FIT R&D Services

Research and Development (R&D) has traditionally been an area for providing new ideas, technologies and methods to undergird the businesses of the company. It is at the same time future-looking to obtain intellectual property through invention and innovation development. It is also bound in the present as it provides technical service and insights into current operations and products.

FIT provides specialty consulting services for R&D. By reviewing all facets of the R&D capabilities - staffing, facilities, in-house and purchased services – experienced FIT consultants, each with more than 20 years of R&D experience, obtain a profile of the current status of R&D within your organization. Cursory funding levels are benchmarked within your industry to suggest if your organization values the benefits that come from R&D. Perhaps senior management senses that what is needed is a new way of aligning R&D with your core businesses, or to focus R&D through a stage-gate process into new product development. A survey of your researchers will reveal what sorts of needs have evolved over the years – lab space, capital equipment, training, information services, or other support such as patent services.

If your research operations are organized directly on a core business model, maybe there is a need to explore some fundamental research that will lead to new opportunities. The way new products are developed is the other side of R&D. Are the scientists isolated from the business in a narrow specialty without direct interaction with the business? Do they need rotation in the business units for their development? What key skills are missing? What areas are over- emphasized or not needed anymore? Reviewing and auditing the R&D organization and making suggestions for its inprovement will ensure that it is vital for the days ahead. The FIT audit also strives to assist clients in maximizing the use of modern laboratory instrumentation, including a Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), if applicable. One of our key objectives is to identify areas for improvement in existing R&D operations, as well as to identify particular applications where the use of new technology and improved record systems will provide an improved research and development product .

Key to the overall implementation of the new R&D organization is the development of a plan to ensure the changes take effect and that the vision is shared and not just another fad. To make substantial changes requires both top-down and bottom-up acceptance of the goals and methods of making the change. Here experience is key, and FIT consultants have been through these changes, participating from both the management side and from the researchers' point of view.

FIT Consultants will assist clients by providing a comprehensive R&D review and audit, which includes evaluations of:

• Management vision of the role of R&D.
• Researchers needs and motivations.
• Effectiveness of R&D in aligning with the business.
• Effectiveness of R&D in pointing toward the future.
• Efficiency gains to be made in R&D functions.
• Improvements in intellectual property management.

Management vision of the role of R&D

Discussions held with top management will set the direction of the evaluation process. Are you a "Big R / Little d" organization that would like to be more atuned to product development? Or do you need more of a focus on forward-looking research? Are there particular research infrastructure needs you have? For example, space, or information services ("the library of the future"), or instrumentation or technical services. Would you like to see more teamwork in commercializing new products? Setting specific goals for the review and audit is the role of senior management. FIT will also benchmark the funding for R&D against comparable organizations.

Researchers needs and motivations

FIT will carry out a detailed review of researchers needs and motivations including:

• Developmental needs – training, career development, professional development.
• Personal organization and time management.
• Information – books, journals, searches, Internet, Intranet (portals, news).
• Seminars, meetings, technical exchange.
• Business information, marketing information.
• Supplies, materials, technical services.
• Record keeping, intellectual property.
• Publications and patents.
• Safety.
• Achievement, recognition and advancement.

During this process, an overall tone or vitality of the R&D organization will emerge, and recommendations for improvement advanced.

Effectiveness of R&D in aligning with the business

A review of how R&D is viewed from business units will also be gathered if that is a primary concern for obtaining funding and possibly partitioning the R&D facility. Usually there can be a further strengthening of ties between R&D and the businesses and better communication in the process of competing for resources.

Effectiveness of R&D in pointing toward the future

The promise of R&D to point toward the future depends on the effectiveness of sharing that vision and devleoping new products and processes to realize that future. There must be a share of the work that is highly speculative, could fail, but will probably uncover something valuable along the way. The effectiveness of exploiting those opportunities lies within your organization and can be improved.

Efficiency gains to be made in R&D functions

The process of acquiring new knowledge or perfecting technique is not very efficient, but it can be made more efficient if the details of recordkeeping, ordering and receiving materials and using efficient systems (LIMS, chemical inventory, knowledge management) are part of the every day process. Team organization and team development with clear, shared responsibilities can be improved through systems that streamline group process and concensus, to minimize repeated work.

Improvements in intellectual property management

The efficient systems for assisting recordkeeping and report will also help to document and communicate a primary output of the R&D process – intellectual property. Whether legal assistance is on site, or is contracted out, the management of intellectual property is a function for everyone in the organization but especially senior management. FIT will review the underlying processes used to capture, refine and use intellectual property in the organization.

From the information gathered in the activities outlined above, FIT will provide a working model to improve R&D operations in support of the goals of your business. The plan will improve the organization within R&D and improve the communication to the business unit and to the stakeholders in outcomes of R&D – new products, new processes and improved technical services for the customers of your company.

FIT personnel involved in R&D reviews and audits look forward to the opportunity to assist your organization in achieving improved R&D efficiency and effectiveness to better support the business in the short-term and for the future.