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44 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2023 Informal information exists within most companies and distilling this knowledge into tools is not an easy task—maybe even an impos- sible one. But what's most important in maxi- mizing this informal information is to have a good communication network, those "go to" people for a particular purpose. It is important that the company promotes a culture of open- ness and sharing, or knowledge has a risk of being ring-fenced and locked away. More Than Just the Company Writing this on my return from an informa- tive and inspiring visit to the EIPC Winter Conference—this time in the City of Lyon with a visit to a nearby nuclear power facility— it dawns on me that just as important as hav- ing that company knowledge is having the net- Instilling an Informal Information Culture work of knowledge that exists in all the myriad suppliers of base material, chemistry, drill machines, plating equipment, and so on. e extended network provided through organ- isations like EIPC acts as a knowledge ampli- fier—and more importantly, those networks allow you to channel customer questions to the appropriate place. is human interaction is difficult (fortunately) to substitute with tools. Modelling Tools When modelling tools are used for predic- tion on ideal materials, very good predictions can be created; however, when working with composite materials—or materials that have to compromise properties for a variety of reasons (cost, regulation, reliability, signal integrity)— it is extremely impractical to cover all those The Pulse Feature Column by Martyn Gaudion, POLAR INSTRUMENTS