Marketing – on-line workshops, consultancy and mentoring

Marketing your business – How to build and implement marketing campaigns

Marketing is the method by which you attract potential customers to your business. Potential customers could contact you in person if you have a shop or other bricks and mortar type of property, or it could be a phone call, email or even a visitor to your website. A marketing campaign is simply a way to market your business in a joined up way with consistent information presented professionally.
It has been proven time and time again that all successful businesses regularly implement marketing campaigns to attract new customers.
Building and implementing a marketing campaign can be daunting if you haven’t been trained in what to do. The web based marketing workshop, consultancy and mentoring programs take you through a proven step by step process to build and implement your marketing campaign. You’re given the necessary worksheets and marketing information which you can follow at your own pace. Once complete you’ll have a robust marketing campaign for your business and the knowledge to build more campaigns in the future.
Creating and implementing a series of marketing campaigns will keep your marketing efforts focused and increase your marketing success.

Review

Once you have developed your marketing campaign and before you implement it you might want us to review it for you and make sure it’s good to go. We can review your marketing campaign developed with this on-line workshop or something you’ve produced independently. Maybe you have a campaign or adverts that are not delivering what you want or need.
We’ll issue you with a report and indicate areas where your marketing campaign can be improved to give it more impact and a better return for your business.

On-line workshops

These on-line marketing workshops guide you through a step by step process which you can follow at your own pace. This training workshop is given in English and is designed to impart knowledge and capability, allowing you to re-use the information over and over again.
All the necessary worksheets, templates and examples are given as part of the on-line workshops.
There is an optional test and a certificate is issued once the test has been passed.
Access to these great on-line training workshops is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.

Consultancy

With consultancy we will work on your behalf and with your support. We will analyze your current position and needs, then produce your desired results.
The consultancy can be delivered at your business, remotely or a combination of both depending on demand and location.

Mentoring

Mentoring is a long term relationship that imparts the necessary information and skills you’ll need as your business moves forward. With the mentoring program we’ll work with you on a one to one basis to help you and your business by sharing the knowledge and insights needed to facilitate your personal and professional growth.
The mentoring program is delivered through weekly meetings which can be face to face or via the phone depending on your location. There is also unlimited email support for you.
Another great training course from Product Development Cunsultants

Business turnaround - on-line workshops, consultancy and mentoring

Business turnaround
Turning a business around can be a very challenging project to undertake as there are so many options to follow. Do you organically grow what you have through better marketing and a larger customer base, do you move into adjacent product lines, do you drop non profitable lines, do you open in another region, do you downsize to match to the market? The list goes on and on.
None of this is worth much until the genuine root cause of the problems are established and there are so many areas of your business to look at, including the people involved. This business turnaround process systematically reviews the key areas of a business to find all the problem areas and provides solutions to each problem area.
This proven business turnaround process will provide you with the information you'll need to plan and take your business forward in the most suitable way.
On-line workshops
Title: How to turnaround a struggling business
These on-line business turnaround workshops guide you through a step by step process which you can follow at your own pace. This training workshop is given in English and is designed to impart knowledge and capability, allowing you to re-use the information over and over again.
All the necessary worksheets, templates and examples are given as part of the on-line workshops.
These workshops are for people who need to turnaround a business that's not doing so well. This could be the business owner or anyone tasked with the job of making the business work well again and be profitable. Each key area of the business that could be causing problems is examined with the information given to put things right.
These on-line workshops give you the essentials and only the essentials. There's no fluff or nice stories to wade through, just the stuff you need to know.
Access to these great on-line training workshops is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.
Consultancy
With consultancy we will work on your behalf and with your support. We will analyze your current position and needs, then produce your desired results.
The consultancy can be delivered at your business, remotely or a combination of both depending on demand and location.
Mentoring
Mentoring is a long term relationship that imparts the necessary information and skills you'll need as your business moves forward. With the mentoring program we'll work with you on a one to one basis to help you and your business by sharing the knowledge and insights needed to facilitate your personal and professional turnaround.
The mentoring program is delivered through weekly meetings which can be face to face or via the phone depending on your location. There is also unlimited email support for you.

