We carry out research and development. Research and development

When manufacturing products, even at the development stage, companies are faced with the need to conduct research and development work. To understand the principle of R&D, it is necessary to decipher the abbreviations R&D and OKR, as well as highlight the features. In this article we will consider aspects of the tasks and goals of scientific work, efficiency factors and examples of implemented ones.

What is R&D: definition and features

The term R&D stands for research and development work. This is a set of experiments, theoretical ideas, searches, production of standard samples, a set of activities aimed at producing a finished product according to given standards.

The scale of R&D reflects the competitiveness of companies, and the costs of this type of service are an indicator of the innovative activity of the manufacturing enterprise. Thus, it is possible to calculate the competitiveness of a particular product.

Scientific research is often resorted to in the manufacture of government-ordered products. In this case, activities that require strict adherence to the established plan, consisting of several stages. Conducting R&D involves the involvement of specialists in a particular field and the presence of strict time frames.

Researchers identify the following most common activities and types of effective R&D services:

• Intellectual activity, experiments, theoretical research (research);
• Work aimed at developing design and technological documentation of a product sample (R&D);
• Other research activities, the task of which is to obtain new knowledge and skills in a specific area;
• Technological processes (TP).

The difference between research and development work and other types of activities in industry is the widespread use of modern technologies and developments.

Novelty is the hallmark of any R&D. The output is a product that has no analogues (this can be a new type of technology, product or service).

Factors in the creation and implementation of scientific developments

The size in R&D is determined by the chosen strategy of the enterprise in scientific development, as well as the scale of research activities. The efficiency of work is influenced by the process of carrying out and implementing modern developments.

There are five main factors that determine what the outcome of the entire process will be:

1. Expenses for R&D, as well as the distribution of expenses over time.
2. R&D strategy is a long-term program of specific actions, which determines the duration of work from theoretical research to the final result.
3. The volume of the information base and its distribution throughout the entire investment period.
4. Dynamics (rise and decline of investment in a scientific project) and results of the implementation of scientific developments at certain stages.
5. Building connections between participants in a scientific project, the so-called organizational and economic mechanism. Particular attention is paid to the system of relationships between the enterprise-customer of R&D and implementing centers.

Types of research work

To simplify the process of assessing the effectiveness and validity of the use of R&D, research work is divided into several main groups depending on the final result. According to most experts, the main criterion for separation is the effect that is achieved through research and experiments.

Also, one of the aspects of the formation of a particular group may be the number of products, type of enterprise, service sector and other factors.

Four main groups of R&D and their features:

1. Group “A1”, the distinctive feature of which is the commercial orientation of its activities. This may include scientific developments within the framework of equipment improvement, as well as R&D management.
2. Group “A2” is scientific research that is aimed at eliminating current problems in various areas of the company’s activities. This also includes solving management problems, planning and implementing developments in the work of the enterprise, drawing up documentation and technical processes.
3. Group "A3" includes scientific developments to improve and implement existing financial mechanisms, control over the conduct of individual transactions on the stock market. Most often, scientific developments in this category are used to create debt restructuring programs for a company or its subsidiaries.
4. Group “A4” is a research activity aimed at obtaining an applied effect, that is, the result can only be determined by directly using the developments. The scientific research of this group is used to expand the base of applied research in the field of modern technology, science and engineering.

As part of research work, certain patterns and connections are formed between various phenomena, which in turn leads to the creation of more and more new technical ideas.

It is also worth noting that R&D of the A4 group does not have an economic justification, that is, developments are not evaluated for financial benefits, but only establish the direction of research.

Research functions

The innovation process in the modern world is based on scientific developments, which, as a rule, have a commercial effect. Thus, investing in technology and research projects leads to the creation of new products, technological processes and modernized services. In industry, R&D is a factor in the formation of new specific advantages, as well as the main element of innovation.

It turns out that the main function of R&D is the practical application of the resulting phenomena and processes (this is especially typical for applied research). The purpose of research work is to ensure the production of new goods or services to make a profit.

R&D is the pre-production life cycle of a product, a set of ideas and scientific developments for the subsequent sale of products on the market.

At the R&D stages, other functions of research work can be distinguished. So, at the beginning the process is aimed at creating competitive products. For this purpose, marketing campaigns are carried out, the product range is assessed, which is based on new technological solutions. Next, the scale of distribution of the product is established, after which a complex of development work is carried out (experimental products, the result of which is a technological project).

