Faster New Product Development Research Articles

Effects of marketing–manufacturing integration across stages of new product development on performance

Our understanding on the benefits of marketing–manufacturing integration (MMI) across various stages of new product development (NPD) process is limited. Based on the resource-based view of a firm, this study empirically examines the direct and interactive effects of MMI in four stages of NPD process on three dimensions of new product performance. Survey data from 214 completed NPD projects in Chinese manufacturing firms are employed to test the developed hypotheses using hierarchical regression. The results indicate that greater MMI in each stage is, respectively, associated with faster NPD speed. Stronger MMI in business/market opportunity analysis (BMA), technical development (TD) and product testing (PT) stage is, respectively, associated with higher NPD cost efficiency. Higher MMI in BMA and PT stage is, respectively, associated with better market performance. In addition, the interactions of MMI in BMA and TD stages and MMI in PT and product commercialization (PC) stages have positive effects on NPD speed and NPD cost efficiency, while the interaction of MMI in BMA and PC stages has negative effects on NPD speed and NPD cost efficiency. The interaction of MMI in BMA, TD and PC stages is positively related to market performance; surprisingly, the interactions of MMI in BMA, TD and PT stages and MMI in BMA, PT and PC stages are negatively related to market performance. These findings have important implications for research and practice in both the cross-functional integration and NPD areas.

Hardball Innovation

OVERVIEW:Companies face a choice today: implement product development processes that are slow and cumbersome, or implement processes that are fast and effective. There is, of course, no choice if you wish to win in a free-market economy. Fast and effective processes result in technology and feature differentiation, high-margin products, high growth, and invigoration of the business. Those who choose the first route will be ground down by the latter. To make the right choice requires recognition that: 1) your company must compete; 2) management must see its goal as the creation of unassailable competitive advantage; 3) innovation is the key to creating such advantage. Hardball competitors understand that fast new-product development is a systematic, disciplined undertaking. It is not one thing done right—it is a lot of things done right and done simultaneously, from managing to strict quality goals and time deadlines, to freezing designs before the pre-production stage and co-locating rather than disbursing critical resources.

Accelerating New Product Development: A Preliminary Empirical Test of a Hierarchy of Implementation

Although time to market and a product's profitability are closely linked, simply speeding up new product development (NPD) is no guarantee of success. In fact, haphazardly adopting the numerous methods for accelerating NPD may jeopardize the potential success of the new product and the company.An article in a previous issue of The Journal of Product Innovation Management suggests that companies seeking to speed up their NPD process should take a hierarchical approach to implementing the various acceleration techniques. To improve the likelihood that efforts to accelerate NPD will pay off with shorter development time, greater market share, and improved profitability, it is recommended that a company start by focusing on simplification of the NPD process. From there, the company can proceed in sequence through techniques involving the elimination of unnecessary steps in the NPD process, parallel processing (i.e., performing two or more NPD steps at the same time), the elimination of delays, and speeding up of the NPD process.Ed J. Nijssen, Arthur R. L. Arbouw, and Harry R. Commandeur follow up on this earlier work by addressing several key questions regarding the proposed hierarchy of techniques for accelerating NPD. First, do companies that make extensive use of the proposed hierarchy develop new products faster than companies that do not? Second, do companies that make extensive use of the hierarchy enjoy better financial performance than those that do not? Third, regardless of the hierarchy, are products developed faster by companies that make more intensive use of acceleration methods than by companies that use fewer methods of acceleration? Finally, how does financial performance compare among companies that make more intensive use of acceleration methods without following the hierarchy and those that use fewer methods of acceleration?A survey of Dutch companies finds that the proposed hierarchy of techniques has a positive effect on NPD speed. The survey results also suggest that faster NPD is possible through the use of the various acceleration methods without regard for the order in which they are implemented. However, a strong positive relationship is evident between the hierarchy and the profitability of the product and the company. In other words, a random approach to NPD acceleration does not improve financial performance. By trying to accelerate NPD in accordance with the proposed hierarchy of methods, a company can avoid critical mistakes that might otherwise limit financial results.

