S-72.124 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
OF TELECOMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS
I Elements of Telecommunication
Product Development Process
II Tools for Generating and Cultivating Ideas
S-72.124 Product Development of
Telecommunication Systems





2
Objectives: To understand modern, high-tech
product development process by theory and
practice
Lectures discuss dominant elements of product
development process: Handouts www.comlab.
hut.fi/opetus/124
Workshop (fall term): deals with practical cases;
takes full-day work of 4-5 days
Lecture Diary (optional): Guides available at the
course homepage. Return Diary on next lecture.
Grading based on Exam, Workshop report and
Lecture Diary: 40/40/20
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
S-72.124 Product Development of
Telecommunication Systems






3
Workshop tasks & report prepared in groups
Group tutoring by joint effort of Communications
Lab. & industry partner(s)
Earlier Workshops arranged by Elisa, Telia,
Ericsson , Satama Interactive, Sonera, etc.
Workshop topics: Prepaid Calling Cards, Wi-Fi
Networks, Company Customer Relation
Management (CRM) system design ...
Join to listen lectures and make your own notes &
questions
Writing a Lecture Diary is a splendid tool for
making systematic notes. (guide available at:
http://www.comlab.hut.fi/opetus/245/a/writing_lecture_diary.htm)
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Topics Today


4
Telecommunications product development
• Information society
• Telecommunications business
• Defining modern product development process
– Project plan
– Industrial product development
Tools for idea cultivation and project management
– How to produce ideas
– How to select applicable ideas
– How to sketch a project plan and recognize timecritical events
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Realizing Units of
Industrial Product
Development
Electronics
designers
Mechanical
designers
Design
Marketing
Marketing
Team
Purchasing
engineer
Manufacturing
Team leader
Industrial
designers
Central factors
of a project
Legal
Patents
Financial
Manufacturing
engineer
Teams to design an
electro-mechanical
product
5
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Industrial Product Development Process
Theoretical
functionality?
First
demo
What about
in practice?
Sub-unit
functionality?
Practical
proto
Mass
production
proto
Functionality of
the whole process?
Mass
product
6
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Phases of Conventional Product
Development Process
Sources of problems in high-tech
7
From: K.T.Ulrich, S.D.Eppinger: Product Design
and Development, 3rd ed, McGraw Hill, 2003
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Products do vary!
8
From: K.T.Ulrich, S.D.Eppinger: Product Design
and Development, 3rd ed, McGraw Hill, 2003
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Information Society Force Fields - Immediate, personalized, mobile access to services Technology
Rapidly evolving
services &
applications
Politics, legislation
regulation
New lifestyles &
fashion
GLOBAL NETWORKING
ECONOMY
9
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Telecom Market Players:
Interoperable Hierarchy
End-Users
Content and Service Providers
Service operators/
Telecommunications Networking Solutions
Physical Telecommunication Network
10
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Factors in Telecommunications
Business Framework
Systems & services
Multimedia
contents & tools
New methods of working:
@-business+mobile tech.
Essential technologies
& infrastructure
Future & emerging technologies
Research networking
11
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Telecommunications
Business in Home Access
Device
manufacturers
Mobile
DVB-S
-TV/MOVIES
-GAMES
-broadcasting
INTERNET services
- unicasting
- multicasting
- peer-to-peer ...
Network operators
Service providers
Content providers
2G: GSM
2.5G: GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE
3G : UMTS
DVB-Terrestrial
(DiGi-TV)
DVB-C,
Cable TV
Copper
(2 way)
ADSL/
ISDN
cablemodems
Wi-Fi/
IRdA/
ENERGY
EtherNET/
Power Line Communications (PLC)
12
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Factors of High-tech Product/Service
Development
Financing
Quality
Leadership
Strategic management
Production Process
Project management
Innovations Patenting
13
Usability
Products Product
design
Commercialization
Marketing
Business Plan
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
High-tech Product Development




14
constant product improvements
high development velocity
knowledge sharing from suppliers, competitors, and customers
feedback on demand from customers
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Challenges and Rewards
in Product/Service Development
Trade-offs
Timetable
Dynamics
Economics
Details
Recognizing, understanding and
managing key challenges is an
elementary factor to create a successful
product/service development process
A successful development team is
multi-disciplinary, motivated and
cooperative


15
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Manifestation
of creativity
Satisfaction of
social & individual
needs
Team
Team
spirit
diversity
Computerized Business Planning*
16
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
*Business Plan Pro by Palo Alto Software
Personal Process of Creativity1
17
1: T. Korhonen, A. Ainamo: Handbook of Product and Service
Development in Communication and Information Technology, Kluwer Academic Press, 2003
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
A Cycle in The Process of Creativity
convergent
divergent
accessing idea
generator
filtering
ideas
concept
formation
innovative



18
realization
logical
Creativity cultivation requires different talents
in different phases
System contains in practice extensive feedback
Best workgroups are multidisciplinary (Developed
communication skills required!)
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Some Creativity Tools
concept
testing,
decision
making
associative
mapping
filter
modifications
idea generation
19
•Critical Path Analysis
•Force Field Analysis
•Decision Tree
•Mind Maps: Fish Bones
•SWOT-method
•Lateral Thinking: Synetics
•The Six Thinking Hats
•Random pictures/words/sentences
•Reinforced pictures/words
/sentences (doodles)
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
How to Select the Cultivation Method?





