TICK - TOCK: Think differently

Periodically I look for ways to rearrange my thinking in how I go about my work. Recently Intel's Tick-Tock product development system was brought to my attention. It is their way of driving the development of new chips and their manufacturing processes. Intel uses alternate years to introduce new processes or architectures. The "tick" is the manufacturing method, it's the shrinkage of the elements on the chip. The "tock" is the change in the design, or the microarchitecture itself.

I am experimenting with Tick-Tock as a means to be more effective with an increase in my writing projects. With a heavy list of things I want to accomplish in 2009, I had to approach my writing with a different system than just a linear schedule (I am aware of the myth of "multi-tasking!"). Intel uses alternate years, but I am thinking in terms of alternate months or alternate weeks.

Check out the following sites, which have short videos to illustrate Tick-Tock.

Intel's Tick-Tock Model

Year 1: First the "Tick"

Driving technology innovation on a reliable and predictable timeline, Intel developed a model designed to deliver ongoing innovation. Referred to as our “tick-tock model” Intel has successfully alternated and delivered the next-generation of silicon technology as well as new processor micro-architecture year after year.

Year 2: Then the "Tock"

Intel delivers entirely new processor microarchitecture to optimize the value of the increased number of transistors and technology updates now available.

Intel design teams work in parallel around the globe to deliver coordinated technology advances based on our tick-tock model. The results can be seen in launches such as the Intel® Core™2 processor family, delivering industry-leading performance and energy efficiency on 65nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture (tock). More recently, the same microarchitecture was refined and implemented on 45nm Intel® process technology (tick), delivering significant performance gains while dramatically decreasing transistor size.

Intel Tick-Tock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia has a nice "roadmap" for the process.


Competitive Advantage Brings Innovation with Every Tick and Tock
This Intel Blog/site has another interesting video about the process.

At Intel, the Tick - Tock mindset creates different teams (manufacturing and architecture), working continuously on improvement. My two major projects for 2009 involve a team of one, so it is essentially my linear planning process ... with a twist. Rather than being in a continuous mode of research and writing, I am experimenting with a week of research followed by a week of writing.

What if I run out of research tasks before the end of the week, you say? What if I don't produce enough research to keep me in writing for the week? Dunno? Even Intel has it's critics of tick-tock. Journalists and industry analysts often criticize them for being off schedule in their chip release. They are, however, the industry leader. Works for me! How 'bout you? I can always go back to my ol' linear grind!

Experiment! Go home a different way!