Project Tracking System Serves as Research Management Tool

OVERVIEW: The challenge for research management is to drive research projects forward without stifling creativity. At W. R. Grace, this challenge is met with a project tracking system to manage a research program consisting of approximately 100 research projects. The tracking system consists of three features: (1) A two-page Fact Sheet summaries key project commercial and technical information; (2) milestones establish technical goals; (3) performance against milestones is used to evaluate progress. The tracking system is effective for monitoring individual research projects as well as measuring performance of the overall research program. The system has become a useful communication tool with operating divisions and a means to establish and maintain credibility with corporate management. Research and development programs, by their very nature, are difficult to monitor and control. With too much control, creativity is stifled, innovation suffers and goals are set to be easily met. On the other hand, without control, programs can languish, drift away from their intended objectives, or create unrealistic expectations. The challenge for research management is to strike a balance between these two extremes to develop a workable and productive system to manage projects. At W. R. Grace & Co., a project tracking system has been developed which, over the last ten years, has evolved into an effective management tool to track and measure performance of research programs. This system has been instrumental in establishing credibility for the RD the system can then be used as a tool to measure the performance of the organization and of researchers and managers on their projects. The system can also be used to identify poorly performing projects. In addition to these internal needs, new product development requires close communication between the research organization and the operating divisions. A tracking system provides a mechanism for discussing and formalizing projects. Project success depends on mutual understanding of project objectives and the specifications of the products to be developed. Credibility with top corporate management is a key requirement of any research organization. Having formal documents with clearly defined objectives and timetables, against which performance can be measured, helps to create and sustain credibility. With a project tracking system, results of research can be forecast based on established performance rather than unfounded speculation. CORPORATE RESEARCH IN W. R. GRACE W. R. Grace & Co. is a specialty chemical and health care company comprised of global product lines. To support the technology needs of the corporation, Grace has a Corporate Research organization that accounts for approximately one-third of the total R&D activity within the company. The mission of Corporate Research is to develop new products through applications-oriented research. Corporate Research is an interdisciplinary organization with approximately 600 scientists, technicians and support staff working in three locations. The organization maintains close working relationships with the product lines within Grace. The broad skill base and diverse product line orientations within Corporate Research help to create synergies that can lead to new product concepts. An example is a progesterone test kit for the dairy industry, which will be described to illustrate the tracking system in detail. …