This meeting has been postponed. An announcement will go out once a new date has been determined

The transformation of traditional research and development (R&D) organizations into customer-centered entities focused on creating and delivering value to their constituents is a challenge well-known to technology managers. For better or worse, corporations �" and to some extent, government agencies �" are moving away from a “basic research” model to a “return on investment” (ROI) model for R&D, where funding is expected to yield returns within a short span of time, often as little as 2-3 years. Becoming customer-centered while retaining the creative freedom necessary for innovation is complicated immensely when technology customers are drawn from different cultures, speak different languages, and vary widely in their philosophical and technical approaches to “getting the job done”.

Drawing on her experience managing technology development on the International Space Station program, Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar presents the story of one such effort, where R&D was re-directed toward “designing in value” �" in a demonstrable economic sense �" during the development of a global technical training and operations collaborative environment. Her presentation will follow the project from its origination to its “proof of concept” 3 years later �" an effort that spanned 5 countries on 3 continents and included both industry and government participation. She will describe the unique management issues that can arise in such a complex environment and provide specific examples. Emphasis will be placed on the lessons learned from failure, as well as on the best practices in the creation, delivery and management of customer value that eventually led to a successful technical outcome.

Her experiences and the techniques she used to meet these unique management challenges have broad applicability to challenges faced by all managers in technology-focused organizations, corporations and government agencies. An engaging speaker who tempers her lectures with humor and personal anecdotes, Dr. Dittmar’s presentation is a “must see” for anyone interested in technology development, customer value, and/or international cooperation.