Another great opportunity from PD consultants

Grow your business profits with this proven business growth system

Business growth Growing an existing business can be a very challenging project to undertake as there are so many options to follow. Do you organically grow what you have through better marketing and a larger customer base, do you move into adjacent product lines, do you open in another region, do you buy your competitors out? The list goes on and on. There are many areas of a business to consider when looking for growth, with some opportunities unique to the business or industry. This business growth system considers the six key areas that are common to all businesses. These are:

Your products Your profit margins Your average sale value Client retention Sales Marketing If each of these six areas can be increased by just 10% then your profits will increase by a massive 77%. Try it, take your current values for these six areas, add 10% to each and compare the results. With hundreds of strategies to choose from 10% increase in each of these six areas cannot be difficult. This proven business growth process will provide you with the information you need to plan and take your business forward in the most suitable way. On-line workshops These on-line workshops guide you through a step by step process which you can follow at your own pace. This training workshop is given in English and is designed to impart knowledge and capability, allowing you to re-use the information over and over again. All the necessary worksheets, templates and examples are given as part of the on-line workshops. Access to these great on-line training workshops is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed. These workshops focus on growing what you already have and do not discuss growth via mergers and acquisitions. Mergers and acquisitions are covered in other training workshops. Consultancy With consultancy we will work on your behalf and with your support. We will analyze your current position and needs, then produce your desired results. The consultancy can be delivered at your business, remotely or a combination of both depending on demand and location. Mentoring Mentoring is a long term relationship that imparts the necessary information and skills you'll need as your business moves forward. With the mentoring program we'll work with you on a one to one basis to help you and your business by sharing the knowledge and insights needed to facilitate your personal and professional growth. The mentoring program is delivered through weekly meetings which can be face to face or via the phone depending on your location. There is also unlimited email support for you.

Start your business securely with this proven business start-up system

Business start-up
Starting your own business can be a very challenging project to undertake as there are so many options to follow and pitfalls to make. The only people who want you to succeed are your friends and family, everyone else is wondering how to sell you something. No-one seems willing to give you truly impartial advice and will tell you their products are essential for you. It is a dog eat dog World out there.
Do you start as sole trader or go Limited, what’s the difference anyway, what taxes do I pay and how do I best minimise my costs and expenditure. What’s the best route to market, what do I look for if I need a bricks and mortar establishment and what legals must I comply with? The list goes on and on.
The good news is that almost all start-up businesses make the same mistakes, which is good as all the mistakes are here including the best way to avoid those mistakes. Why risk the growth of your fledgling business by making all the usual mistakes?
This start-up business program is for you if you are thinking of starting a business but are unsure of how to proceed and what you need to do and for a new business that’s in its first year of trading.

On-line workshops
These business start-up on-line workshops guide you through a step by step process which you can follow at your own pace. This training workshop is given in English and is designed to impart knowledge and capability, allowing you to re-use the information over and over again.
All the necessary worksheets, templates and examples are given as part of the on-line workshops.
There is an optional test and a certificate is issued once the test has been passed.
Access to these great on-line training workshops is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.

Consultancy
With consultancy we will work on your behalf and with your support. We will analyze your current position and needs, then produce your desired results.
The consultancy can be delivered at your business, remotely or a combination of both depending on demand and location.

Mentoring
Mentoring is a long term relationship that imparts the necessary information and skills you’ll need as your business moves forward. With the mentoring program we’ll work with you on a one to one basis to help you and your business by sharing the knowledge and insights needed to facilitate your personal and professional start-up.
The mentoring program is delivered through weekly meetings which can be face to face or via the phone depending on your location. There is also unlimited email support for you.