A tool is applicable when there is information for its usage!
Some methods are primarily targeted for mapping the current
status (eg SWOT), other for decision making (eg Force Field
Analysis) and some are general purpose tools to assist project
management (Critical Path Analysis).
Methods work well when they are used simultaneously;
in-series or in-parallel, as for instance brainstorming+ SWOT
Successful product development requires that one should have
sufficient information about
– customer's requirements
Customers Competitors
– competitors’ product launches
– markets
Markets
Technology
– latest technology
Vision of future trends is very
important!
Future visions
20
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Tools Focused Today


Idea cultivation
– Brainstorming
– Mind Mapping
– SWOT
– Force Field Analysis

Filter modifications
– Six Thinking Hats
– Synetics
21
Concept formation &
Decision making
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
– Decision Tree
– Critical Path Analysis
Brainstorming




Objectives: Bring about creative solutions (even for
unidentified!) problems
Take solution candidates one after another until unusual
solutions are generated
For a start take a word or words, from “a dictionary at hand” to
feed the process and apply associations
Generate ideas without critics! Thus
– many potential solution candidates are generated
– whole problem dilemma may change!

For concluding the session
– analyze results for instance by SWOT, FFA and/or Mind
Mapping
– Condensed and classified ideas can be used to support new
sessions or other applications
22
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Brainstorming - Leader and Group Tasks


23
Session leader
– definition of the start-up point
– gives limits to the problem
– gives limits to discussions (These limits must be very broad)
– minute amount of critics
– encouraging and enthusiastic
– follows (the fixed) session time table!
– Takes care that ‘idea jamming’ is only temporary!
Session participants
– have diverged orientations related to the problem at hand
– their background is as different as possible
– good communication skills
– substance should be known preferably by everybody (at
least by somebody!!!)
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Individual vs. Group Brainstorming



24
Individual BS
– many ideas
– tendency to jam into fixed trails
– easy to find unresolved questions
Group BS
– ideas develop themselves into more elaborated form
– ideas develop more efficiently
– there might be less ideas (group follows the group behavior
laws!)
One may mix individual and group barnstorming: For instance
each member might first BS of his own and then one may have
a meeting based on each individual’s BS sessions
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Getting more fruitful Brainstorming

Methods of Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono) or Six Eyes*
(Rodney King) can be used to get Brainstorming to work better:
facts: figures,
information needs
and gaps
logical positive:
why something works
creativity: alternatives,
proposals, what is interesting,
provocations and changes
logical negative:
judgment and
caution
intuition:
feelings
and emotions
meta-cognition:
creativity process
control
*Axon 2002 - program: http://web.singnet.com.sg/ ~axon2000/index.htm
25
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Understanding process outputs
a different way

Themes can be seen from different perspectives
by using “Synetics*”:
*Gordon, W.J.J., Synetics: The development of creative capacity, 1961.
26
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Synetics questions explained








27
Substitute/Simplify (What would you do in my place?)
Combine (Think about software being capable of evolving and
reproducing?)
Adapt (Think what would happen if you would have wings?)
Modify/Distort (What if cars would sometimes be used
upsidedown?)
Put to other purposes (Think your mailbox as a kite!)
Eliminate (What would you end up by removing the batteries?)
Rearrange/Reverse/Scale (Reverse the order of blocks?)
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
28
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Mind Mapping


29
Mind Mapping is a technique to organizing information in its
natural associative way, that is multidimensional.
Procedure:
– List the main topic, subtopics and facts. Search short
expressions for them all.
– Identify the main connections between themes
– Set the main theme in the middle of the paper and arrange
the sub-themes to surround the main theme
– Recognize idea groups (for instance by colors)
– Indicate interdependencies as the cause and consequence
by arrows
– Use symbols and figures and even sub-maps to give to total
picture
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Example of a Mind Map:
Evolving Internet Access
HAPS:High Altitude Platform Station
PDC:Personal Digital Cellular System
ITS:Intelligent Transport System
AMPS: Advanced Mobile Phone
Services
30
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Mind Mapping Summarized
– A Mind Map is an associative structure. Therefore its
topology contains a lot of information.
– Mind Map allows to identify the essential features and links
of the problem at glance.
– Mind Maps can be an extremely compact way to present
information.
– A problem of mind mapping is that the chart may up to be so
messy that it can even hide the main themes. Therefore
Mind Map can, and should be cultivated after it is formed by
pruning less important branches
– Mind Maps can be created by computer program (as
MindManager® or eMindMaps®) or by using simple
detachable notes on a blackboard.
31
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Alternate Mind Mapping