Scientific and technical products include the results of completed R&D, including:

• Research, design and design work, as well as any stages of these works;
• and pilot batches of new equipment and materials manufactured based on the results of research and development work;
• High-tech products produced in small batches;
• Electronic computer software;
• Scientific and production services using unique scientific equipment,
• Information technology services, services in the areas of metrology, certification and information technology;
• Consulting services and expertise of scientific, technical, economic, managerial nature;
• Intellectual property;
• Other types of work and services not prohibited by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Main objectives of R&D

Precise definition of the tasks of carrying out and implementing scientific developments can significantly increase and at the same time avoid possible errors even at the first stage of product creation. The following research tasks can be distinguished:

1. Expanding the information base in the field of modern technologies, science and technology, as well as obtaining new knowledge and skills in the study of society and nature for the purpose of their subsequent application.
2. Determining the competitiveness of a new product (product prototype) and the possibility of its materialization in a specific area of ​​production based on theoretical research and experimental activities.
3. Innovation process and practical implementation of acquired knowledge and skills.

Analysts note that R&D makes it possible to increase the efficiency of resource use, increase the competitiveness of private and public enterprises and improve the standard of living of the population.

R&D stages and their characteristics

As already mentioned, scientific development is a long process consisting of. The following stages of R&D are distinguished:

• Formation of a fundamental base based on theoretical and exploratory research (less often experiments);
• Applied scientific research;
• Activities of a project nature, the purpose of which is to create a new scientific and technical product (experimental design work);
• Experienced or experimental (can also be performed at previous stages).

It is worth noting that the last stage involves checking the results obtained in order to manufacture and test a standard sample of the product. Carrying out this stage of R&D allows you to test the modified technological process in reality, as well as assess the readiness of equipment, instruments, and installations for the subsequent production of goods.

Description of the main stages of R&D

The fundamental basis is formed through theoretical and exploratory research.

The research stage represents the substantiation of new processes and phenomena, as well as the formation of new theories. Exploratory research is aimed at developing new principles for the production of goods and services (this also includes the use of management). This type of work is characterized by a precise definition of the goal and focus on specific theoretical foundations.

As for applied research, its main task is the practical application of scientific developments. With their help, technical problems are solved, mechanisms for resolving theoretical issues are established, and the first results are achieved, which can subsequently be used to create standard product samples.

The final stage is considered OCD.

This is a transition from experimental to industrial production of a product. Here the production of completely new goods, materials or devices, technical processes or improvement of equipment is carried out.

Organization of scientific research

The study of research and development work is carried out within the framework of the course “Innovation Management” with two fundamental objectives.

Firstly, it shows the competitiveness of the enterprise, allows you to complete the preparation of all necessary documentation, as well as inform the organizers about the features of specific products and their implementation on the market.

Secondly, when organizing scientific research, the development of modern equipment with the introduction of new functions can be carried out.

There are five intersectoral documentation systems on which the organization of research and development work is based:

1. State standards in production.
2. Unified system of design documentation.
3. Uniform rules and regulations that must be followed when drawing up documentation for technical developments.
4. Unified system of technological training.
5. State product quality standards.

These are the standards that are used when drawing up R&D documents.

However, it is worth noting that the results obtained are compiled in accordance with unified design documentation. During the development, safety requirements, production regulations, as well as positive experience in the preparation of documents for products under development were taken into account.

I wrote this article while working in a state-owned enterprise of a scientific and production nature. This article is aimed at summarizing the current state and structure of research work in the Russian Federation, indicating weaknesses and proposing solutions to optimize the organization of scientific development on a national scale.

1 Current status of the issue

1.1 Implementation of research work today

Scientific research is the source of technologies, materials and mechanisms with the help of which it becomes possible to create products of better quality, at lower cost, to create methods of treating diseases, to fight natural disasters, etc.

However, doing science is a great luxury, since the likelihood of obtaining a practical result from the results of research is very small, and the cost of research can reach colossal amounts due to the need for experimental equipment and raw materials. Thus, only a few commercial companies can afford to maintain their own research department.

The overwhelming majority of scientific research is financed by the State through various funds (RFBR, fund of the Ministry of Education, etc.) and targeted industry programs (Space Program, defense industry development program, etc.).

1.2 What is a scientific work

During the entire existence of disputes over whether mathematics is a science, whether literature, history or art criticism is a science, many different definitions of the term Science have been formulated. From the point of view of the authors of this article, the most logical definition is K. Popper, according to which a thought is scientific if it goes through three stages:

1) Statement of the question;
2) Formulation of theory;
3) Conducting an experiment that confirms or disproves the theory.