Another great training opportunity from Product Development Consultants

Training workshop for a proven supplier management process

Background of the supplier management process
No businesses can exist completely in isolation without support and assistance from some form of suppliers. Suppliers can come in many types, supplying all sorts of products of their own, from intellectual support through to bespoke high level designed and manufactured products.
Nearly all businesses will need to be able to work with and manage their suppliers in order to successfully deliver products and projects.

The supplier management process
The supplier management process given in this training workshop describes the methods and deliverables that should be followed by a business to ensure their suppliers carry out the tasks required at the right time. The deliverables required to manage suppliers are aligned to the activities and gateways described in the product development process.
In essence these deliverables are targeted at ensuring the supplier follows a process that dovetails into, and supports the requirements of the product development process. There is little point in a business operating a product delivery process internally to ensure their products are delivered to the highest standards if any bought in parts and materials are not to the same high standard.
The process starts from product concept and continues through the product development activities and ends when the product is in full scale production.

The supplier management training course
This one day on-site supplier management training course explains how to successfully operate the supplier management process. The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great training course from Product Development Consultants

Training workshop for a proven project management process

Background of the project management methodology
A project is a one off activity that will never be exactly repeated, which has a defined start point and a defined end point. Project management is the process by which the project is planned, monitored and delivered. Thereby meeting the requirements of the desired outcome, usually in terms of time, cost and quality.

The project management methodology
This project management methodology describes an idealised product development process. It has been developed with the firm belief that good product quality can only be delivered through a robust and thorough product development process. This process takes a product centric viewpoint that builds quality into the product as it is developed.
A relatively high level process is described whereby a series of tasks are completed prior to a project gateway where the status of these tasks is formally reviewed, documented and approved by the business. When a gateway is approved the product delivery can move on to the next set of tasks and activities. However, if the requirements of the gateway are not met the project should be paused until those deliverables are completed to the desired standard.

The project management training course
This one day on-site project management training course explains how to successfully operate the project management process module. The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great training workshop from Product Development Consultants

Training workshop for the powerful 8D problem solving process

Background of the 8D problem management and resolution tool
No matter how well product development is planned and executed, defects are generated that can escape to the customers and end users. Failure to resolve product problems quickly can lead to negative consequences for the customers and increases the internal business costs. Problem resolution is one of the most time consuming and costly tasks in project life cycles. It is therefore imperative that the business can recognise the problem and apply the necessary resources to correct the problem.
This 8D problem solving process defines a formal process that allows the business to resolve product problems quickly and permanently. This not only minimises the effects on the customers but also reduces the overall costs incurred by the business.

The 8D problem management and resolution tool
Problem resolution will not necessarily happen by itself. This is especially true if the problem goes unnoticed by the business or the business does not have the tools and processes to correct the problem. This training goes through the latest 10 step 8D problem solving process as outlined below:

• Identify the need for a problem resolution
• Establish the problem resolution team
• Describe the problem
• Develop containment
• Define the root cause of the defined problem
• Develop a permanent corrective action
• Validate and implement the permanent corrective action
• Prevent the problem from re-occurring
• Replicate the solution
• Recognise the team

A problem management reporting methodology is also defined that allows others within the business to quickly and easily understand the status of the problem resolution process.

The 8D problem management and resolution training course
This one day on-site 8D problem solving training course explains how to successfully operate the 8D problem management and resolution process. The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the project managers, product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great training course from Product Development Consultants

Training workshop for the powerful business improvement process

Background of the business process improvement tool
In a world increasingly driven by customers, the competition and change, businesses are in need of solutions for their business deficiencies. As product differentiators between competitors become less significant, it can be seen that increasing competition is about one value chain versus another.
Continuous or incremental process improvement is only likely to allow an organisation to keep up with its competitors, never to steal a decisive lead. What is needed to get ahead is a step change in your process performance.

