What does sliding a heavy stone across a sheet of ice have in common with product manufacturing? At first glance, the sport of curling and product development might seem worlds apart. However, as we discussed at a recent networking event, the two fields share a surprising blueprint for success. Whether on the rink or in the office, both require a dedicated team to align on a specific target,...

In the world of electronic hardware development, the path from an initial concept to global mass production (MP) has always been filled with volatility. In recent years, that path has become even more unpredictable due to geopolitical shifts, component shortages, and rapidly changing environmental compliance standards. For a long time, the traditional hardware operations model relied on a...

Why Does This Matter for Discrete Manufacturers? Product development is becoming more difficult for discrete manufacturers. Products are more connected, supply chains are more fragile, regulations keep tightening, and every team — from engineering to operations to quality and sourcing — is being asked to move faster with fewer surprises. That’s the exact problem product lifecycle...