Industrial espionage /ɪnˈDʌstrɪəlˈespɪənɑːʒ]/
ENTREPRENEUR:I’ve always wanted to do that!t! Spying: one of the most glamorous ˈɡlæmərəs] and dangerous ˈdeɪndʒərəs] jobs in the world.But not all spies work for their national governments.Some of them are out there trying to improve their companies’’ chances in the business world.Industrial Espionage is the term used to describe the activities some companies use to get ahead in business.
Of course, it can be illegal but ‘All’s fair in love and business’, right? Industrial spies sometimes use the simplest methods to get information about their rivals’’ products: they simply buy one of the products and take it apart in order to see how it works. This process is known as ‘reverse engineering’. Once they’ve done that they can try to make a similar product that they hope will be able to make them some money.This is fine if you’re not worried about trying to be the first company to release a product.
But some companies have pushed the limits of industrial espionage by using methods similar to their counterparts /kaʊntəpɑːts] in national espionage organizations in order to get their products to the marketplace before the competitors.kəmˈPetɪtəz] Sometimes companies steal the plans for new products and reverse engineer the plans so that they can release their products first. Can these methods ever be used ethically? ˈeθɪkəli] ‘Value engineering’’ is used by companies who want to cut costs and improve their products. A company’s existing product /ˈprɒdʌkt/ is reverse engineered and examined by company employees.
They try to find parts of the product that can be modified in order to reduce costs or improve performance. The basic function of the product should be retained but extra parts of the design that don’t add to its functionalityˌfʌŋkʃəˈNæləti] or which cost too much are analyzed and, if necessary, are removed. As they say, ‘Knowledge is everything’’ and this maxim applies to business as much as any other part of life.
New expression:
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation.It often involves taking something (a mechanical device, electronic component, computer program, or biological, chemical, or organic matter) apart and analyzing its workings in detail to be used in maintenance, or to try to make a new device or program that does the same thing without using or simply duplicating (without understanding) the original.
Value engineering (VE) is a systematic method to improve the “value” of goods or products and services by using an examination of function./ˈfʌŋkʃən]/ Value, as defined, is the ratio of function to cost. Value can therefore be increased by either improving the function or reducing the cost. It is a primary tenet/ˈˈtenɪt]/=ˈprinciple [UK: ˈprɪnsəpəl] of value engineering that basic functions be preserved and not be reduced as a consequence (kɒnsɪkwəns] of pursuing(pə’Sjuɪŋ] value improvements.[1]