Knowledge-Driven New Product Development is Focus of Upcoming Seminar

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Professionals engaged in developing new products -- whether they are tangible goods or services -- are invited to explore how reusing the knowledge produced through product-development processes enables future innovations. The Knowledge-Driven New Product Development informational seminar, a two-hour preview of a new short course developed by the University at Buffalo's TCIE and the New York State Center for Engineering Design and Industrial Innovation (NYSCEDII), is one of two programs planned during TCIE's summer 2012 session.

The breakfast seminar will take place from 8-10 a.m. on June 26 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Rd., Amherst. It will feature discussion of knowledge-driven new product development in the information age. Registration is due by June 19.

"Companies are creating a lot of new knowledge, but are not sure how to harness it the right way," says Andrew Olewnik, NYSCEDII research associate. "With any product development, how are you going to distill and capture the knowledge that's created so you can re-use it over time?"

Attendees will be introduced to three elements critical to supporting knowledge-driven new product design: organizational philosophy, formalized design processes and information infrastructure. These elements will be taught in greater depth during a new eight-hour course, Knowledge-Driven New Product Development, developed by TCIE and NYSCEDII to be offered in fall 2012.

Both the two-hour informational session and full course are intended for engineering managers, designers, department supervisors, senior managers, presidents and other professionals responsible for new product development. Olewnik suggests that the courses are ideal for better leveraging information technology in supporting development processes and for achieving growth goals through enhancement of new product development.

TCIE is also offering a summer session of the Certified Lean Professional course. Personnel in any industry will learn how to become Lean thinkers and how to create Lean organizations that maximize customer value while minimizing waste. Each participant is required to complete a project designed to improve a process at his or her organization and pass a certification exam.

The course will be held at UB's Baird Research Park, 1576 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. It runs from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on June 5, 12, 19 and 26; July 10, 17, 24 and 31; Aug. 7, 14 and 21; Sept. 18; and Oct. 16. Registration is due by May 29.

For more information and to register, contact Kerry Lynch at 716-645-8840 or klynch4@buffalo.edu.

A program of the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, TCIE is Western New York's bridge to excellence by providing a dynamic link between UB's expert resources and the region's business community. TCIE's engineering solutions ignite innovation and technological advancement, and its core focus on operational excellence drives continuous improvement. For more information on how TCIE can assist Western New York businesses, go to http://www.tcie.buffalo.edu or call 716-645-8800.

NYSCEDII was established in 2000 at UB as an engineering design center to provide companies throughout New York State with a significant competitive advantage in high-tech product development. Its mission is to develop next-generation design, manufacturing, product and process development tools that best exploit new information, visualization and simulation technologies for the benefit of the industrial base of New York State.