E-procurement helps product development take non-linear approach

The primary reason why professionals leverage digital technology is that it enables them to streamline communication. In regard to product development, the design department, marketing team and spend analysis crew can assemble more frequently, breaking linear operations. 

Moving away from sequential processes 

Ajay Chavali and Kevin Prendeville recently wrote an article for Technology Evaluation Centers, maintaining that linear production opens up manufacturers to sustaining grievous damages.

For example, marketers may be advertising an item that was originally supposed to perform task A, when a problem in the design process caused engineers to remake it to conduct task B. As a result, product delivery is suspended and customer satisfaction decreases. 

This conundrum has convinced producers to exercise a more holistic mindset powered by digital property. Prendeville and Chavali noted that analytics and cloud technology are helping organizations stay more connected with each other, eliminating miscommunication and enhancing the quality of their deliverables.

Acquiring material 

Whether a company's developing software or aircraft, it needs to ensure it has the necessary assets to complete lengthy projects. 

If engineers don't have the appropriate materials to construct a prototype or a team leader realizes he or she needs a subordinate specializing in engine electronics, procurement tools must be utilized. 

What is e-procurement? It's a solution that provides strategic sourcing personnel with a fast, efficient way of obtaining products for re-sale, in-house usage or refinement. For example, a person working for an aircraft manufacturer would leverage the program to compare suppliers' ability to delivery affordable, quality turbine parts. 

Obtaining the required talent 

If workers essential to the product development operation cannot be found in-house, HR should leverage vendor resource management tools to hire employees possessing the appropriate qualities. Some of the characteristics these professionals should have include:

  • Thorough knowledge of the industry
  • A willingness to communicate with non-team members
  • An understanding of how to effectively use digital technology 
  • The ability to proactively share insights with those outside of their departments

Preparing for the future 

According to MIT News, Massachusetts Institute of Technology mechanical engineering professor Warren Seering hopes to help students in his Product Design and Development class figure out how to collaborate with people possessing different backgrounds.

Business, industry and engineering students all work together in teams of six to eight to create a marketable item by the end of the semester. Seering maintained that a manufacturer's success depends on the cohesion of professionals each possessing a unique point of view. 

If an enterprise's various department heads regard the materials acquired through the procurement process with a unified approach, production endeavors will be conducted more fluidly. 

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