Engineering ROI

Each year in the spring I head down to Georgia for the NAFEMS ASSESS meeting, which this year was rebranded as the ASSESS Simulation Leadership Summit 2026. It’s an unusual conference­—limited to fewer than 100 attendees, it draws executives from leading software companies, consultancies, and end user organizations for a think-tank-style meeting to discuss the use of simulation-led design and the future of the technology.

 

The group has been creating reports and benchmarks for several years, including reports on topics like the requirements for simulation software interoperability, for example.

This year there were several sessions focused on determining the business value of simulation, and then communicating that effectively to upper management to align simulation activities with business goals. 

Darrel Meffert, who is responsible for enterprise-wide simulation strategies at Caterpillar, gave a great talk about how the company has for decades leveraged simulation to help reduce physical testing, save money, and improve quality. In 2013, the company launched its enterprise simulation strategy to increase use of the technology and give design leaders the confidence to make decisions without physical testing. Implementing that strategy successfully took focus and determination, and the ability to clearly communicate value across different parts of the company.

Mike Henneke of the Koch Engineering Solutions’ business John Zink Co. also discussed how simulation has helped speed time to market and reduce the need for physical testing of its burner systems (which are deployed in refineries). The company has made a deliberate effort to tie simulation efforts to business outcomes. He also discussed different frameworks his team uses to determine the desirability, viability, and feasibility of new products and designs.

Consultant Brian O’Keefe of Articulus also gave a presentation on how to create presentations to sell value that executives understand. You can learn more about ASSESS here.

It’s been a busy travel season here at DE. In addition to ASSESS, we’ve been to NVIDIA’s GTC conference, the recent Synopsys event, and AMUG (Additive Manufacturing Users Group) in Reno, but we were snowed out of the Additive Manufacturing Strategies event in New York in February—not to worry, though; we will connect with our 3D printing friends at RAPID later this month.

We hope to see you at other upcoming shows, and that you enjoy the current issue.