This definition is functional from the point of view of the state, which is the main source of funding for scientific work and requiring maximum efficiency of money spent. If the work has passed the three specified stages, then the work report allows you to:

Clearly see what problem the research work is aimed at solving (under the item “Formulation of the question”);
- use a theory or analytical model that was confirmed during a verification experiment (points “Formulation of a theory” and “Conducting an experiment”) in other works and research, while saving money on local experiments;
- exclude a theory and model refuted during confirmatory experiments when analyzing risks;
- use information about the results of the experiment (item “Conducting an experiment”) when testing other theories and hypotheses, saving money on conducting duplicate experiments.

In practice, in our time, funding is received by scientific research work (R&D), in which there may not be any talk about putting forward and, even more so, testing any theories. Such research can be aimed at systematizing knowledge, developing research methods, studying the properties of materials and the features of technologies. Such research projects may have fundamentally different results. Let's try to classify the results that research work can bring:

Reference result. When research work has produced data on specific procedures or materials. For example, the reference result is the values ​​of the physical and mechanical characteristics of a material or the quality characteristics of a part obtained under certain technological parameters;
- scientific result. When, as a result of research work, a theory was confirmed or refuted. The theory can be in the form of a derived formula or mathematical models that allow one to obtain analytical results with a high degree of convergence with real experiment;
- methodological result. When, as a result of research, optimal methods for conducting research, experiments, and performing work were derived. Optimal techniques can be developed as a secondary product in the development of rational methods for confirming the theory;

1.3 Features of research work today

Duplication of research results. Due to the fact that the formation of topics and directions in different funds and agencies is carried out independently of each other, duplication of work often occurs. What we are talking about is both the duplication of work performed and the duplication of research results. There may also be duplication of work performed with work performed during the existence of the USSR, when a large number of scientific works were carried out.

Difficulty in accessing research results. The research results are documented in technical reports, acts and other reporting documentation, which, as a rule, is stored in printed form on paper in the archives of the customer and the contractor. To obtain this or that report, it is necessary to carry out lengthy correspondence with the executor or customer of the report, but, more importantly, information that this or that report exists in most cases is almost impossible to find. Scientific publications based on research results in specialized journals are not always published, and the accumulated number of studies and a wide range of different publications makes searching for data not published on the Internet incredibly difficult.

Lack of regular funding for search experiments. To create a prototype of innovative technology or develop a new technology (including within the framework of R&D), the performing enterprise must have research results confirming the possibility of realizing a new effect. However, research also requires funding, which must be justified and supported by preliminary experiments. However, scientific departments of universities, scientific institutes and research enterprises do not have regular funding for conducting preliminary and exploratory experiments, as a result of which topics for putting forward new works have to be drawn from the literature, incl. foreign. Consequently, work initiated in this way will always be behind similar foreign developments.

Low interaction between scientific enterprises. Low interaction between universities and scientific enterprises is due to the fact that organizations perceive each other not only as competitors, but also as potential customers - consumers of scientific products. The latter is due to the fact that scientific organizations so far, in the overwhelming majority, earn money not from the results of scientific activity, but from its implementation.

Use in the creation of new technologies and solutions from various branches of knowledge and sciences. The technologies and knowledge that could be obtained by working in only one direction are already known and developed, which can be said with great confidence. Today, new technologies are obtained at the intersection of various methods and sciences, which requires the interaction of scientists from various fields, while there is no active labor interaction between institutions.

2 Conditions for increasing the efficiency of scientific work

The system of conducting and organizing scientific work that exists in our time in the Russian Federation was borrowed from the USSR and has not undergone any significant changes since the formation of the Russian Federation. Today, there are the following aspects of modernizing the system for carrying out scientific work:

Widespread use of personal computers and the Internet to access reference information;
- A large number of accumulated scientific reports existing in printed form;
- Using the achievements of various industries to create innovative technology;
- A developed market for materials and services, which makes it possible to implement almost any exploratory experiment at low cost, before opening a full-scale research project.

3 Optimization of the scientific research system

Based on point 2, the following measures can be taken to increase the efficiency of scientific work:

1) Creation of a unified form “Results of scientific research”, with mandatory publication on the Internet on a special portal after completing research work.
2) In the technical specifications (TOR) for carrying out research work, describe the result that should be obtained in the course of the work.
3) Introduce an optimized structure for the organization of research enterprises, based on the functioning of three divisions: a division for posing problems and questions, a division for putting forward scientific theories/hypotheses, and a division for implementing experiments (technical division).
4) Periodic allocation of funds to scientific organizations for the implementation of search experiments.

Below we will describe in more detail about each measure.

3.1 Creation of a unified form of research results

Given the large number of scientific reports accumulated in the Soviet and post-Soviet period, the disunity of funds and research organizations, and the widespread use of the Internet, it is rational to create a single portal of scientific research results for a convenient and quick search for reports on completed work, which would be accessible to both scientific researchers and research organizations, as well as officials checking the relevance of a particular work.

