing for organisational success.

Learn about the power of knowledge cafes in energising your organisation. You will leave the workshop with the understanding and know how to run a knowledge cafe in your workplace. David Gurteen is a leading knowledge facilitator, advisor, educator and coach based in the UK.

Christchurch: Tuesday 21 October

Wellington: Friday 24 October

Click here for further details.

SmartNet workshops series 2008: Unleash Your Inner Superstar

Lisa Nimmo and Shelley Hirni will show you how to get outside your comfort zone and achieve new goals.

Christchurch: Tuesday 18 November; Wellington: Tuesday 25 November;
Dunedin: Thursday 20 November; Auckland: Thursday 27 November

Click here for further details.

Design Symposium to focus on Swedish design tips

A specialist symposium for those interested in design in business will kick-off the Swedish Embassy’s week long Swedish Style New Zealand initiative in October.

“Design: The Value Connection” will be held on Monday October 20th, in conjunction with Better by Design and AUT.

Click here for further details.

FAST PITCH THE ICEHOUSE

On Wednesday 22 October, The ICEHOUSE and UniServices will host the first event of the Fast Pitch Event Series for entrepreneurs looking to compete in a real life ‘dragons den’ scenario with up to $45,000 worth of prizes up for grabs.

Click here for further details.

EVENTS - Past

PDMA 2008 Annual International Conference

The PDMA 2008 Annual International Conference was held in Orlando USA on 15th September.

Richard Williams from Trimble Navigation Ltd was fortunate to be able to attend and has reported back on what he thought of it.

Click here for more from Richard.

Design in Business Awards

The Design in Business Awards were recently announced.

The overall winner was luxury shower and tapware manufacturer, Methven.

Click here for more information.

CEO Summit '08

You might have been to or heard that Better By Design recently had their CEO Summit. This year the theme was sustainability.

Click here for more information.

BLOG

NPD Best-Practices - Metrics

How often have you been asked to calculate the value of your NPD expenditure? So what do most of us do? We revert to the traditional measures of “number of new products launched in the last year” or “profit contribution from products developed over the past years”. Some companies claim that the number of patents lodged or NPD spend as a percentage of revenue are good indicators of NPD performance.

Professor Allan Anderson shares some insights into NPD Metrics.

Click here to find out more.

Implementation of NPD Best-Practices

NPD best-practices are great in theory, but how do you change the way a company is delivering products to market while at the same time not impacting its ability to deliver those products already committed to?

David Stokes shares his experiences and "lessons learned" in implementing NPD best-practices across Navman.

Click here to find out more.

"Value Co-creation" and Experience Innovation

Have you ever stood in a hotel lobby and been approached with the question “May I help you?” Given the opportunity to improve this experience, what would you suggest?

Elizabeth Coleman talks about "value co-creation" where value is created jointly by the company and the consumer at points of interaction and how this improves the customers experience.

Click here to find out more.

ABOUT PDMA-NZ

We're only young, but we're growing and enthusiastic. Becoming a member of the PDMA (Product Development & Management Association of New Zealand) entitles members to a range of benefits including:

favourable rates for overseas conferences and meetings of the international PDMA
subscription to Vision magazine, an international quarterly featuring case studies
networking with professionals and developers who will share your experiences

For more details, check out the membership page on our website: pdma-nz.org.

Product Development & Management Association of New Zealand (PDMA-NZ)
c\o Massey University
Private Bag 102 904
North Shore Mail Centre
Auckland, New Zealand

web: pdma-nz.org
email:
(09) 4439729

(PDMA-NZ LinkedIn Group - click here)

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