Gary Summers

Current

• Founder & CEO at Star Product Development

Past

• Visiting Associate Research Professor at Portland State University

Education

• Northwestern University

Connections

11 connections

Industry

Research

Websites

• My Company

Gary Summers’s Summary

Star Product Development is a consultancy and research center that improves product development practices. Our current research projects include:

1) Project selection in portfolio management: Operations research models incorrectly model project selection. I have correctly modeled project selection with signal detection theory. The result yields numerous new metrics and methods that improve prioritization, coordinate selection in Phase-Gate systems and increase throughput while raising ROI.

2) Resource allocation in portfolio management: Operations research models separate decision-making from business processes. They also give executives too much discretion while providing too little feedback. I am creating methods and tools that enable project managers and resource managers to contract for resources with each other. With this approach the “troops on the ground” allocate resources with fewer mistakes and greater flexibility than the “generals” achieve via optimization and simulation.

3) Flexibility in product development: Economist Ronald Heiner has developed a new decision theory that relates uncertainty, flexibility and performance. I am applying Heiner's theory to product development to help firms increase flexibility and make sense of the various approaches and systems (Lean, Agile, TOC, Six Sigma, etc.).

Gary Summers’s Specialties:

Project portfolio management, product development, decision-making, operations research

Gary Summers’s Experience

• Founder & CEO

  Star Product Development

  (Privately Held; Myself Only; Research industry)

  November 2007 — Present (1 year 2 months)

  Star Product Development is a consultancy and research center that improves product development practices. Our research:
  * has immediate, practical value
  * helps managers and executives managers achieve their goals
  * advances science

• Visiting Associate Research Professor

  Portland State University

  (Research industry)

  2006 — 2007 (1 year)

Gary Summers’s Education

• Northwestern University

Additional Information

Gary Summers’s Websites:

• My Company

Gary Summers’s Interests:

Project portfolio management, IT projects, product development

Gary Summers’s Honors:

Association of Simulation and Experiential Learning: Best Paper Award

Gary Summers’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch