Learn and DEPLOY FastR&D
in SIX SIMPLE STEPS
520 words ... Reading time 5 minutes
Yes, you can learn, complex, powerful concepts in a few minutes.
1. Define project
There are two ways to define a project.
- 1. Just write six to eight sentences in simple English so anyone who is not a techie nerd can understand what the project is all about.
- 2. for your own internal R&D use, create a formal, operational definition that defines project success. Ideally include the Voice of the Customer, Voice of the Manufacturing and your gut feel. No need for long form English prose.
2. Establish reproducibility
When you set up and test new lab apparatus, what do you do first? Test and determine if the setup is proper? Do I have a reasonably decent experimental procedure? How do I know that? Answer is simple. Establish reproducibility. Run an experiment 4 to 6 times, Compute average(s) and standard deviation(s). Plot the data versus time, Check the trend lines. Can I trust my experimental procedure?
3. Plan and Run experiments
Let us Plan experiments first. There are two aspects.
- Planning implies scheduling. Who will run the experiment? When? How? What will be measured? This part of planning is the easy part. You know more about it then I ever will.
- Think like an architect. Planning implies "Design." Design Experiments? If you are not sure, just do a Google Search:
- "Design of experiments is a systematic method to determine the relationship between factors affecting a process and the output of that process."
- Remember Reinertsen. What experiment(s) do I need to run if I want to learn the fastest?
- Or Search on Amazon, in Books section, "Design of Experiments." There are over 700 books listed. Search Google and you may also find a catalog of Experimental Designs.
FastR&D makes this easy and simple. For many laboratory projects, Just answer two simple questions, get an efficient experimental design, a list of experiments to run, that will maximize information while keeping the lab effort to a minimum. Run your experiments and start learning fast.
4. build Linear models
Remember, high school algebra? Simple equations? like y = 2x + 3 ?
That equation is a simple example of a nerdy statistical term, a linear model.
Build linear models simply means "express our cause and effect relationships using simple equations."
FastR&D will do that, automagically.
5. Optimize
Optimize means "make the best or most effective use of (a situation, opportunity, or resource)."
When you are trying to optimize product/process performance, you are solving a set of linear or quadratic equations simultaneously. It can get ugly in a hurry.
FastR&D makes it a breeze.
FastR&D not only finds you an optimum, it also presents many new optimized innovative ideas because you are an R&D scientist who likes to learn everything; because you are in the business of developing innovative new products.
6. plaY what if ...
Answering customer questions on what will happen if... is easy.
If Manufacturing asks a Quality Control related question, that is easy too.
And if you get an urge to dabble in that ugly set of math equations and play "what if..." you can, without getting your hands dirty.
Want to Speed up R&D?
Just use six step process:
- 1. Define Project
- 2. Establish Reproducibility
- 3. Plan Experiment
- 4. build Linear Models
- 5. Optimize
- 6. plaY what if ...
- Just D. E. P. L. O. Y. FastR&D and do all the ugly computations in less than a minute.
- Yes, that is quick. Now you can easily generate a good technical report in a minute. With a few more training blog posts, within an hour, you will feel comfortable enough to interpret all the details in this technical report and identify the vital few.
- Intrigued? Would you like to sign up and become an Early Adopter?
About Author
Mukul Mehta
Mukul Mehta has over 40 years of proven industrial experience in chemical , polymer, and plastics industry. Worked as a Sr. Manager, Statistics and Computer Aided Research for BF Goodrich Chemical, a Fortune 500 company, and then as a software entrepreneur, promoted "quantitative, predictive modeling in one minute or less as a mantra for R&D and New Product Development." Many multi-million dollar successes for dozens of Corporate R&D clients in chemical and pharma industry. Trained over 750 R&D chemists, engineers and managers to Speedup New Product Development through statistical design of experiments.
Mukul is bilingual. He speaks Chemical Engineering and Applied Statistics.
As a Senior R&D Manager, Statistics and Computer-Aided Research at BF Goodrich Chemical, he championed the use of Design of Experiments (DOE) for predictive modeling, performance optimization, scale-up, and quality control.
Currently, he is the Founder and President of FastR&D, LLC, based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Over his career, he has trained nearly 1,000 R&D scientists, engineers, and senior executives. He has led 750 DOE studies across industries including chemicals, food, polymers, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. His projects range from scaling up a one-inch fluid bed reactor to an 18-foot production reactor, to optimizing the design of a tiny angioplasty device for renal artery denervation and blood pressure control.
Mukul has advised numerous Fortune 1000 chemical firms on innovation, rapid new product development, and managing NPD as a structured business process.
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