IRI Networks News

Thank you to all of those who attended the spring Network meetings in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during the week of April 16-20, 2007! The IRI spring Network meetings were held with much success on Florida's Intracoastal  Waterway at the Gallery One - Hotel Doubletree. The meetings were once again a success with over 115 attendees! Participant feedback has been very positive. Attendees enjoyed the warm climate, relaxing atmosphere, and superb networking environment.  

If you were unable to attend one of the meetings, and you would like to get an idea of what was discussed, or if you attended and would like to obtain an electronic copy of either meeting notes or discussion material, please contact Maura Lowell at lowell@iriinc.org or 703-647-2583.

Here are a few of the topics that were discussed  at the spring Network meetings in Fort Lauderdale:

• New Business Development Network– networking in and outside of the company; individual and team competencies; process of new business development; completing the training; managing the new business development projects; organization;
  
  
• Finance Directors Network – outsourcing R&D criteria; S.C. Johnson company profile; applying six sigma process to R&D structure and cost reduction projects; open innovation; valuing the R&D early stages pipeline; R&D controllership role
  
• Innovation Leaders Network– innovation processes, methods, tools; organizational structure for innovation; innovation measurements and forecasts; human aspects of innovation; open innovation
  
• Environmental, Health & Safety Network– nanotechnology;management of change for labs; assuring regulatory compliance through line management; training tools and tracking; injury/illness survey results; performance metrics; lab ergonomics; Chevron company profile
  
  
• Information Services Directors Network– electronic laboratory notebooks; tools for patent analysis – Thomson Scientific guest speaker; electronic books –overview of current applications; outsourcing IS & IT
  
  
• R&D Support Services Network– vendor and contractor safety; charging for R&D support services; hiring and developing skill crafts and technicians; collaboration and meeting tools for R&D; globalization; measuring lab capacity & utilization
  
  
• External Technology Directors Network– industry collaboration with universities; partnering with the federal laboratory consortium; internal selling of external technologies; scouting
  
  
• Human Resources Directors Netwrok– coaching; R&D organizational structures; employee morale; engaging managers and employees; international recruiting