EARTO – working group on quality issues – 2 nd session

1. EARTO – working group on quality issues – 2nd session 20.6.2011 Anneli Karttunen, Quality ManagerVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Thispresentationincludesslidesabout VTT’sprocesses The projectprocess and importantreviewswithinit

2. Strategy, follow-up, evaluation Human capital management Management processes VTT’s Process Map Business from technology – VTT’s innovation process Research Customeractivities/ Commercialization of IPR • Prosess goals • creating new ideas, technologies and innovation potential • incubating applications and fostering competencies • in research areas which have high impact for industries and society • Prosess goals: • producing integrated solutions for customers and managing customer relations • enhancing the value of VTT’s IPR and managing IPR Added value for customers and other stakeholders Needs from customers and other stakeholders Effective project management and implementation Activities of VTT Expert Services and VTT Membsfab Ltd IT administration Research infrastructures Finance and procurement Human resources management Communications Supporting processes

4. VTT’s Process Map / Detailed view to core processes

5. The project process: Important steps and created documents during project’s lifecycle Ideas, customer meetings Project innitiation and planning Project proposal, plan, appication, offer Review of offer / application / contract Project proposal drafting and processing Preparing an application or offer Order, confirmation of order, contract, decision for finance Customer’s decision Start-up review Approved project plans Start-up review Project management Establishing meeting Minutes, Status (progress) reports Progress reviews Management team meetings Progress reviews Research/test reports Final review - acceptance of final results Closure meeting Customer feedback Minutes Closure and follow-up activities Customer feedback Customer feedback, internal evaluation Internal project evaluation Internal project evaluation Filed project documents / project folder Filing documents Follow-up, customer meetings 5

6. The offer / application / contract review • Projects review is performed with the support of the check list taking into account the size of the project: • Projects under 50 k€: the short check list is recommended. • Projects over 50 k€: A formal review by using a longer check list is required. The review shall be documented. • Main points of the review includes following topics: • Task definition (objectives, potential risks, results) • Responsibilities and obligations (restrictions, duration, end, or release from obligations) • Resources (Availability of personnel and hardware resources necessary for the performance of the project as set forth in the preliminary schedule) • Intellectual property: use and agreeing access rights • Finances (review of project finances (e.g. budgets, invoicing schedules, as well as financier and VTT guidelines, selection of research facility) • Quality assurance, assessment of the risks associated with the project

7. The start-up review • The start-up review is carried out by the Technology Manager and the Project Manager and, after that, by project’s Financial Assistants. • The issues to be checked are as follows: • Contractual situation/granting of funding • Reasonable level of feasibility and details of the plan • Human resources, equipment, software, procurements • The members of the Steering Group • Financial issues, e.g. budget, billing schedule, connection / disconnection to research facility • Project management and control methods to be applied (e.g. acceptance procedure in small projects without the Steering Group) • Work safety in the project, risks and quality assurance. A separate quality assurance plan should also be generated and reviewed when necessary • Environmental sustainability

8. Progress review • Prior to delivering the Progress Report to a customer or the Steering Group, the Project Manager presents the report to the project supervisor. • In the progress review the following aspects should be considered: • The actual realisation of the tasks related to the project plan • The cost and working time performance related to the plan • Taking care of accelerated billing according to the contract • The risk review, for example, is it possible to achieve the objectives with the remaining resources? Changes and observations affecting to the project have to be reported immediately, first to VTT’s representative supervising the project and then to the Steering Group.

9. Customer feedback • VTT asks feedback after ending the project. Feedback requests are sent to the customer as an e-mail message and the recipient provides the feedback by completing the online form. The customer can give his/her opinion about following aspects: • Consideration of views and needs • Project planning and agreement procedure for the project • Communication and contact with VTT during the project • Realisation of objectives • Reporting results • Professional skills and competence of VTT’s personnel • Keeping to time schedules • Applicability and usefulness of the results

10. Internal project evaluation at VTT • An internal project evaluation must be conducted for all completed projects with a budget of over 50 k€. The Project Manager performs the initial evaluation and also invites the evaluation team participantsto add their comments • Evaluation include following aspects: • Risk realisation; problems /risks encountered during the project • Feedback or comments regarding to project management and realisation • Project group feedback: analyseis of cooperation and communication worked within the project, or describtion of significant experiences, good practices or lessons learned • Quality, impact, and benefit for the client • Commercial benefits after the project • Realised assignments • Inventions, software, other IPR • Quality and lessons learned: briefly describe any development suggestions, good practices or deficiencies and deviations in the process instructions, quality actions, guidelines, document templates or risk management actions. • Supplier or subcontractor evaluation

11. VTT creates business from technology