Fishbone* diagram: Enables to focus onto the problem and
perceive the causes and its relative importance
After drawing the diagram the next step is to analyze the
magnitude of each of the identified causes
*Axon 2002 - program: http://web.singnet.com.sg/ ~axon2000/index.htm
32
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
SWOT analysis




33
SWOT is applicable for sorting unorganized knowledge bases
and analyzing current status
Successful SWOT yields structured mapping of the problem at
hand
For instance in product analysis
– identify strength and weaknesses of the product
– search through possibilities and threats (for instance for
product launch)
Realization: List all the relevant properties and sort them into
SWOT boxes!
inside
Strength
Weakness
outside
Opportunity
Threats
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
A case of SWOT:
WAP-based Knowledge Base Service*
Strength
Expandable, flexible,
easy to use, dynamic,
easy to personalize,
bypassing of
telephone exchange, more
effective graphics, utilization
of location information
Weakness
Need for WAP terminal
managing,
search routines require
dedication
Opportunity
If first at the market may
be a killer-kind app.
Due to usage of immediate
location info by GPS or GSM
location technology
34
Threats
No popularity,
one applies terminal specific
catalogs, competitive
techniques may hit markets
*S-72.124 spring ‘99
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Force Field Analysis






35
FFA is a method to analyze factors for and against an act
Objective: To create an unified description of the factors forming
the problem. This is used to alter the process state to the
wanted direction!
Benefits
– Describes all the relevant forces
– Allows to plan
• contra strategies for negative forces
• supporting strategies for positive forces
The FFA method: Identify, Sort and Grade the different forces
and illustrate the problem by a diagram including the forces!
The first result of this method describes the current state
Alteration of forces can change the current state to the
objective state!
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Force Field Analysis: Example
36
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Decision Trees




37
Usage: To analyze strictly economical and numerical
decisions
Applicable when a lot of complicated information is associated
to the decision making process
The analysis results in a system model that gives arguments to
– make a justified ’best decision’
– consider decision alternatives
– understand effects of the decisions already undertaken
– understand risks involved
Building a decision tree
– tree skeleton
– decision probability and net income evaluation
– solution path weighting
– cost evaluation
– final inspection of the tree
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Decision Trees: Skeleton
Decision
indicated by square
Consolidate=yhdistää
Reap=korjata
38
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Circles represent uncertainty
in markets
Decision Trees: Weighting
Estimate market
reaction probabilities
Estimate the net
income sums (no expenses)
39
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Decision Tree: Path Evaluations
40
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Net Cash Income from all Paths
Path income evaluations
41
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Subtracting the Costs
Profit
without
expenses
Profit with
expenses
Maximum
profit with
expenses
while taking
this path
42
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Decision Trees Summarized

Decision trees provide an effective method for decision making
because they:
 clearly lay out the problem so that all the choices
can be viewed, discussed and challenged
 provides a framework to quantify the outcome and
the associated probability
 help us to make the best decisions on the basis of
our existing information (or the best guesses)
43

Accuracy of the results comparable to the accuracy of the
statistical & substance knowledge

Often many factor must be evaluated by experience and
common sense: this is a point to utilize group work!
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
Critical Path Analysis (CPA)




44
A method for project analysis and management that points out
the critical phases of the project
Enables to
– define minimum time span to complete the project
– prioritization of tasks
– recognize central project activities
– evaluate risks
CPA is a foundation for project planning, scheduling and
monitoring
CPA phases
– listing project phases (tasks & durations)
– recognizing series and parallel activities
– recognizing task inter-dependencies
– recognizing the critical path & inspecting project flow
(for instance by Gantt Chart)
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
CPA: Listing Project Phases
CASE: Custom written computer installation
45
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
CPA: Estimating Time




46
Time evaluation is difficult for new tasks
Typically time is underestimated due to
– Influence of the unexpected changes
– Unscheduled high priority work is forgotten
– Accidents and emergencies
– Meetings
– Breakdowns in equipment
– Quality control rejections
If the accuracy of time estimates is critical, you may find it
effective to develop a systematic approach to including these
factors
Typically realistic time estimation is done based on past
experience
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
CPA in Gantt Chart
Critical path (blue)
continues through
the whole project
Non-critical paths (red) are
not so time critical
Duration in weeks
47
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen
In Conclusion...

We had an overview on Telecommunications Product Development
Process

We discussed the following ”mind- and process mapping” techniques:
– Brainstorming
– Mind Mapping
– SWOT analysis
– Six Thinking Hats
– Synetics
– Force Field Analysis
– Decision Tree
– Critical Path Analysis

48
The best way to learn these methods is to use them!
Helsinki University of Technology,Communications Laboratory, Timo O. Korhonen