The business process improvement tool
Business process improvement is the rethinking and redesign of business processes to achieve improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, quality, service and speed. The business process improvement methodology defined in this training can be applied to almost any process involving different job functions or roles.
One of the key emphases of business process improvement is to see a process as a chain of customers and suppliers. Outputs from each activity are passed to the customer for that output. The final output of the process, the product in a manufacturing context, is sold to the end customer. The aim of each activity is to delight the customer by exceeding their expectations. The role of the customer is to provide clarity as to what is required and feedback on how the suppliers output can be improved in the future.

The business process improvement training course
This one day on-site business process improvement training course explains how to successfully operate the business improvement process module. The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the process managers, product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great training opportunity from Product Development Consultants

Training workshop for the powerful SWOT analysis tool

Background of the SWOT analysis tool
The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis tool forms the heart of identifying the right products to develop. Developed from the marketing community the SWOT analysis tool can be applied to any goods, services and processes that are under consideration. The SWOT analysis tool has also been successfully deployed in other business situations where several options or solutions are being considered.

The SWOT analysis tool
The SWOT analysis tool (combined with brainstorming activities and other investigative methods) essentially lists the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to an area of interest. For example a potential new product compared to that of a competitor. The main thrust of this tool is to turn all the identified strengths, weaknesses and threats into opportunities. These opportunities can become business strategies which can be prioritised and then be implemented to give a competitive business advantage.

The SWOT analysis training course
This on-site training course starts with an overview of the SWOT analysis tool and the SWOT analysis process. The training course then guides the trainee through the step by step process of how to conduct a SWOT analysis on goods, services and processes. Worked examples are given of a SWOT analysis applied to goods, services and processes. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to perform a SWOT analysis. This SWOT analysis training course comes complete with the SWOT analysis template. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great quality tool from Product Development Consultants

Training workshop for the powerful DFMA Product Development tool

Background of the DFMA tool
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) is the process of proactively designing products to optimise all the manufacturing functions and assure the best product performance. Parts are designed for ease of fabrication and commonality with other designs. DFMA encourages standardisation of parts, maximum use of purchased parts, modular design, and standard design features. Designers will save time and costs by not having to “re-invent the wheel”. This tool is sometimes known as Design For Manufacture (DFM) and Design For Assembly (DFA).

The DFMA tool
The design stage is very important in product design. Most of the product lifecycle costs are committed at design stage. The product design is not just based on good design but it should be possible to produce by manufacturing as well. There’s no point having a good design if it is difficult, impossible or costly to produce.
The manufacturing of a part or a product must be considered as being part of the design of the part or product. It is not a separate entity that someone else deals with after the part or product has been designed. The DFMA tool is a structured process that encourages the design engineers to very seriously consider how their design will be manufactured. The DFMA process steps are:

• The cost of re-work
• Manufacturing problems both current and past
• Number of parts
• Modular designs
• Standard components
• Ease of manufacturing
• Manufacturing capabilities
• Mistake proofing (poka-yoke)
• Parts orientation and handling
• Automated production
• Fasteners
• Flexible parts and interconnections
• Assembly direction
• Adjustments and settings
• Design tolerances

The DFMA training course
The DFMA tool can be used where any parts or products are being developed and is used extensively in the Automotive environment. Essentially the DFMA process should be applied in the development of any products where, efficient and effective manufacture and assembly is important. This could be in new product concepts or if the market is very competitive and a product advantage is needed.
This one day on-site DFMA training course starts with an overview of the DFMA tool and the DFMA process.The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises. A DFMA excel template is provided.

Another great training opportunity from Product Development Consultants

Business troubleshooting – on-line workshops, consultancy and mentoring

Business troubleshooting
Troubleshooting a failing business can be a very challenging project to undertake as there are so many options to follow. Finding the true root causes of a failing business may mean digging deeper than you might think. Many times the business leadership team will be chasing symptoms and not causes and there are so many areas of your business to look at, including the people involved.
This may even involve the business owner looking into a mirror to find the problem. Businesses are owned and run by people and any business is only as good as the capability of the leadership team. The leadership team knowledge zones, comfort zones and activity zones are frequently to blame whereas, for example, offering the wrong products is actually a symptom and not the root cause.
These proven business troubleshooting strategies and methods will provide you with the information you’ll need to resolve the problems within your business and provide you with the most suitable way forward.

