Systems Engineering · Process Methodology · Regulated Industries
Transforming how regulated industries build products
30 years at the intersection of systems engineering, lean-agile methods, and digital transformation — from Deming and Senge at Ford in the 1990s to AI-augmented product development today.
About
I help organizations in automotive, aerospace & defense, and medical devices build better products faster — without sacrificing compliance or quality.
My career began at Ford Motor Company in the early 1990s, where I had the rare opportunity to work alongside W. Edwards Deming and Peter Senge during the formative years of systems thinking in manufacturing. That foundation — statistical process control, learning organizations, and systems dynamics — still underpins everything I do.
Since then, I've built deep expertise across Lean, Agile, and Systems Engineering. I studied Lean/Shingo principles with Peter Gaa, learned Scrum directly from Ken Rubin, and developed flow-based metrics approaches informed by Daniel Vacanti's Actionable Agile work. These aren't credentials I collect — they're tools I synthesize into practical solutions for regulated environments.
Today I lead thought leadership in Industry X Engineering, focused on regulated product development across automotive, aerospace & defense, and medical devices. I lead the Americas practice for Codebeamer/ALM and systems-software modeling, helping organizations navigate the transition to software-defined products while maintaining ASPICE, ISO 26262, and other regulatory compliance.
Industry Focus
Methodology Lineage
Based In
Naples, Florida
Expertise
Where I create value
ASPICE Assessment & Coaching
Provisional ASPICE assessor with deep experience guiding organizations from Level 0 to Level 2+ across embedded software and systems engineering processes. Proven coaching methodology that delivers 3× industry-standard improvement rates.
Software-Defined Vehicle Development
End-to-end expertise in the transformation from mechanical to software-defined products. From architecture and requirements through continuous integration, deployment, and compliance — bridging the gap between Silicon Valley speed and automotive rigor.
ALM Transformation
Design, deployment, and optimization of Application Lifecycle Management toolchains centered on PTC Codebeamer and Pure Variants. Americas practice lead with implementations spanning automotive, aerospace & defense, and medical devices.
Lean-Agile in Regulated Environments
Deep expertise in making agile methods work where compliance, safety, and traceability are non-negotiable. Evolved well beyond frameworks to flow-based, AI-augmented approaches purpose-built for regulated product development.
Systems Engineering & Process Architecture
Rooted in classical systems engineering and systems thinking (Deming, Senge), with modern application to digital engineering, MBSE, and model-based approaches. Architecture of development processes, not just products.
AI-Augmented Product Development
Pioneering the integration of AI into regulated development workflows — from AI-assisted requirements analysis to automated compliance checking. Rethinking organizational design for the age of AI co-workers.
Methodology
Frameworks forged in practice
After three decades of applying — and outgrowing — existing frameworks, I've synthesized what actually works in regulated product development into two complementary approaches.
LASER DOMe
Lean + Agile + Systems Engineering + Regulated · Digital Operating Model
LASER DOMe is a digital operating model purpose-built for organizations developing complex, regulated products. It integrates the best of Lean thinking, Agile delivery, and classical Systems Engineering into a coherent framework that doesn't sacrifice compliance for speed — or speed for compliance.
Unlike framework-first approaches, LASER DOMe starts from the regulatory and safety constraints of your industry (ASPICE, ISO 26262, DO-178C, IEC 62304) and builds the minimal effective process to satisfy them while maximizing flow.
Core Principles
Eliminate waste in development processes, optimize value streams
Iterative delivery with fast feedback, adapted for regulated contexts
Rigorous architecture, requirements, and V&V — done right
Technical excellence as the foundation, not an afterthought
Compliance by design, not compliance by ceremony
FLOWCraft
Flow-based Product Development Practice
FLOWCraft is a practice — a methodology and a verb — for applying flow-based thinking to product development. Where LASER DOMe defines the operating model, FLOWCraft is how you execute within it.
Rooted in the work of Deming (statistical process control), Senge (systems thinking), Reinertsen (flow economics), and Vacanti (flow metrics), FLOWCraft replaces project-centric ceremony with continuous flow of value through the development system.
The methodology weaves four threads — Method, Motivation, Role, and Tool — into a coherent fabric that adapts to your organization's regulatory context, technical maturity, and cultural readiness.
Intellectual Lineage
Deming & Senge at Ford
Statistical thinking and learning organizations
Lean/Shingo via Peter Gaa
Value stream optimization and continuous improvement
Scrum via Ken Rubin
Iterative development and team self-organization
Flow metrics via Vacanti lineage
Data-driven flow management replacing estimation
AI-augmented development
Rethinking roles, coordination, and process for AI co-workers
Results
Outcomes that matter
Near ASPICE Level 2 in 8 Months
Led a coaching engagement combining ASPICE co-assessment with process coaching using the LASER DOMe methodology. Guided a major tire manufacturer's connected product team from baseline to near-ASPICE Level 2 compliance in 8 months — approximately 3× the typical industry improvement pace. The approach demonstrated that rigorous process improvement and delivery velocity aren't opposing forces when the methodology is right.
3×
Industry improvement rate
8 mo
To near-Level 2
Zero→Active
Americas Codebeamer practice
Automotive OEM — Software-Defined Vehicles
Multiple engagements spanning software-defined vehicle strategy, ASPICE implementation, and ALM toolchain transformation. Deep institutional knowledge across global automotive programs.
Aerospace & Defense
Regulated development methodology applied to mission-critical systems, bridging commercial agile practices with DO-178C and defense acquisition requirements.
Medical Devices
Medical device development process transformation, applying LASER DOMe principles within IEC 62304 and FDA regulatory constraints for life-critical embedded software.
Autonomous Vehicle Development
Level 4 autonomous vehicle development approach, applying advanced systems engineering methodology to the most complex challenges in software-defined vehicle architecture.
Contact
Let's talk
Whether you're navigating an ASPICE assessment, planning an ALM transformation, or rethinking your development process for software-defined products — I'd welcome the conversation.