24 May 2013 9:13 am

The Tumblr Story: How to build a successful culture for project success

With the recent acquisition of micro-blogging site Tumblr purchased by Yahoo at an estimated $1.1 Billion, many in the technology space are scratching their head in amazement trying to piece together how a company that generated $13 million in 2012 can fetch such a high price tag.Ā  Mind you with currently over 109 million blogs and the cult following of its 26 years old founderĀ David Karp, it is obvious that Yahoo’s intentions are focused on rejuvenating its brand aimed at a more relevant audience.Ā  In a world where the Yahoo brand remains as “hip” as My Space, Yahoo CEO Marissa  

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 24 May 2013 9:13 am

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4 March 2013 9:28 am

Groupon’s Troubles: Proof that the people behind a product can make the difference

In the latest in tech news, Groupon CEO and co-founder Andrew Mason was recently laid off adding to the already Management issues that has been plaguing the internet giant since its IPO in 2011.Ā  As a product idea, Groupon’s volume discount business model launched in 2008 caught on like wild fire.Ā  Groupon delivers huge coupon discounts to restaurants and retailers to its audience with the strategy of pooling like-minded consumers by leveraging the Web and social media.Ā  Consumers get a great deal and in return businesses benefit from the volume in sales.Ā  By 2010 the internet business exploded into a  

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 4 March 2013 9:28 am

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19 November 2012 9:39 am

Project Porsche 911: Where the rubber meets the road

Porsche 911 Genius Red

Although the Porsche 911 will celebrate its 50th anniversary in a few months, it definitely doesnā€™t look its age!Ā  It is an absolute classic among sports cars and its timeless design never goes out of style. Ā In the world of Project Management, the Porsche 911 is certainly a flagship project. Ā According to German magazine ā€œMotorKlassikā€ only 10 prototypes were built prior to its release in September 1963.Ā  This fact alone, is almost unbelievable, compared to todayā€™s mass-production manufacturers who can burn through 100s of prototypes before a product launch.

Written by Sofia Hess
on 19 November 2012 9:39 am

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19 October 2012 1:33 pm

Top 10 tips for effective Resource Management whether jumping from space or not

In light of the recent historical space jump from 128,000 feet performed by Austrian dare devil Felix Baumgartner, a feat that lasted approximately 8 minutes, we can’t forget a team of scientists, engineers and aviation experts contributed to the success of this new world record. In the digital age where the historic jump captured the attention of the world, we should not to forget that it took millions of dollars in product development, planning and expertise to successfully accomplish and promote the space jump. Ā Felix Baumgartner’s success was facilitated by an entire project team that carefully planned the mission every  

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 19 October 2012 1:33 pm

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13 July 2012 10:46 am

Apple Sheds its ‘Granny Smith’ Image: Green Project Management Needs to make Business Sense

This week Apple was in the news over its controversy for dropping out of the environmental certification program for electronics, called EPEAT.Ā  Apparently due to “design issues” around its laptop, Apple bowed out of the program that certifies products for sustainability and environmental standards. Ā For most businesses, “Being Green” is clearlyĀ a business decision.Ā  Not to be too cynical, the fact is whether it’s Apple or Ford, corporations tend to be as ‘Green’ as it can produce them Greenbacks. That being said, the project management world has an excellent opportunity to leverage its expertise in reducing waste in time, money and  

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 13 July 2012 10:46 am

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11 May 2012 1:04 pm

iPhone technology proves it can take 40 years to become an overnight success

In a world where innovation moves at the speed of light, most of us take for granted of the many great innovative NPD projects that have improved and changed the way we live.Ā  The truth is many NPD projects sustain battle scars from years, and in many cases decades, proving their worth and/or acceptance for their intended audience. The reality is 90%-95% of great innovations initially fail. Ā In fact many great innovations were created by technologists and inventors who had no concept of market acceptance or the desire to fill the need of a particular audience.Ā  Moreover, even in the  

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 11 May 2012 1:04 pm

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30 April 2012 12:50 pm

Inventing the Steamboat: Why people matter in NPD projects

More often than one would expect, when we look at the original inventors of many of history’s great inventions they are marginalized in their association to their inventions.Ā  Have you ever heard of Ferdinand Verbiest or Otto Lilienthal? Does Karl Benz and the Wright Brothers sound more familiar?Ā  Although the first two people mentioned are the original inventors of the automobile and airplane respectively, the latter tend to be attributed to these inventions due to their ability to move beyond the inventions themselves and connect to the people who would popularize their use.

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 30 April 2012 12:50 pm

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16 December 2011 8:48 am

A Project Selection Strategy is Critical, Unless you can go ā€œBack to the Futureā€

For many project-driven organizations, especially those in new product development and innovation, one of the toughest challenges is managing a pipeline of potential projects and making an objective and well-informed decision on which project to place your bet on.Ā  A strategic project selection process will ensure that the right metrics, experts and stakeholders are involved in the assessment and prioritization of your pipeline.Ā  The right project selection strategy allows for an organization to maximize its potential for success and improvement across its current and future portfolio.

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 16 December 2011 8:48 am

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28 November 2011 9:15 am

Get your Pair of Adidas for $1! Process Improvement in your Projects is about the Journey, not the Destination

In our current global economy consumer products are dropping in price due to the maturity of organizationā€™s that are schooled in the ability to leverage the best and cheapest resources around the world every point in the manufacturing process.Ā Ā  In recent years we have seen remarkably low priced items seen with the launch of Tataā€™s Nano car retailed at $1900 and now Adidasā€™ recent announcement of launching a $1 running shoe aimed at Indiaā€™s growing population.

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 28 November 2011 9:15 am

Posted in Famous Projects, Manufacturing, PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
20 July 2011 3:05 pm

The Model T Ford Project: A ā€œModelā€ for Product and Process Innovation

Up until the early 20th century the world viewed the automobile as a luxury item built for the elite of society.Ā  Cars were complicated in their use and required a significant investment that the average person could not afford.Ā  Then in 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T Ford that did not only revolutionize the worldā€™s perspective on personal transportation for the masses but also re-invented the manufacturing process still applied over 100 years later.Ā  Although we have seen improvements to his original process, with the development of lean manufacturing, JIT, Six Sigma, Kanban, and others, the core philosophy of  

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 20 July 2011 3:05 pm

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