On-line workshops
These business troubleshooting on-line workshops guide you through a step by step process which you can follow at your own pace. This training workshop is given in English and is designed to impart knowledge and capability, allowing you to re-use the information over and over again.
All the necessary worksheets, templates and examples are given as part of the on-line workshops.
The user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.

Consultancy
With consultancy we will work on your behalf and with your support. We will analyze your current position and needs, then produce your desired results.
The consultancy can be delivered at your business, remotely or a combination of both depending on demand and location.

Mentoring
Mentoring is a long term relationship that imparts the necessary information and skills you’ll need as your business moves forward. With the mentoring program we’ll work with you on a one to one basis to help you and your business by sharing the knowledge and insights needed to facilitate your personal and professional troubleshooting.
The mentoring program is delivered through weekly meetings which can be face to face or via the phone depending on your location. There is also unlimited email support for you.

Another great business solution from Product Development Consultants

Design For Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) training workshop

Background of the DFMA tool
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) is the process of proactively designing products to optimise all the manufacturing functions and assure the best product performance. Parts are designed for ease of fabrication and commonality with other designs. DFMA encourages standardisation of parts, maximum use of purchased parts, modular design, and standard design features. Designers will save time and costs by not having to "re-invent the wheel". This tool is sometimes known as Design For Manufacture (DFM) and Design For Assembly (DFA).

The DFMA tool
The design stage is very important in product design. Most of the product lifecycle costs are committed at design stage. The product design is not just based on good design but it should be possible to produce by manufacturing as well. There’s no point having a good design if it is difficult, impossible or costly to produce.
The manufacturing of a part or a product must be considered as being part of the design of the part or product. It is not a separate entity that someone else deals with after the part or product has been designed. The DFMA tool is a structured process that encourages the design engineers to very seriously consider how their design will be manufactured. The DFMA process steps are:

• The cost of re-work
• Manufacturing problems both current and past
• Number of parts
• Modular designs
• Standard components
• Ease of manufacturing
• Manufacturing capabilities
• Mistake proofing (poka-yoke)
• Parts orientation and handling
• Automated production
• Fasteners
• Flexible parts and interconnections
• Assembly direction
• Adjustments and settings
• Design tolerances

Applications of the DFMA tool
The DFMA tool can be used where any parts or products are being developed and is used extensively in the Automotive environment. Essentially the DFMA process should be applied in the development of any products where, efficient and effective manufacture and assembly is important. This could be in new product concepts or if the market is very competitive and a product advantage is needed.

The DFMA training course
This web based DFMA training course starts with an overview of the DFMA tool and the DFMA process. The training course then guides the trainee through a step by step process of how to conduct the DFMA process throughout the product development cycle. Worked examples are given of an DFMA applied to product development. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to conduct the DFMA process. This DFMA training course comes complete with a free download of an DFMA template and the necessary charts. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed.
This on-line DFMA training workshop is for anyone undertaking product development activities where efficient and effective manufacture is important. A DFMA excel template is provided.

Another great traing course from Product Dvelopment Consultants

On-site training workshop for the powerful FMEA analysis tool

Background of the FMEA tool

The Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) tool forms the heart of robust product development. Developed from the engineering community the FMEA analysis tool can be applied to any goods, services or processes that are being developed. The FMEA analysis tool has also been successfully deployed in problem solving situations as it brings discipline and structure to the problem analysis.

