Rooster's Revenge

I was recently approached by an automotive OEM regarding the selection and purchase of formability simulation and analysis software for metal stampings.

Purchasing this type of software is much different than, say, solid modeling software for one simple reason: formability software is like rocket science.

Die shops and stampers gamble hundreds of millions of dollars, and in some cases, billions of dollars annually on the computational results of formability software. This is not true of engineering or office software.

How would I pick “the one”?

My top five questions for the software company are:

1. Results: How realistic and reliable are the results?
2. Friendly: How user-friendly is the software for the average die guy without a PhD?
3. Support: Do you have a die-savvy technical support staff?
4. Training: Do you have confidence-based training for new users?
5. Community: Do you have a user-group community?

If the results are realistic and reliable from a user-friendly package that does not require a PhD in Finite Element Analysis or Rocket Science to use, and excellent technical support, training, and user-groups are all there, then it all boils down to price.

I have developed technical training courses for the past 20 years. Too many to count.

What I have learned is training development with technical content for technical people is an art. Most get it wrong.

Technical people, especially those with too many education credentials, tend to be too technical.

The result is needlessly complicated and comprehensive training classes. They try to make the trainee competent after two, three, or five days of training.

The focus should be on giving the trainee confidence. Keep it simple.

Focus on the necessary fundamentals and reinforce the basic principles.

Confidence, not competence, is the recipe for a winning training program.