Strategy - the use of rapid prototyping to support the achievement of existing strategic objectives like reducing time to market for new products as well as enabling new strategic objectives like cost effective customisation.

Innovation - applying the technologies in ways that will enable both product and process innovations, thus assisting your firm in its quest to gain a significant edge over its competitors.

Organisation and people - addressing lement rapid prototyping technologies, to develop effective organisational structures and to better manage technical and organisational change.

Innovative features of the report:

Getting the key information quickly: A list of Key Action Points that provide you with a 10 point description of the essence of the report, an Executive summary to give you an overview of the essential issues, a Reading Guide to help you make a quick selection of the topics of most interest to you, and individual chapter summaries and annotated comments in margins to provide you with rapid access to key information.

Developing a High Level View: A 17 page introductory chapter providing you with a crisp and precise "helicopter view" of what is important and how to proceed.

Understanding key points of applications: 31 real examples drawn from several industries, each classified according to important themes and each analysed to illustrate the key points.

Tailored to non-specialists: Jargon free non-technical overviews and descriptions of the technologies.

Focused on issues as well as "how-to" information: Descriptions of the major issues complemented by detailed advice on how to proceed in a structured way with business case analysis, technology selection and implementation.

This report will help you to:

Understand application potential - by providing overviews and analysis of application examplt rapid prototyping technologies - by providing a checklist of factors which should be addressed when comparing the different available technologies.

About the Author
Paul T. Kidd is a freelance researcher, consultant and author. Since 1983 he has been working at the leading edge of efforts to define, develop and implement new manufacturing and business philosophies. He has considerable experience in this field and is an internationally recognised expert in the areas of agile manufacturing enterprises and the implementation of new technologies and organisational structures.

Paul has undertaken work for both large and small companies, and has acted as an adviser to the UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry, as well as international agencies, including the European Commission in Brussels. He has participated in several major international projects and has lectured widely throughout the world on topics of strategic importance to industry.

Paul is the author of the world's first and leading book dealing with the emerging topic of agile business practices, entitled "Agile Manufacturing: Forging New Frontiers". He is also the author of the best selling management report entitled "Revolutionising New Product Development", published in 1997 by Financial Times Automotive Publishing, which deals with the globalisation of product design capabilities in the automotive industry. In 2001 he wrote another leading management report entitled "E-business Strategy: Case Studies, Benefits and Implementation, published by Cheshire Henbury.

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