Friday, March 18, 2005
History of Consulting Unit- Arthur D Little, the company who created consulting yet never named it!!
1886Arthur Dehon Little and Roger Griffin form first consulting firm devoted to improving processes and products
1909Arthur D. Little is incorporated as the world's first company seeking to apply technology to industrial growth
1911Organized first R&D lab for GM
1949Pioneered application of operations research (developed during World War II) to industrial problem.
1951Projects with Johnson & Johnson and General Electric led to the development of modern logistics management
It all started with an MIT professor who though that his research could help the firms he was studying. Frankly, ADL grew out of a campus (i.e., university) structure. Hence we are principally research-based.
Arthur D. Little Goes To Mars
Arthur D. Little Brings Engineers Out of Retirement to Manufacture Critical Device for 2001 Mars Odyssey Mission
A device designed and built by Arthur D. Little will be one of the critical elements of the NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey mission, which is scheduled to launch on Saturday, April 7.
One of the unsung standard bearers of the space age, the highly sophisticated ``passive radiative cooler'' has been customized for use in 27 prior space launches. Although a version of the device has been to space many times, this is the first time it will go to Mars.
The design of the passive radiative cooler is so complex that Arthur D. Little brought two engineers with the specialized expertise in the technology out of retirement to assist with the project. The cooler the team built for this launch is the largest ADL has ever designed, with an 18-inch outer diameter and the greatest cooling capacity.
``We are pleased to continue our long history of providing technology and consulting expertise to NASA space missions, first to the moon and now to Mars,'' said Pamela McNamara, acting CEO for Arthur D. Little. ``This project is a prime example of how ADL draws on its years of valued and proven experience to develop the most advanced innovations for our partners.''
The device is an essential component of the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), a primary instrument on the mission that will search for water and other potential signs of life on Mars and map the distribution of about 20 chemical elements across the planet's surface. The cooler keeps the operating temperature of the GRS stable by radiating heat away from the device's delicate sensors and electronic components and conveying it into deep space. As a result, the GPS is able to function properly and take accurate measurements in space.
2001 Mars Odyssey is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet. The Odyssey is scheduled for arrival at Mars in October 24, 2001 and the primary mission will take place January 2002 through July 2004.
The cooler is a complex and delicate assembly consisting of five primary parts and more than 60 total parts made primarily of titanium and a rare alloy of magnesium. As part of the preparation, the development team conducted comprehensive structural analysis of the cooling device to ensure it would survive the shock and vibrations of launch.
Many of the passive radiative coolers Arthur D. Little has built have been used for military weather satellite systems. Others were used in a Transient Gamma Ray Spectrometer, launched in 1994 as part of the WIND mission to investigate Gamma Ray Bursts and Solar Flares.
Arthur D. Little has done extensive work for NASA over the past four decades. In 1969, the first Apollo mission to the moon included five key experiments designed and developed by Arthur D. Little.
Arthur D. Little is the world's premier consulting firm working at the interface of business and the technologies that drive innovation and growth. Drawing on its unique blend of knowledge and hands-on experience across global industries, the firm collaborates with its clients to develop significant breakthroughs in practices, products, and processes that lead to dramatic growth and the creation of new value.
