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In engineering there are a number of ways to work. Using design optimisation software is one that you might think is more prevalent than it really is.

Perhaps it is be because many see the role of a design engineer to optimise a design themselves.

Optimisation software may also have been possibly oversold – by this I mean sales staff with strict targets have been forced to bend the truth a little to win sales, leading to skepticism of the true benefits of design optimisation software by both design engineers and their managers.

I feel that this is quite a shame.

As with any software, for design optimisation or whatever, it is only ever going to give you an approximation. This doesn’t mean it is therefore useless. The design engineer who takes a pragmatic view to using their design optimisation software will really see the benefits – and fast. It requires a change in how a design engineer maybe used to working but once one sees the benefits, it is a software tool no-one in their right mind would want to give up.

There are a few different software products on the market.

One that is well received is called modeFrontier and has applications both in design optimisation but also in process optimisation.

I’d recommend taking some time to learn more about the field of optimisation and see how this kind of software could benefit your organisation.

If I were to write about the hardest thing I am finding about building a software start-up, it would say what this article is saying, almost verbetum.

What I would add, is that not only are the talented people required tucked up in safe corporate jobs or already branched out running their own software consultancy’s, for them to be really useful, they need to “get” what you’re doing and believe it will be successful when, in fairness to them, there are very few pointers to say it will.

For a curious but cautious bunch, this is a problem. Therefore acquiring or hiring the people you need is easier said than done – probably no doubt because these guys have been there, done it, and seen the issues, either personally or through good friends.

It is a tough one and an issue with no ready solution as far as I can see. That in itself is the foundation for a business perhaps …

Frustrated.

Dan Wheldon died yesterday challenging for a $5m prize. The two time Indy 500 winner, and former champion, was without a drive this season. He put a deal together for one race, the famous Indy 500, earlier this year and promptly won it when rookie JR Hildebrand slid into the wall on the final corner. On the back of this success and the failure of the series promoter to line up an all-star driver line-up for his $5m Las Vegas prize pot, Wheldon was given the challenge. Starting from the back, if Wheldon won then he would get the prize and split half of it with one lucky fan. Unfortunately it seems he was an innocent party in the second part of a multi-car pile-up during lap 12 of the race. A Brit abroad, he was popular throughout the paddock and leaves a wife and two young children.

A fitting post is here for those interested to know more about his life.

Indy canceled the race and conduced this 5 lap salute to their former champion.

Here is a great article on big data. That, this and the recent Autonomy sale, inspired me to share my big data thoughts with you on the blog; especially the notion of augmenting that big data to create meaning.

Essentially big data presents a challenge an opportunity. The challenge is what to do with it. There are so many ways of measuring and cheaply storing data that there is a lot of “big data” around.

The opportunity with this big data idea, in my opinion, is to make and develop systems that can take meaning from the big data stores, to help people make better decisions.

What interests me most is in this transition from decision making by intuition to decision making complimented by meaningful, big data backed, guidance, recommendation and information.

Unlike some, I don’t see joy in automating the whole process. The satisfaction for me is building systems to codify repetitive or expert analysis techniques, apply them and speed them up, so they become a real-time solution, compliment them with context related meaning and present them with beautifully designed results and conclusions, such that they empower non-specialists and non-experts to make decisions.

Simple …

I should would on a simple way of explaining my big data ideas but for now, that’s it.

Thoughts welcome

Here is another view:

Digital scene setting – its 2007, Vista is launched, iPhone recently launched, Microsoft biggest technology business in world, Social Media = myspace … so …

Jobs comments at about 8mins 20sec … ooo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCvLTlQWT6A&NR=1

and what is Jobs not saying at about 1mins 35sec (iPad??):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2aLYBC5onk&NR=1

Jobs describing a life, not legacy – about 7mins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGH-1L-0zo4&NR=1

Finally, a piece of advice – why they are successful Jobs 1 min 40 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQwhbazr5ug&NR=1

Jobs on Success =

1) Passion and love for what your doing.
Why?
Because it is really hard.
Otherwise any rational person will give up.
‘Successful’ ones, loved what they did so they can persevere.
The ones that didn’t love it quit, because they are sane!

2) Be a great talent scout.
Built an org that can eventually build itself.
Hire great people.

Seems about right …

Steve Jobs has really only become an influential figure in my life, within the last couple of years. Getting access to his products, especially my iPhone, have made me a happier person. How is that possible? – I don’t know, but I am not alone.

He will be missed by many and it is a sad way for him to leave us.

Here is an inspirational talk he gave in 2005. Very inspiring for me and I hope for you too – its emotional but that is actually a good thing.

Enjoy:

… http://www.the-mia.com/Business-Development–Marketing-and-Strategy-Consultant-now-available-to-fellow-MIA-members

Seriously though, I am here to help.

Just get in touch.

S

Here is a great post on what the US debt looks like. Some surprising things are how little $1m looks and the nice fact that if you’d spent $1m per day since Jesus was born, you’d still not have spend £1 trillion yet !!

Enjoy …

This is a good article in Entrepreneur magazine. It gives Richard Branson’s thoughts on how a small business should develop their organisational culture. He makes two good points I think;

• focus on the customer,
• involve everyone with a good idea in the decision-making process, no matter what level they are in the business.

The following extract really stands out to me and is a theme that resonates again and again, from my research on high performing teams; the bit about being empowered to make decisions and tolerant of mistakes is what Formula 1 teams do so well.

If I think back to what we did right, it was in our planning process, when we made sure we were having fun working together and that everyone who had a good idea was included in our decision-making process.

We had accidentally stumbled on the core elements of a culture dedicated to delivering great customer service! It turned out that people who work in a friendly environment that is tolerant of mistakes, and who are empowered to make decisions about how they do their jobs, arrive at the best possible solutions for serving customers.

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