Faster, Better, Cheaper

Author: Howard E. McCurdy
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 0801872871
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 230

Book Description
“This excellent summary of an important part of NASA’s history is recommended for all readers.” —Choice In Faster, Better, Cheaper: Low-Cost Innovation in the U.S. Space Program, Howard E. McCurdy examines NASA’s recent efforts to save money while improving mission frequency and performance. McCurdy details sixteen missions undertaken as the twentieth century drew to a close—including an orbit of the moon, deployment of three space telescopes, four Earth-orbiting satellites, two rendezvous with comets and asteroids, and a test of an ion propulsion engine—which cost less than the sum traditionally spent on a single, conventionally planned planetary mission. He shows how these missions employed smaller spacecraft and cheaper technology to undertake less complex and more specific tasks in outer space. While the technological innovation and space exploration approach that McCurdy describes is still controversial, the historical perspective on its disappointments and triumphs points to ways of developing “faster, better, and cheaper” as a management manifesto. “Readers interested in either the management or economics of complex organizations will find a wealth of material in this well-written exposition. Fans of space travel, like the author himself, will also enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at NASA’s operation.” —Enterprise and Society

Faster, Better, Cheaper

Author: Howard E. McCurdy
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801867200
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 202

Book Description
McCurdy examines NASA's recent efforts to save money while improving mission frequency and performance.".

Making it Big in Shorts

Author: Kim Adelman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781615932566
Category : Short films
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Each year 8,000+ short films compete to fill 60 slots at the Sundance Film Festival. On an average day, 792 film and video projects vie for funding on Kickstarter. And every minute 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. In this competitive environment, a short filmmaker can no longer invest time, money, and dreams of glory in the theory that "if you build it, they will come." The challenge is making the right kind of short: one that will make a splash. Covering the nuts-and-bolts of production while stressing the importance of artistic expression, this invaluable handbook shows a first-time filmmaker how to make a buzzworthy little film that could launch a lucrative Hollywood career. Packed with over 75 photos and insider advice from dozens of high-profile professionals, including Sundance and Tribeca festival programmers and Academy Award(R) winners and nominees, Making It Big in Shorts puts the emphasis on making films shorter, faster, and cheaper.

Faster, Better, Cheaper in the History of Manufacturing

Author: Christoph Roser
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1315350912
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 419

Book Description
The industrial revolution, mechanization, water and steam power, computers, and automation have given an enormous boost to manufacturing productivity. "Faster, Better, Cheaper" in the History of Manufacturing shows how the ability to make products faster, better, and cheaper has evolved from the stone age to modern times. It explains how different developments over time have raised efficiency and allowed the production of more and better products with less effort and materials, and hence faster, better, and cheaper. In addition, it describes the stories of inventors, entrepreneurs, and industrialists and looks at the intersection between technology, society, machines, materials, management, and – most of all – humans. "Faster, Better, Cheaper" in the History of Manufacturing follows this development throughout the ages. This book covers not only the technical aspects (mechanization, power sources, new materials, interchangeable parts, electricity, automation), but organizational innovations (division of labor, Fordism, Talyorism, Lean). Most of all, it is a story of the people that invented, manufactured, and marketed the products. The book shows how different developments over time raised efficiency and allowed production of more with less effort and materials, which brought us a large part of the wealth and prosperity we enjoy today. The stories of real inventors and industrialists are told, which includes not only their successes but also their problems and failures. The effect of good or bad management on manufacturing is a recurring theme in many chapters, as is the fight for intellectual property through thrilling tales of espionage. This is a story of successes and failures. It is not only about technology but also about social aspects. Ultimately, it is not a book about machines but about people!

Faster Cheaper Better

Author: Michael Hammer
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0307459799
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
A bold and revolutionary thinker’s legacy for how business can meet the greatest economic challenge in decades... It’s no secret: everyone knows that the way most companies do things is screwed up. Surprisingly, though, herein lays the biggest opportunity for improving growth and profitability in a world in which consumers are tapped out and competition is coming from the devastating combination of low-wage countries with high skills. For more than a decade, following his landmark Reengineering the Corporation, Michael Hammer did “deep dives” into the processes of companies in every imaginable business—from oil refineries to software developers, factories, retailers, and hospitals—to understand the nuts and bolts of how they do their work, and then to advise them how to do it differently to become faster, cheaper, better. The results were the right product, at the right time, with the right price and quality—businesses that not only ate the competitions’ lunch but their breakfast and dinner, too. The research and passion Dr. Hammer brought to this book have been ably carried on, following his tragic and unexpected death in 2008, by his colleague, Lisa Hershman, now the CEO of Hammer and Company. Looking at a company's operations not in terms of piecemeal fragments of work performed in a slew of isolated functional departments but as large-scale holistic work units transformed many companies, enabling them to meet the unique challenges of our time. The late DR. MICHAEL HAMMER was the coauthor of Reengineering the Corporation and the author of The Agenda. LISA W. HERSHMAN is the CEO of Hammer and Company.

