Frido Smulders

Towards a More Realistic Creative Problem Solving Approach

This paper takes a closer look at the existing multi-step diamond shaped models for creative problem solving (CPS). A case history of a real-life technical problem in which CPS techniques were used is our source of inspiration for some new ideas about approaching CPS. We propose three concurrent processes: Content finding, Acceptance finding and Information finding. In concrete in-company projects, these three processes need to be managed simultaneously, which leads to a fourth overarching process: project management. Content finding is concerned with the process the creative session members are going through based on peoples own active knowledge and ideas and on sharing their mental models to get new ideas. Acceptance finding is concerned with the co-creation of new and additional mental systems that are needed for bringing new ideas into good currency within the existing organization and goes beyond agreement on implementation plans. Information finding is concerned with gathering additional knowledge on the ideas that are not readily available during the session. Finally, Project management is concerned with organizing and leading the creative session and in the embedding of the project into the larger organization.

Towards different communication in collaborative design

Purpose – This paper aims to create a social constructivist perspective on collaborative architecture that is complementary to the rational‐analytic perspective as embodied in the “hard” project management tools.Design/Methodology/approach – Two theoretical perspectives from the field of design methodology, “design as co‐evolution”, and “design as a social process”, form the base for an integrated perspective of collaboration. This integrated perspective describes in detail the social process among multi functional actors involved in co‐creational processes. A third theoretical framework discusses the process of maturing conflicts and conflict prevention using the integrated perspective on collaboration. Data from two empirical studies are used to illustrate both perspectives. The first study used a protocol study approach and the second a grounded approach.Findings – This paper shows the similarities in design methodology and conflict literature by introducing a social constructivist perspective on colla...

Configurations of NPD - Production Interfaces and Interface Integration Mechanisms

This paper describes and illustrates different configurations of the interface between new product development and production processes, including both intra–firm and inter–firm interfaces. These configurations are partly based on a process view of product innovation and partly on a structural view of product innovation. In addition to this typology of interfaces some integration mechanisms are described. The typology will serve as a basis for further research aimed at identifying consistent configurations of the different types of integration mechanisms that are available for industry to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of product innovation processes.

Team mental models in innovation: means and ends

This paper discusses the connection between team mental models (TMM) in creative teams and in operational teams. It focuses on the transition from explorative design activities to exploitative manufacturing activities and discusses the notion of TMM as means and ends to arrive at volume production of the new product. In reaction to the introductory paper four comments are made: (1) a specific transition model should be added, which contains knowledge, abilities and attitudes that are prerequisite to boundary spanning team activities, (2) an external party (e.g. client, user) with a distinct mental model should be included in the research setup, (3) the division of sub-mental models should be conceptualized at a more general level in order to form a base for a coherent ontology of TMM, and (4) we need to be realistic about the value of the notion TMM, as their main purpose is to aid research and communication about research.

The Last Stage of Product Development: Interventions in Existing Operational Processes

We explored two questions in two empirical studies. In the first study we wanted to find out whether we could describe the interactions between New Product Development (NPD) and Operations by using a generic theory of change management and interventions. In the second study we explored such interventions during implementation and wanted to find out to what extent these interventions followed the theories of change. Some of the interactions are interventions from NPD to Operations in order to change the work of Operations. We found that these interventions and intended changes fit the theories of change management quite well. This means that the change literature gives good insights into the causes of success and failure of these interventions and could mean that, in some respect, we can apply the knowledge of these theories of change management and interventions to the field of NPD. This insight provides a new and additional perspective: NPD to be seen as a process that uses interventions to facilitate, or provoke, change within operational processes. We see too much attention paid to the project management methods and ‘hard’ theories, for example rationality, control, hierarchy, planning, predicting and prescribing. There is good reason to add the more ‘soft’ theories of change to NPD practice, with extra and explicit attention to learning, trial and error, monitoring, tell and sell, empathy, and co-operation. NPD practitioners are also very much focused on the product and less (or not at all) on the actual changes that have to take place in production (Operations) related to the implementation of these processes. For successful implementation interventions need to be tuned towards the receiver. The interventionist (i.e. NPD practitioners) must be aware that there is a range of choice if different intervention strategies in order to tune their intervention efforts more effectively towards the receiver. In order to be able to do this, NPD practitioners, as well as the people from Operations, need to become skilled in using a generic theory of intervention and change, such as the one described in this paper, during their interactions.

Bridging the multiple reality gap: Application of augmented reality in new product development

Increased product complexity and internal team dynamics pose serious challenges to the quality of collaboration, usually reflected upon long delays, cost overruns and poor design quality during product development. Our focus is to study the factors that drive collaboration, shared understanding and team learning in product development in order to investigate new tools to facilitate this process. The present paper provides the theoretical framework to experiment with novel collaborative tools like Augmented Reality in the product development setting. The core argument is that Augmented Reality technologies act as a catalyst to the communication between the various stakeholders. The main idea behind this work is a dynamic investigation on the nature of collaboration in product development teams, through a socio-cognitive lens. The basic focus of this work is to connect insights from the social sciences to collaborative design and visualization technologies.

Get wet! Teaching innovation theories through experiential learning

Teaching theoretical concepts from the field of corporate product innovation to students without business experience is a challenge, even more so when class sizes go up to 250-300 students. Innovation theories are ambiguous and not robust enough such that one cannot just read a book and then know what to do in a real life corporate setting. This paper presents a didactic approach based on experiential learning that aims to maximise internalisation of product innovation theories by focusing on the development of an integrated mental model that is an integrated mental structure of cognitive and behavioural elements. The carrier for presenting the approach is a cluster with a study load of 330 hours that covers one semester and consists of two theoretical courses and a design project, blending teaching innovation (practice) and teaching about innovation (theories). Nobody has ever learned how to swim by book and without getting wet!