As indicated in paragraph 1.2, it is more rational to draw up the form of the result of scientific research in three points:

1) What problem was the research aimed at solving?
2) What hypothesis was put forward;
3) How the hypothesis was tested.

For each tested hypothesis, its own individual form (separate file) must be compiled, which, at the same time, is supplemented with information about the authors of the study and the organization that the authors represent, with keywords for quick and easy search. At the same time, the system will allow you to leave feedback from other scientists about the reliability of a particular study and evaluate the rating of authors and organizations. It is worth repeating that the forms of unconfirmed theories will also be of great importance, preventing other researchers from going down the wrong path.

The form of a reference study, in which not some hypothesis was tested, but “what we will get” (properties, effect) with given parameters (properties, modes, etc.), must have a distinctive form reflecting quantitative or qualitative characteristics were received.

When creating this system, an important role will be played by stimulating the replenishment of the database with reports already completed and preserved in printed form. In this case, formulas and models that are not confirmed by experimental research are not of interest to the system.

Supplementing such a base with studies of the classics of physics and mechanics will have great educational value.

3.2 Regulation of the results of research work in the technical specifications

The result of research work, as a rule, is a final report on research work, which, at the same time, has a rather arbitrary form and can include from 20 to 500 or more pages, which makes the analysis of such a report by other scientists and practitioners difficult.

If a unified system for generating research results is created, described in paragraph 3.1., then it is advisable in the technical specifications for research to present requirements for the results of work in accordance with the system standard in the form of:

Reference result in the form of characteristics, parameters, properties of a given object or process determined during work;
- A scientific result in the form of the results of testing a set of theories specified in the technical specifications or put forward by the contractor during the work on the problem (question) formulated in the technical specifications.

At the same time, it is not correct to set research methods and work organization as the ultimate goal of research. Methods and programs must be the result of the development of specialists qualified in this area as part of organizational work or work on standardization and systematization, or be a by-product of research when achieving a scientific or reference result.

Also, the terms of reference for state-funded research must describe the obligation to publish research results in a single database.

3.3 Optimized structure of the research enterprise

Based on the rationality of compiling scientific thought from the three components question-theory-test, we can propose a structure for the organization of a scientific research organization, consisting of three main divisions: a division for searching for current problems, a division for formulating theories, and a division for experimental testing.

3.3.1 Division for searching for current tasks

This unit should be tasked with reviewing and constantly monitoring current issues in a given industry or area of ​​activity.

The division will have to perform both analytical work, which consists of studying specialized literature, statistical research, applications from enterprises to carry out some kind of development, and creative work, which consists of independently searching for problems, the solution of which can bring commercial profit and benefit to society.

The department should include analytically minded people with experience in various fields.

3.3.2 Theory production division

This unit is responsible for developing solutions and theories that should provide answers to questions raised or offer solutions to voiced difficulties.

The unit should include people with a broad outlook on various technologies, as well as great theoretical knowledge. Unit employees must constantly study scientific publications and articles.

The two main types of work that this unit must produce are the generation of new theories or solutions, and the analysis and testing of proposed solutions for duplication with already tested ones or for contradiction with already confirmed theories.

3.3.3 Experimental Verification Unit

This unit is responsible for verification: confirmation or refutation of incoming theories. The unit should include laboratory technicians qualified to work with existing laboratory equipment, as well as model production and metalworking masters capable of producing the necessary experimental equipment or equipment.

The unification of research organizations according to the above principle will contribute to their greater cooperation and interaction. Testing of a scientific theory formulated at one enterprise can be carried out in the experimental testing department of another organization that has the necessary laboratory equipment, according to a unified application.

3.4 Funding for exploratory experiments

Small but regular funding of scientific organizations under the article “Performing exploratory experiments”, allocated from the enterprise’s own funds or by the state, will create the necessary basis for the implementation of experimental ideas and preliminary testing of hypotheses.

In the course of low-cost exploratory experiments, erroneous hypotheses that may be included in an application for funding under a contract or grant are eliminated; As a result of the experience gained, new and original solutions are born that are used to create innovative technology.

conclusions

To increase the efficiency of spending on research and development work, it is recommended:

Creation of a unified database with research results presented in one form, including three sections: the question in the direction of which the theory was proposed, the theory or solution that was proposed and the result of testing the theory;
- regulation of the result of research in the technical specifications in terms of determining what type of result should be obtained: reference or scientific;
- bring the organization of scientific enterprises to a structure that includes three departments: a division for searching for current problems, a division for formulating theories, and a division for experimental verification;
- regularly finance search experiments.