Fast, Cheap and Viral

Author: Aashish Chopra
Publisher: Hachette India
ISBN: 9351952762
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 156

Book Description
Viral marketing should not be a happy accident Aashish Chopra's first viral video was shot with close to no budget and sparing equipment. Yet, today, his content has over 350 million views and industry masters universally agree that Aashish has cracked the viral code. In Fast, Cheap and Viral, the ace marketer shares the secrets behind his success - all of them learnt and honed on his journey. This one-stop super-guide to viral video marketing gives you the low-down on: HOW TO GRAB EYEBALLS in a sea of content; HOW TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT (because views can be bought, but engagement is earned); WHY STORYTELLING BEATS PRODUCTION VALUE and behind-the-scenes tips and tricks; HOW TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND and kill job insecurity. For every student, entrepreneur, blogger, marketing manager or leader who dreams of reaching millions on a shoestring budget, this book is the definitive manual on sustainable viral success "

Cheaper, Faster, Better

Author: Tom Steyer
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau LLC
ISBN: 1954118651
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 270

Book Description
Instant New York Times Bestseller Climate investor and activist Tom Steyer shows us how we can win the war on climate—and why fighting for a sustainable future can help bring meaning and prosperity to our lives. The consequences of climate change—rising waters, extreme weather, record temperatures—are transforming our lives, as global warming accelerates more rapidly than scientists predicted even a few years ago. At the same time, the clean energy revolution is forging ahead faster than nearly anyone anticipated. As Tom Steyer sees it, these two trends together create a moment like the one America faced during World War II: on the one hand, an existential threat that demands our collective action; on the other, an opportunity to lead the world, protect the planet, and set the stage for a new generation of shared economic prosperity. In 2012, Steyer walked away from the highly successful investment fund he founded to devote himself full time to climate issues, and he’s been on the front lines ever since. In this accessible book, aimed at everyone from college students to Wall Street investors, Steyer presents his blueprint for winning the climate fight—sharing his own story of becoming a “climate person,” debunking the arguments made by fossil fuel companies, and showcasing the inspiring, innovative work of other climate leaders in the clean-energy transition. Capitalism, Steyer argues, can be the key to scaling climate progress, and all of us can play a part in stabilizing our planet. As green technology is fast becoming cleaner and cheaper, reshaping our planet’s future—and our own—has never been more crucial or within our reach.

Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper

Author: Robert Bryce
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 161039206X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 401

Book Description
In the face of today's environmental and economic challenges, doomsayers preach that the only way to stave off disaster is for humans to reverse course: to de-industrialize, re-localize, ban the use of modern energy sources, and forswear prosperity. But in this provocative and optimistic rebuke to the catastrophists, Robert Bryce shows how innovation and the inexorable human desire to make things Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper is providing consumers with Cheaper and more abundant energy, Faster computing, Lighter vehicles, and myriad other goods. That same desire is fostering unprecedented prosperity, greater liberty, and yes, better environmental protection. Utilizing on-the-ground reporting from Ottawa to Panama City and Pittsburgh to Bakersfield, Bryce shows how we have, for centuries, been pushing for Smaller Faster solutions to our problems. From the vacuum tube, mass-produced fertilizer, and the printing press to mobile phones, nanotech, and advanced drill rigs, Bryce demonstrates how cutting-edge companies and breakthrough technologies have created a world in which people are living longer, freer, healthier, lives than at any time in human history. The push toward Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper is happening across multiple sectors. Bryce profiles innovative individuals and companies, from long-established ones like Ford and Intel to upstarts like Aquion Energy and Khan Academy. And he zeroes in on the energy industry, proving that the future belongs to the high power density sources that can provide the enormous quantities of energy the world demands. The tools we need to save the planet aren't to be found in the technologies or lifestyles of the past. Nor must we sacrifice prosperity and human progress to ensure our survival. The catastrophists have been wrong since the days of Thomas Malthus. This is the time to embrace the innovators and businesses all over the world who are making things Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper.

Exploring the Solar System

Author: R. Launius
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137273178
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 705

Book Description
Beginning in the early days of the Space Age - well before the advent of manned spaceflight - the United States, followed soon by other nations, undertook an ambitious effort to study the planets of the solar system. The remarkable fruits of this research revolutionized the public's view of their celestial neighbors, capturing the imaginations of people from all backgrounds like nothing else save the Apollo lunar missions. From the first space probes to the most recent planetary rovers, they have continually delivered impressive discoveries and reshaped our understanding of the cosmos. Offering fascinating investigations into this crucial chapter in space history, this collection of specially commissioned essays from leading historians opens new vistas in our understanding of the development of planetary science.

What We Shall Become

Author: Winnie Varghese
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0898698960
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 183

Book Description
• Edited by a well-known Episcopal leader • Designed to facilitate the church’s dialogue on structure • Presents viewpoints representative of the diversity of the church Structure—throughout the denomination and within local parishes—is the hot-topic conversation of the day. How do we order ourselves for mission? What structure is helpful and what hinders our work? Who holds power and how do they wield it? From the triennial budget based on the Five Marks of Mission, to the decision to relocate the Episcopal Church Center away from its current headquarters in New York City, how the denomination will be structured for the 21st century remains the critically defining question. This edited volume will provide thoughtful resources from a wide range of perspectives, as well as foundational materials on theology, history, and ecclesiology to facilitate the dialogue.