Feature based process framework to manage scope in dynamic NPD portfolios

Abstract

The need to develop new products in increasingly frequent cycles of innovation drives organizations to form new product development (NPD) portfolios. In such dynamic environments, organizations need to reinforce their capabilities to deal with the simultaneity of multiple NPD projects, as well as with the frequent changes of the product scope. Many organizations, that have adopted the typical NPD process enforcing a streamlined product development process, are challenged beyond strict planning and rigorous control of their NPD projects.This paper identifies the challenges to manage the scope of a complete portfolio of NPD projects within the dynamic context that organizations face today, and using existing scope management practices. This paper suggests a novel approach to structuring the scope in dynamic NPD portfolios using feature modeling, and illustrates its use in an action-research case.