MBD Implementation 10 DOs and 10 DON’Ts – Establish a Core Implementation Team

In my previous blogs on the topic of Model-Based Definition (MBD), I talked about Driving MBD from top down and Don’t hesitate (Part 1 and Part 2) in Table 1. This post will focus on another recommendations from peoples’ perspective: Establish a core implementation team. A special task force is a must to take the lead and cut through layers of resistance. They should also be rewarded for successes and held accountable for failures of MBD implementation.

This core team should be well represented by all key stakeholders, so that not only it can reflect their interests and requests, but also establish leaders at corresponding job functions to drive changes. Implementation scope determines team size, but members from Design, Manufacturing, and Quality are the usual members. Another key function is IT which looks after software, hardware, product data management, lifecycle management, system administration and so on. IT provides an indispensable platform for everything else to run on. Other possible team members could include process planning, tooling, assembly, procurement, supply chain, service, finance, and so on.

Now it’s time to find an overall leader and leaders in various areas. The team leader is crucial. On one hand of authorization, this leader must be empowered to cut through red tapes. He or she needs to manage people, budget, time, equipment, and other necessary resources. Then on the other hand of responsibility, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of implementation need to be written into the job performance metrics of this leader, so that this key member can be motivated and held accountable. Also this leader must be familiar with design and manufacturing processes, passionate about MBD, audacious to make bold moves, and resilient to survive through frustrations and obstacles. (By the way, I’ve seen leaders who initially loved MBD, but later dropped out of implementation teams due to various challenges). Furthermore, project management capabilities will definitely be an asset to effectively communicate, coordinate, track progress and budget, and measure results before and after changes.

Similarly, representatives on various job functions must be passionate about MBD too, and implementation KPIs should be written into their job performance metrics. Another key point is these representatives shouldn’t be merely random nominees. They should be able to lead respective departments through significant changes because MBD is indeed a paradigm shift. Below are some possible examples across different job functions. These representatives must keep these in mind (Table 2):

Coming blogs will dive into other topics in the aspect of people, such as how to motivate others and how to manage pace. To learn more about SOLIDWORKS MBD, please visit its product page. Also I welcome discussion on this topic on Twitter (@OboeWu) or LinkedIn (OboeWu).