Picking the Pockets of your Larger Engineering Competitors

Small to medium engineering businesses are finding an increasing number of ways to pick the pockets of their larger competitors under the shadow of Intelligent Engineering.  

I love intelligent engineering, it gives an intense focus to a growing number of important initiatives that are real and happening for ambitious engineering companies.  At TECHNIA, it represents the engineering value that my colleagues deliver everyday as they fine tune PLM technologies and processes for clients in all sorts of engineering companies. Here is something to think about…  Did you know that the first iPhone was sold in 2007 and that Apple sold 3 million iPads in the first 80 days of its 2010 release? It strikes me that this wasn’t that long ago, especially when you consider the impact those devices have had and are still having today. Also, who knew that we would witness all out carpet cleaner wars as the establishment that was Hoover was assailed by the likes of Dyson and G-Tech. So what’s happened to allow relatively small and previously unknown companies to shine so brightly and so quickly? Small really is beautiful when you don’t have to roll out a global initiative to 1000’s of employees.  It’s not that Innovation has changed a great deal, man has always innovated, but what has changed is the communications that enables a concept, a product or just an idea to have the potential to go global at the point it is published.  For engineers that are tasked to conceive, design, develop and make new products it offers an infinite opportunity to join the dots and see better ways of working and sample new technologies instantly. Here are just a few of the areas that Intelligent Engineering offers opportunities to exploit:

• Customer engagement – Engineering systems that capture useful insights via traditional and on-line services through the Internet and social media.
• Knowledge based design, development and manufacturing – Learning systems that dynamically deliver methods (technology & process) to create increasingly better products.
• Automated design and analysis systems optimised to deliver cost effective product in the shortest time.
• Intellectual Property (IP) – Locate, include or re-evaluate IP wherever it is located including legacy and silo data re-use, and partner added value.
• Rapid appraisal of new technology (e.g. Additive Manufacturing, Enterprise PLM, Light-Weighting) against existing IP to create break through or optimised design of new or existing product and components.

Marketing a leading powertrain engineering consultancy and a PLM technology and engineering services provider gives me a poacher and game-keeper perspective.  I see the results of using technology intelligently to deliver breakthrough and incremental improvements in next generation powertrain and electric motor technologies and also have an insider track on the value delivered when enterprise PLM technologies are crafted to fit ambitious engineering businesses with aspirational goals. I am fortunate to witness Intelligent Engineering in action at a relatively small company with truly world leading electric motor and machine technologies and services. Once more I’m engaged on a mission to gather and share examples of how Intelligent Engineering is delivering in as many market sectors as I can.  The focal point of which will be the UK Intelligent Engineering Forum (UKIEF), an annual event that will ensure that there is a medium for interested businesses to stay abreast of what’s new, how to make it work for them and at the same time share experiences with business owners, engineers and intelligent engineering practitioners.