The FMEA tool
The FMEA analysis tool essentially breaks the product down into parts and considers the function of each part of the product. All the potential failures of each part are then reviewed and scored to give a set of priorities. The product developers can then change the goods, services and processes to avoid the potential failure from occurring. As the failures never occur the customers never experience them. The quality of the goods, services or processes are thereby improved.
The FMEA analysis tool can be used where any goods, services or processes are being developed. Applications include; design of consumer goods, website development, restaurant front of house error proofing, manufacturing process development, hotel services, software development etc. Essentially the FMEA analysis tool should be applied in the development of any goods, services and processes where error proofing will improve the quality of the product offered to the customers.

The FMEA training course
This on-site FMEA training course starts with an overview of the FMEA tool and the FMEA process. The training course then guides the trainee through the step by step process of how to conduct an FMEA on goods, services and processes. Worked examples are given of an FMEA as applied to goods, services and processes. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to perform an FMEA. This FMEA analysis tool training course comes complete with the FMEA process template. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great training course from Product Development Consultants

On-site training workshop for the powerful APQP product quality process

Background of the APQP tool

The Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process forms the very heart of robust product development. Developed for the engineering community the APQP tool can be applied to any goods, services or processes that are being developed. The APQP tool has also been successfully deployed in problem solving situations as it brings discipline and structure to the problem analysis.

The APQP tool
The APQP process essentially breaks product development down into 5 basic steps and puts product quality at the heart of each step. The 5 APQP steps are:

• Plan and define the program
• Product design and development
• Process design and development
• Product and process validation
• Feedback assessment and corrective action

Applications of the APQP tool
The APQP tool can be used where any goods, services or processes are being developed and is used extensively in the Automotive environment. Essentially the APQP process should be applied in the development of any products where error proofing will improve the quality of the product offered to the customers.

The APQP training course
This one day on-site APQP PPAP training course starts with an overview of the APQP tool and the APQP process.The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises.

Another great training course from Product Development Consultants

On site training for the Product Development QFD tool

Background of the QFD tool

The Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process is a structured approach to defining customer requirements and needs, and then translating them into specific plans and specifications to produce products to meet the customer needs. The customer requirements and needs are sometimes referred to as the “voice of the customer”. This is the term used to describe the stated and unstated customer requirements and needs.

The QFD tool
The QFD process is oriented toward involving a team of qualified and experienced individuals representing the various functional departments of a company that are involved in product development. This should include and not be limited to:

• Marketing
• Project Management
• Design Engineering
• Quality Assurance
• Manufacturing
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Test Engineering
• Finance
• Product Support

The QFD tools works by analysing the stated customer needs against the product concept in a matrix known as the “House of Quality“. It is in this matrix that the associations are made between the stated customer needs and the product’s ability to fulfill those needs. In this way the product specification can be adapted and modified to best meet the needs of the customer.
The House of Quality comprises rooms or steps to the QFD process. These are:

Step 1 – The Customer Requirements Room Step 2 – The Customer Importance Ratings Room Step 3 – The Customer Competitive Assessment Room Step 4 – The Functional Requirements Room – “Voice of the Engineer” Step 5 – The Direction of Improvement Room Step 6 – The Relationships Matrix Room Step 7 – The Organisational Difficulty Room Step 8 – The Technical Competitive Assessment Room Step 9 – The Target Values for Technical Descriptors Room Step 10 – The Correlation Matrix Room Step 11 – The Absolute Importance and Relative Importance Rooms

The QFD training course
The QFD tool can be used where any goods, services or processes are being developed and is used extensively in the Automotive environment. Essentially the QFD process should be applied in the development of any products where, meeting the needs of the customer very well, is important. This could be in new product concepts or if the market is very competitive and a product advantage is needed.
This one day on-site QFD training course starts with an overview of the QFD tool and the QFD process.The intent of this and all our training courses is not to tell or show the trainees what to do but to impart the capability to perform the required tasks. There is no limit to the number of trainees but we strongly recommend no more than 5 individuals attend per course. We find that if there are any more than this the training becomes ineffective and wasteful.
This course is targeted at the product design engineers, the manufacturing engineers and the programme managers delivering new products. This training course is given in English. All our courses are designed to be informal and are based around a series of discussions and practical exercises. A QFD excel template is provided.

