Peer Check CoLab

With a new year underway, many engineering teams are facing higher cost down targets than ever before. Inflation is eroding gross margins and the status quo just doesn’t cut it anymore.

And yet… there’s still so much low-hanging fruit.

In 2023, we hope to see engineering companies approach cost reduction with the same rigor that they approach sales, on-time delivery, and quality KPIs. That’s why this episode of Peer Check focuses on practical tips to strengthen your VA/VE programs and culture.

Join Adam Keating, CEO at CoLab, and cost engineering leaders from Dematic, Adient, and Johnson Controls for a panel discussion on:

• Cost reduction in an inflationary environment
• The roles of engineering, procurement, and finance in high-performing cost down programs
• How to clone your best VA/VE teams
• What’s stopping your VA/VE event prep from being fast and easy
• How to get real follow-through on ideas
• Avoiding the “we already thought of that” trap
• Examples of successful VA/VE initiatives

Long before the pandemic caused a rise in remote work, Dr. Wanita Dixon was researching ways for virtual engineering teams to work together more effectively.

As the CEO and Founder of Technical Creative Consulting LLC, Wanita helps companies foster innovation through visual art teambuilding. And after 20+ years of progressive experience at industry heavyweights like Carrier, Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, and Lockheed Martin — it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about effective engineering leadership.

On this episode of Peer Check, Wanita joins host Adam Keating to talk about leading globally-dispersed teams and how to get maximal contributions from everyone you manage.

Listen as Wanita and Adam chat about:

The LOVE framework for leading virtual teams effectively
Managing globally-dispersed engineering teams
Why emotional intelligence is an indispensable component of leadership
How to democratize product innovation and make sure everyone is heard   


More information about Wanita and today’s topics:

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wanitadixon/
Peer Check homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check

Look, we know it’s hard to drive real change within a large enterprise.

Bigger companies are notorious for moving slower when making decisions, adjusting processes, adopting new technology, and so on. There are plenty of reasons for this, and some of them are very good reasons. But as we saw when the Covid pandemic first hit: it doesn’t always have to be that way.

As a member of the Danfoss Power Solutions leadership team, Domenico Traverso heads up the Incubation division that launched in 2021. Devoted solely to fostering innovation in the industry, the Incubation division is comprised of seven business units — each with its own entrepreneurial leader. On this episode of Peer Check, Domenico joins host Adam Keating to share what he’s learned.

Listen as Domenico and Adam chat about:

What intrapreneurship means
Harnessing entrepreneurial spirit in product development
How leaders can drive change within large engineering enterprises
Why challenging status quo is an essential component of innovation    


More information about Domenico and today’s topics:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/domenicotraverso/
Danfoss Power Solutions’ Incubation Division: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqndPaq5Xc
Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check

PLM software first emerged in the late 80s/early 90s. Since then, PLM has established itself as a foundational tool for engineering companies.

But now, the next digital wave in engineering has arrived. Cloud collaboration tools are becoming the norm across every industry, and mechanical teams are finally starting to catch up to the cloud revolution.

Oleg Shilovitsky, CEO and Co-founder of OpenBOM, has written more than 4000 blog posts about PLM and related topics. In this episode, Oleg and Adam dive into the current state of PLM and how companies can develop a tech strategy that looks at PLM and cloud tech holistically.

Listen to their conversation to hear:

How the discussion around PLM has changed over time
Why there’s no such thing as “the best PLM”
The obstacles that prevent large companies from making better, faster decisions about technology
Why user adoption needs to be central to your tech decisions and strategy 


More information about Oleg and today’s topics:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olegshilovitsky/
Company Website: https://www.openbom.com/
Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check 


To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

Every great feat of engineering comes down to one thing: the team that made it happen.

And whether you’re building everyday products that become part of people’s lives, or designing cutting-edge innovations that might end up on the moon — your success is determined by the way your engineering team works together, communicates, and gets things done.

So what exactly do today’s high-performing engineering teams have in common?

Based on 100s of conversations with ambitious teams along with our own research, we’ve identified the trends that set top teams apart. In this episode of Peer Check, CoLab’s CEO Adam Keating delivers a keynote address to share the highlights.

Listen as Adam breaks down insights on:

Why more F500 annual reports than ever mention faster time-to-market
How top engineering teams are commercializing new technologies faster than the competition
Practical examples of digital transformation sourced from over 100 manufacturing companies
3 engineering processes you need to rethink for effectiveness instead of efficiency
The real opportunity for cloud technology in mechanical design 


More information about Adam and today’s topics:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammichaelkeating/
Company Website: www.colabsoftware.com
Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check 


To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.

As hardware capabilities have evolved over the last 50 years, many industries have successfully integrated new technologies and adapted to changing customer expectations. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case in design manufacturing.From passing around PowerPoint slides to a lack of mobile device support, the design manufacturing industry needs to embrace technology that allows for more efficient, impactful, and cost-effective collaboration. Because as time goes on, innovation will continue to leave the industry further behind.

István Csanády is one person leading the way for companies to start adopting new technology. István is the Founder & CEO of Shapr3D, a cloud tool that lets users take their CAD on the road by making it possible to design and iterate seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices.

Listen in as Adam and István discuss:

Specific ways design manufacturing technology needs to be updated
How design and manufacturing vendors can differentiate themselves effectively
Changing customer expectations around hardware and software capabilities
Democratizing access to CAD   


More information about István and today’s topics:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/icsanady/
Company Website: https://www.shapr3d.com/
Peer Check Homepage: https://www.colabsoftware.com/podcast/peer-check  


To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe to Peer Check! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website—or just search for Peer Check in your favourite podcast player.