新的应用领域，新的传感器解决方案：行业的数字转型每天提出新的挑战。在概念传感器的开发中，客户和合作伙伴从一开始就参与其中 - 为了最佳利用所有能力。但是，这对产品开发过程意味着什么？研究与开发，产品管理和销售中的Sick团队的问题。
How does SICK define “concept sensors” and where does this term come from?
Tobias Guettler, Sales:通常，在开发过程中，产品概念是在纸面上创建的，从各种角度来看，并具有详细的考虑。但是，我们重视客户的“动手”产品概念，并从一开始就参与其中。这意味着，来自行业的重要关键客户会收到他们在系统中安装和测试的产品，并给我们立即提供反馈。与“原型”一词相反，“概念传感器”一词的选择是一个有意识的决定，因为有了一个概念，我们开发了一种可用的产品，该产品在早期开发阶段很快可供单个客户使用。市场和系列成熟度是次要因素。
Felix Lang, R&D:We were also inspired by the automotive industry: At the leading trade fairs, the “concept cars” always cause a big stir. They feature the finest technology that cannot yet be mass-produced. The most important thing for car makers is customer feedback! On the one hand, R&D departments always want to push the technology, and what any developer wants most is to see the new technology in actual use. But we at SICK understand that the customer is not necessarily looking for a new product, but for a solution to a problem.
How do ideas for new concept sensors come about?
Maike Syassen, Product Management:当我们谈论技术推动时，总会有很多我们真的不满意的想法。我们与客户一起在尚不令人满意的应用程序上合作，或者通过一种新方法可以更好。这里需要的始终是对应用程序和市场的良好理解。
Holger Lehmitz, Product Management:任务来自客户。在这里详细了解需求非常重要。然后可以从现有应用程序和新技术概念的多年经验中创建一种新方法。
Lang:一个非常令人兴奋的方面是从病假的生产区域转移经验，例如电子卡组件或全自动生产线。我们从自己的流程优化中获得了很多灵感，而客户对此感到非常满意。
When it comes to dynamic development processes, there is often talk of “accepted failure.” When and why do concept sensor processes fail and how does dynamic development work differ here from the normal process of product development?
Lehmitz:Basically, the motto is: Identify errors as quickly as possible and fix them. Testing early-on in the application is very important here. In addition, both we and the customer have to be precise, open and honest with each other when describing the task to make sure we really list all the constraints. The main difference between dynamic and standard development is certainly the fact that the customer is involved in the process more intensively and at an earlier stage.
Sebastian Berblinger，产品管理：Sometimes we decide not to follow the chosen path to its end for various reasons; for example, because we learn things that make it not worth pursuing this path, or because the desired result can be achieved in a different way. But we always end up with something really new, and that’s the main difference from what we usually do.
Syassen:I would say there are usually three reasons to stop. First: The market is not as big as we first thought. Second: It is not possible to meet the application requirements well enough. Or third: The technology is not yet ready.
Which methods do the concept sensor teams use for this development work and how are the teams structured?
Syassen:我们使用迭代过程。在项目计划中，就像在常规产品开发过程中一样，我们也有一个里程碑，我们决定停止还是继续前进，但是循环，迭代次数较短。我们使用动态工作方法。
Berblinger:Ideally, dynamic work is a huge advantage because we proceed in stages and also get feedback from the market at different points during the process. This is better than completing a large-scale project in the traditional way, only to discover shortly before the end that the development needs to be changed. Dynamic work requires courage, because without courage, nothing new can be created.
Guettler:Studies show that the degree of innovation in companies also correlates with the willingness to take risks. Every single employee, whether from R&D, product management, sales or even management, must work together here.
Lang:These are often people who have special skills, for instance, who anticipate developments and dare to implement something new. We have created our own production area at SICK called the “Speed Factory.” Production planners work to help us develop concept sensors with industrial reliability so that we can hand them over to customers without hesitation and obtain feedback from the market. In the Speed Factory, rapid prototyping processes are used in addition to mastered series processes.
What examples do we have of products that started out as concept sensors and are already successful on the market?
Syassen:The SICK EventCam provides images or videos that record a defined period of time immediately before and after a signal has been triggered. The development process began with a product idea for a triggered event-based camera that can be used to identify failures in the production process. At the Hannover Messe, we targeted certain customers with whom we were able to develop the camera during operation. Using the feedback loops already mentioned, we were for example able to optimize the software and the user interface more and more until we reached satisfactory market maturity.
Lang:With this development, we worked together with the Speed Factory on a so-called re-use. We looked all over the Group to find as many fully developed parts and components as possible. For example, we used housings, printed circuit boards and software from different business units. We managed to get a very complex product in the works very quickly by recycling existing knowledge for our project. In retrospect, this confirmed that all areas at our company are really doing a very good job and that we can rely on and trust each other.
Berblinger:借助OLS和MLS指南传感器，我们还从现有产品开始，该产品甚至可能在硬件方面表现出色，并将其调整为我们的任务。在短时间内，我们创建了“概念证明”，客户对其进行了尝试并对其进行了测试。我们的客户对这个快速解决方案感到非常满意。
Guettler:在销售方面，我们可以真正确认这一点。尤其是在内部学术和机器人技术的快速增长领域，销售人物自言自语。我们不想简单地追求趋势，例如使用自动运输系统和协作轻量级机器人，而是通过可销售的新产品积极塑造它们。正是在这些动态应用领域中，我们要使用概念传感器。
To ask a provoking question: Is the principle of concept sensors now becoming the standard procedure in R&D?
Lang:产品开发过程已经修改。这样，为这类概念产品创建了一个单独的过程类。这意味着，如果我们想使用迭代流程与客户开发产品，无论是传感器还是服务，我们都会使用这种方法。我们还将相应的心态纳入了某些原则，例如“尽早失败，失败的安全”，这鼓励产品团队分解新的地面。
Syassen:The product development process for series products of course still exists and dynamic elements are also used here, as with concept sensors.
Guettler:我们不仅仅是活跃在市场高度complex or involve a high degree of uncertainty, but also in ones that we know very well. With our standard processes that have been proven over time, we have achieved a high level of professionalism, from the idea through to development, market launch and acceptance by the customer. That is our foundation, and it is extremely important. New approaches are merely a good addition here.
What is special about this new way of working?
Syassen:It’s just great to get immediate feedback on things the customer can get their hands on in a short period of time. And I’m really excited about our fast learning curves.
Guettler:我喜欢以勇气管理我们工作的不确定性和复杂性的挑战，并愿意冒险。莱米茨：但另一方面，您也可以说我们的方法是谨慎的特征，因为我们不仅要投资并在长期流程中投入过多的时间和金钱。使动态的工作成功，需要各种不同的技能和态度，例如不耐烦和好奇心。
Lang:Concept sensors create a secure framework for us developers to try out solutions quickly and unconventionally. Without this framework, no one would dare to develop concepts and products so quickly.
Berblinger:SICK wants to continue to grow and develop. We want to open up new fields of business and move into new areas. Concept sensors are simply the perfect tool for this.
For more information, please visithttp://www.sick.com。
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