Accelerating new product development: A preliminary empirical test of a hierarchy of implementation

Although time to market and a product's profitability are closely linked, simply speeding up new product development (NPD) is no guarantee of success. In fact, haphazardly adopting the numerous methods for accelerating NPD may jeopardize the potential success of the new product and the company. An article in a previous issue of The Journal of Product Innovation Management suggests that companies seeking to speed up their NPD process should take a hierarchical approach to implementing the various acceleration techniques. To improve the likelihood that efforts to accelerate NPD will pay off with shorter development time, greater market share, and improved profitability, it is recommended that a company start by focusing on simplification of the NPD process. From there, the company can proceed in sequence through techniques involving the elimination of unnecessary steps in the NPD process, parallel processing (i.e., performing two or more NPD steps at the same time), the elimination of delays, and speeding up of the NPD process. Ed J. Nijssen, Arthur R. L. Arbouw, and Harry R. Commandeur follow up on this earlier work by addressing several key questions regarding the proposed hierarchy of techniques for accelerating NPD. First, do companies that make extensive use of the proposed hierarchy develop new products faster than companies that do not? Second, do companies that make extensive use of the hierarchy enjoy better financial performance than those that do not? Third, regardless of the hierarchy, are products developed faster by companies that make more intensive use of acceleration methods than by companies that use fewer methods of acceleration? Finally, how does financial performance compare among companies that make more intensive use of acceleration methods without following the hierarchy and those that use fewer methods of acceleration? A survey of Dutch companies finds that the proposed hierarchy of techniques has a positive effect on NPD speed. The survey results also suggest that faster NPD is possible through the use of the various acceleration methods without regard for the order in which they are implemented. However, a strong positive relationship is evident between the hierarchy and the profitability of the product and the company. In other words, a random approach to NPD acceleration does not improve financial performance. By trying to accelerate NPD in accordance with the proposed hierarchy of methods, a company can avoid critical mistakes that might otherwise limit financial results.

TQM, maintenance and plant availability

Modern production management systems are being increasingly computerized in the pursuit of higher quality, the faster development of new products and lower unit costs. But the present generation of methods and software, e.g. JIT, MRP II, CIM, omit to integrate the maintenance function and do not properly consider plant availability and renewal. Considers how these can be included in the next CIM generation, the advantages and costs of doing so, and the quality and market‐share consequences of failure to do it. Total productive maintenance (TPM) and reliability‐centred maintenance (RCM) are considered inadequate in themselves, but each has features which can be used within an integrated management information system to implement TQM and optimize life cycle profit (LCP), provided that the need to collect and analyse failure, repair and maintenance data in respect of increasingly expensive plant is fully recognized.

Total Connectivity Speeds Research and Support Of Field Operations

Summary Research and field support roles in the oilfield service industry have become increasingly complex in the last 15 years. Experimental apparatus are more dependent on the data-acquisition and processing capabilities of computers as the amount of data generated increases. Therefore, the need to network these computers for data transport has significantly increased. The type of network system selected depends on the goals to be achieved. Incorporation of existing equipment, communication between systems of different architectures, and future expandability are only a few of the necessary attributes. With these in mind, a computer network system was designed and is being implemented. The system combines local- and wide-area networks (LAN's or WAN's) of different protocols to acquire, process, and transport information worldwide. The result is faster development of new products and quicker response in support of field operations.

Speeding up new product development: The effects of leadership style and source of technology

This article reports the results of a study whose purpose was to investigate factors that contribute to the faster development of new products. Edward McDonough and Gloria Barczak collected data from 30 new product development projects in 12 British companies. They investigated the impact of leadership style and the source of the technologies employed in the project (i.e., internally developed or externally acquired) on speed of development. Their results suggest that leadership style influences speed of development. Moreover, the source of the technologies used in the project moderates the relationship between leadership style and speed of development.

Speeding Up New Product Development: The Effects of Leadership Style and Source of Technology

This article reports the results of a study whose purpose was to investigate factors that contribute to the faster development of new products. Edward McDonough and Gloria Barczak collected data from 30 new product development projects in 12 British companies. They investigated the impact of leadership style and the source of the technologies employed in the project (i.e., internally developed or externally acquired) on speed of development. Their results suggest that leadership style influences speed of development. Moreover, the source of the technologies used in the project moderates the relationship between leadership style and speed of development.

Faster New Product Development

Clearly today's business climate mandates the need for faster development of new products. Drawing upon his experience, Milton Rosenau describes several techniques that have not been mentioned explicitly in recent articles: short, focused development phases; management involvement and support; procurement and use of productivity improvements; multifunctional teamwork; distraction reduction; frozen specifications; and microcomputer‐based project management software.

From experience: Faster new product development

Clearly today's business climate mandates the need for faster development of new products. Drawing upon his experience, Milton Rosenau describes several techniques that have not been mentioned explicitly in recent articles: short, focused development phases; management involvement and support; procurement and use of productivity improvements; multifunctional teamwork; distraction reduction; frozen specifications; and microcomputer-based project management software.