Another great training solution from Product Development Consultants

APQP, APQP PPAP, QFD, FMEA, DFMA, SWOT and 8D on-line training

Announcing our on-line Product Development training courses show how to successfully operate the various product development quality tools and business development tools available. The courses are targeted at those involved in delivering new goods, services or processes and are written in English. The courses are on:

• APQP PPAP
• QFD
• FMEA
• DFMA
• SWOT
• 8D

The intent of all our web based training courses is to impart the capability to use the required tool. Each training course comes with all the necessary free downloads to enable the trainee to start using the tool immediately. No special software required.

Access to these great on-line training courses is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.

Another great solution by Product Development Consultants

Web based SWOT training workshop

Background of the SWOT analysis tool

The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis tool forms the heart of identifying the right products to develop. Developed from the marketing community the SWOT analysis tool can be applied to any goods, services and processes that are under consideration. The SWOT analysis tool has also been successfully deployed in other business situations where several options or solutions are being considered.

The SWOT analysis tool

The SWOT analysis tool (combined with brainstorming activities and other investigative methods) essentially lists the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to an area of interest. For example a potential new product compared to that of a competitor. The main thrust of this tool is to turn all the identified strengths, weaknesses and threats into opportunities. These opportunities can then be exploited to give a competitive business advantage.

The SWOT analysis training course

This on-line training course starts with an overview of the SWOT analysis tool and the SWOT analysis process. The training course then guides the trainee through a step by step process of how to conduct a SWOT analysis on goods, services and processes. Worked examples are given of a SWOT analysis applied to goods, services and processes. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to perform a SWOT analysis. This SWOT analysis training course comes complete with a free download of the SWOT analysis template. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed. 

Another great on-line traing workshop from Product Development Consultants 

Eight Discipline (8D) problem solving process training workshop

Background of the 8D tool

The 8D problem solving tool forms the heart of any thorough problem solving process. Developed from the engineering community the 8D problem solving tool can be applied to any goods, services or processes that are experiencing problems either during development or are currently in operation.

The 8D tool

The 8D tool divides the problem solving process into sequential steps giving the problem solving team structure to their work. Each step has its own process and activities. This 8D tool has been recently improved with an additional step added at the start of the process and an additional replicate step added in recognition of the need to maximise the effects of the work carried out. The process steps are:

1. Identify the need for a problem resolution
2. Establish the problem resolution team
3. Describe the problem
4. Develop containment
5. Define the root cause of the defined problem
6. Develop a permanent corrective action
7. Validate and implement the permanent corrective action
8. Prevent the problem from reoccurring
9. Replicate the solution
10. Recognise the team

Please note that this training course details all ten steps whereas the traditional 8D retains only the original 8 steps.

Applications of the 8D tool

The 8D tool can be used where any problems are encountered with any goods, services or processes. Applications include problems in; design of consumer goods, website development, restaurant front of house operations, manufacturing process development, hotel services, software development etc. Essentially the 8D problem solving tool should be applied in the the problem resolution of problems encountered with any goods, services and processes. The main point of the 8D tool is to establish the root cause of the problem and give solutions that can be robustly applied. This minimises the exposure of the problem to the customer and to the business, whether the problem area is in development or currently in operation.

The 8D training course

This on-line training course starts with an overview of the 8D problem solving tool and the 8D process. The training course then guides the trainee through a step by step process of how to conduct an 8D on goods, services and processes. A worked example is given of an 8D applied to a production process. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to perform an 8D. This 8D problem solving training course comes complete with a free download of the 8D template. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed.

Taking the 8D training course

Access to this great on-line 8D problem solving training course is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment or an order has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.

