Innovation
When it comes to product management, standard processes and theories work 90% of the time, but the last 10% is certainly an art. At Arena, we try to find a balance between listening to our customers, and looking ahead to see the possibilities of where technology is going so we can take the best advantage [...]
In the last fifteen years, manufacturing in the United States has undergone a fundamental shift. As millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost to outsourcing and automation, output has steadily continued to grow. And while U.S. manufacturing output has decreased by only 1% since 1990, manufacturing jobs have decreased by over 30% in the [...]
Like most of us here at Arena, I am a huge fan of “the next big thing.” If you are developing new technology for the purpose of innovation, nine times out of ten I’d like to be your friend. That’s one reason I’m addicted to events like the Maker Faire—I always appreciate opportunities to try [...]
It’s been a satisfying couple of months for the Arena product team. We went live with the Summer ’11 release of our core application. We launched several new applications including Arena PartSaver, Arena PDX Viewer and Arena Drop Box. And finally, we stopped supporting version 6 of Internet Explorer (IE6). If you have friends who [...]
At one of the most recent companies I worked for, a start-up in Silicon Valley, this quote was written on the wall to remind us that we were just one good idea away from fame and fortune—and that we needed to come up with that idea as soon as humanly possible. When I left the [...]
One of the best parts of working at Arena is supporting the people who bring some of the world’s most innovative products to market. Our customers, whether electric vehicle designers or 3D printer manufacturers, make the world a better and more exciting place, and in return we do as much as we can to enable [...]
Historically, manufacturers haven’t had a lot of online networking opportunities. That’s why I was so excited to discover Manufacturing Chat (mfgchat)—a bi-weekly Twitter chat about all things manufacturing. Hosted by Billy Strawter Jr. (@3sixteenweb) and National Industrial Supply (@nischain) mfgchat offers manufacturing experts, leaders and trailblazers a chance to connect through social media and discuss [...]
Do you ever feel like “innovation” is the perpetual buzzword of the week? For many, innovation has become synonymous with progress, and in all job roles employees are increasingly focused on the next big thing. Because of the growing importance of “new and improved,” many leaders are going to great lengths to develop processes intended to ensure organizational [...]
December can only mean one thing: holiday gift shopping. In the effort of constructing my own wish-list, I’ve spent the past few days browsing through a variety of unofficial guides denoting this year’s “must-have” gadgets and gifts. I am amazed at how incredibly sophisticated toys have become, but am more amazed at how incredibly adept [...]
*Lightbulb* You’ve just conceived a brilliant new invention. Now what? A recent post in the MFG.com Mojo blog offers suggestions to help you navigate the early stages of “bringing your creation to life.” MFG.com’s “4 Rules For Inventors & Entrepreneurs Sourcing Their Products” are: Enlist a designer – You’ll get better manufacturing results if you [...]
