Interview with Zvi Feuer – Part 5: Reaching for Nirvana, Agilely
This is the closing segment of the 5-part interview with Zvi Feuer, Siemens PLM Software.
What we are aiming for is releasing each of our products, every two weeks, with no bugs, and hitting exactly the level that the customer wants. By ‘customer’ it doesn’t matter whether you mean the sales people, or the final customer. Also, to be on the cloud – I want to be there. Those companies delivering on the cloud – you don’t even know when they make a change, they can install a new version without asking you. But we’re not there yet.
We have progressed. We have improved in a lot of areas, For example, in our innovation approach, in our ability to start something new, like the Part Manufacturing platform. It’s a unique approach that combines the market place. None of these achievements or progress could have happened if we hadn’t earned the belief of sales and areas of management. This belief was based on our results, and that comes from going Agile, so all that we’re doing is connected, nothing is in isolation. At the end of the day it all combines into one big picture.
Where are we now? I don’t know to be able to tell you! But we’re on the way, in the middle with lots of work ahead. We haven’t finished the work, and we’ll never finish it, there’s no end. That’s because there are always new things and new competitors. For instance, one of the areas that’s super important is working with partners. How do you work with startup companies? How do you incorporate them into your business in a very fast, Agile way? And make it stick, make it work? This isn’t easy.
You have a product, and instead of developing something new for it by yourself, you get the Startup involved, so that it’s better and faster – how do you do that? How do you sign the agreement with them, how do you bring them in, how do you convince the sales people that it’s worthwhile to sell, both our products and the startup’s? It’s not trivial!
This is what I say all the time – we have to be modest, with our feet on the ground, but with our heads in the clouds. We are here to think of the vision. The vision is to release every two weeks, perfect, no bugs, and easy to use. Unfortunately, all this I wanted to happen three years ago, more, but not everything is in our hands. Things need a bit of a push, but also a bit of patience.
About the author
Zvi Feuer is senior vice president of Manufacturing Engineering Software for Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Digital Factory Division. He has more than 25 years of experience in Enterprise Software business management, with a primary focus in the Manufacturing Industries. He has worked for: the Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI); Digital Equipment, a leading provider of hardware and system integration projects; and since 1995, with Tecnomatix, UGS and Siemens. Feuer’s current responsibilities include leading global teams and initiatives to develop and service customers worldwide and providing Manufacturing Engineering Software solutions. These solutions include optimizing production and service facilities, assembly line design, developing and validating production systems and programming CNC machines in major machine shops. Feuer received his Master of Science in industrial engineering from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and also received an executive MBA from UCLA – NUS.
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