September 2016
September 2016 editorial

End of August, as president of Value Analysis Canada, I was invited to speak at the annual symposium of the Swiss Value Society. This Swiss Society is only a few years old and is working hard to promote the implementation of Value Analysis on projects and in the manufacturing sector.  A group of around 30 persons was present for the 3-day event. I delivered a 3-hour introduction about the Value Methodology as practiced in Canada, and a 90 minute presentation on the state of Value Analysis in Canada and around the world.  Lastly, I presented an example of a project with many constraints showing how VA was used to optimize it. The attendees received perspectives on how we use VA in Canada, not totally European, not totally American. Having studied approaches to VA in both Europe (France) and the US, both  (France and USA) gave Canadian Value practitioners a mix of cultural and methodological differences which has enriched the process. Techniques such as Functional Performance Specification have become incorporated into the tool set of Canadian practitioner, both in Quebec, and across the country.  I believe the VA approach we now use in Canada is an enriched version of the Value Analysis methodology.

Whenever you are invited somewhere to promote Value analysis, please accept the opportunity, whether locally within your organization, in your community, your province, your country or around the world! The economy is now global and whenever Value Analysis is used around the globe, we will all benefit from it.
 
For me, this past summer was both busy, starting with the joint SAVE / VA Canada conference in Niagara Falls, and wrapping up with the most enjoyable trip to Switzerland. In between there was some time to relax at the cottage. I trust each of you had a pleasant summer and are looking forward to the always busy fall.