Another great web based training workshop from Product Development Consultants

The Product Development Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process

Background of the QFD tool

The Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process is a structured approach to defining customer requirements and needs, and then translating them into specific plans and specifications to produce products to meet the customer needs. The customer requirements and needs are sometimes referred to as the "voice of the customer". This is the term used to describe the stated and unstated customer requirements and needs.
The QFD tool
The QFD process is oriented toward involving a team of qualified and experienced individuals representing the various functional departments of a company that are involved in product development. This should include and not be limited to:

• Marketing
• Project Management
• Design Engineering
• Quality Assurance
• Manufacturing
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Test Engineering
• Finance
• Product Support

The QFD tools works by analysing the stated customer needs against the product concept in a matrix known as the "House of Quality". It is in this matrix that the associations are made between the stated customer needs and the product's ability to fulfill those needs. In this way the product specification can be adapted and modified to best meet the needs of the customer.
The House of Quality comprises rooms or steps to the QFD process. These are:

Step 1 - The Customer Requirements Room Step 2 - The Customer Importance Ratings Room Step 3 - The Customer Competitive Assessment Room Step 4 - The Functional Requirements Room - "Voice of the Engineer" Step 5 - The Direction of Improvement Room Step 6 - The Relationships Matrix Room Step 7 - The Organisational Difficulty Room Step 8 - The Technical Competitive Assessment Room Step 9 - The Target Values for Technical Descriptors Room Step 10 - The Correlation Matrix Room Step 11 - The Absolute Importance and Relative Importance Rooms

Applications of the QFD tool
The QFD tool can be used where any goods, services or processes are being developed and is used extensively in the Automotive environment. Essentially the QFD process should be applied in the development of any products where, meeting the needs of the customer very well, is important. This could be in new product concepts or if the market is very competitive and a product advantage is needed.
The QFD training course
This on-line QFD training course starts with an overview of the QFD tool and the QFD process. The training course then guides the trainee through a step by step process of how to conduct the QFD process throughout the product development cycle. Worked examples are given of an QFD applied to product development. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to conduct the QFD process. This QFD training course comes complete with a free download of an QFD template and the necessary charts. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed.
This on-line QFD training workshop is for anyone undertaking product development activities where meeting the customer needs is important. A QFD excel template is provided.
Taking the QFD training course
Access to this great on-line QFD training course is time limited and not usage limited. Once payment has been received we will issue a user name and a keycode that gives unlimited user access to the training course. This user name and keycode can be used as many times as needed and by as many individuals as needed.

On-line Product Development FMEA training

Background of the FMEA tool
The Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) tool forms the heart of robust product development. Developed from the engineering community the FMEA tool can be applied to any goods, services or processes that are being developed. The FMEA tool has also been successfully deployed in problem solving situations as it brings discipline and structure to the problem analysis

The FMEA tool
The FMEA tool essentially breaks the product down into parts and considers the function of each part of the product. All the potential failures of each part are then reviewed and scored to give a set of priorities. The product developers can then change the goods, services and processes to avoid the potential failure from occurring. As the failures never occur the customers never experience them. The quality of the goods, services or processes are thereby improved

Applications of the FMEA tool
The FMEA tool can be used where any goods, services or processes are being developed. Applications include; design of consumer goods, website development, restaurant front of house error proofing, manufacturing process development, hotel services, software development etc. Essentially the FMEA tool should be applied in the development of any goods, services and processes where error proofing will improve the quality of the product offered to the customers

The FMEA training course
This web based FMEAtraining course starts with an overview of the FMEA tool and the FMEA process. The training course then guides the trainee through a step by step process of how to conduct an FMEA on goods, services and processes. Worked examples are given of an FMEA applied to goods, services and processes. This training course is given in English and is designed to impart the capability to perform an FMEA. This FMEA training course comes complete with a free download of the FMEA template and the necessary scoring charts. No prior knowledge is required or assumed and no special tools are needed.

 Another great opportunity from PDC