Stage-Gate® for SMEs: a qualitative study in Germany

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structure of the new product development (NPD) processes of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and researches the transferability of the Stage-Gate® system for SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a qualitative multiple case study design. Data were gathered from 49 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with German firms. The authors used blank cards and a bar graph to measure process structures. The NPD processes were assessed using both objective and subjective success criteria. Pattern matching was used as a systematic analysis technology for the identification of certain structures in the data. In data analysis the authors applied triangulation, content analysis, and descriptive categorisations. The authors looked for similarities and differences between the groups and the frequencies of certain characteristics, and also compared mean values. Findings – The authors found that the majority of the enterprises have adopted Stage-Gate® systems. The authors also found that users of Stage-Gate® XPress processes (a condensed version of the Stage-Gate® system) were, on average, more successful in their innovation activities than the users of other versions of the Stage-Gate® system and entirely different NPD processes. The typical steps in these development processes are idea creation, business case, and product development and production. The study also describes the structure of the XPress processes considering back couplings, overlapping activities, milestones, and customer integration. Originality/value – This description offers potential for the optimisation of the efficiency and effectiveness of NPD processes. Overall, the paper delivers new insights regarding the further exploration of the process structures in SMEs.