New Product Development Practices Research Articles

Practical Considerations for Next-Generation Adjuvant Development and Translation.

Over the last several years, there has been increased interest from academia and the pharmaceutical/biotech industry in the development of vaccine adjuvants for new and emerging vaccine modalities. Despite this, vaccine adjuvant development still has some of the longest timelines in the pharmaceutical space, from discovery to clinical approval. The reasons for this are manyfold and range from complexities in translation from animal to human models, concerns about safety or reactogenicity, to challenges in sourcing the necessary raw materials at scale. In this review, we will describe the current state of the art for many adjuvant technologies and how they should be approached or applied in the development of new vaccine products. We postulate that there are many factors to be considered and tools to be applied earlier on in the vaccine development pipeline to improve the likelihood of clinical success. These recommendations may require a modified approach to some of the common practices in new product development but would result in more accessible and practical adjuvant-containing products.

Development and implementation of a new product development course combining experiential learning, simulation, and a flipped classroom in remote learning

New product development (NPD) learning is considered essential for business students. Recent research emphasizes the need to design NPD courses that meet practical demands. Our study aims at creating a bridge between NPD learning and practice. We developed a new learning approach for teaching NPD courses, which combines remote learning, traditional and flipped classrooms, collaboration with startups, teamwork, and simulation-based training. This new approach was implemented in two classes of international business school students from universities that are members of the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM). The study found that the new learning approach helped business students understand NPD methodologies, tools, and techniques discussed during the course. This research also found that the collaboration helped some startups in their initial development phase. The results of this study shed light on how experiential learning and university-industry collaboration contributes to NPD courses and startups.

Best practices in new product development and innovation: Results from PDMA's 2021 global survey

AbstractExtending 30 years of NPD best practice studies, this paper presents the results of the most recent 2021 global best practice survey on product development management practices conducted by the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA). With responses from 651 companies in 37 countries, the results reveal once again that no single capability is necessary or sufficient to explain the best performance. The Best firms rely on the skillful combination of multiple new product development (NPD) practices to achieve greater overall innovation success. However, for the first time in this series of research, having an innovation strategy that encourages radical innovation, is oriented toward risk‐taking and long‐term, and strives for growth through new markets and new technologies is now a more important component of these practices than was previously found. Further results regarding the practices of the Best are discussed in the paper, and implications are provided.

Augmenting human innovation teams with artificial intelligence: Exploring transformer‐based language models

AbstractThe use of transformer‐based language models in artificial intelligence (AI) has increased adoption in various industries and led to significant productivity advancements in business operations. This article explores how these models can be used to augment human innovation teams in the new product development process, allowing for larger problem and solution spaces to be explored and ultimately leading to higher innovation performance. The article proposes the use of the AI‐augmented double diamond framework to structure the exploration of how these models can assist in new product development (NPD) tasks, such as text summarization, sentiment analysis, and idea generation. It also discusses the limitations of the technology and the potential impact of AI on established practices in NPD. The article establishes a research agenda for exploring the use of language models in this area and the role of humans in hybrid innovation teams. (Note: Following the idea of this article, GPT‐3 alone generated this abstract. Only minor formatting edits were performed by humans.)

The Thai SME Open Innovation Food-Machinery Flexibility Model

Food machinery SMEs have been essential constitutional actors in Thailand’s food industry. Their participation in food innovation is considerably recognized. However, their innovation logics and practices remain poorly understood. To understand the role of open innovation (OI) in this change, specifically the OI logics and practices in new product development (NPD), the food-machinery framework has been chosen to analyze 109 NPDs in 2 Thai food machinery SMEs. This model identifies the various flows of knowledge between the different actors. The results demonstrated the new OI practices being absent from previous typologies, and six distinctive patterns within the same framework. These alternatives were revealed through the distinction between laboratory and industrial scales. The refined model demonstrated the ability of Thai SMEs to adjust OI logics and practices to the nature of the collaborative strategy associated with each NPD. Finally, the results exposed some Thai SMEs switching their business from generic machinery companies to innovation intermediaries.

Digital information product development: lessons from a small-sized German enterprise

PurposeThis case study examines the new product development (NPD) process of digital information products (DIPs) and its critical success factors (CSFs) in a small-sized German enterprise.Design/methodology/approachA case study was conducted with a small firm focused on the development of DIPs; data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, direct observation and document analysis.FindingsThe firm uses an informal and cross-functional NPD process (idea generation, idea validation, product creation and product launch) in converting an idea into a sellable product. Peculiar aspects of each stage within the process as well as ten CSFs to NPD projects were verified.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations are attributed to its qualitative nature, which does not allow generalizations, though careful attention was given to validity and reliability issues through the use of data source triangulation.Practical implicationsThe paper provides a conceptual process that may benefit further initiatives for developing and launching DIPs, as well as a comprehensive list of CSFs for such projects.Originality/valueThis paper is the first one to schematize the NPD process and practices for DIPs, as well as key capabilities. It contributes to the NPD literature in discussing dynamic aspects that are typical to the firm analyzed and to others operating in a digital context. At the same time, it reinforces other traditional aspects that have become overlooked in digital business debates.

Influence of new product development best practices on performance: an analysis in innovative Brazilian companies

PurposeThis study aims to propose and test a research framework for analyzing the relationship between new product development (NPD) best practices and performance in companies that belong to innovative industries in Brazil.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey was conducted, involving several industries, including agricultural machinery, automotive and pharmaceutical. Data was analyzed through multiple linear regression.FindingsAmong the best practices investigated, the main results show that “innovative culture” and “project climate” are factors that significantly affect the performance of the NPD.Research limitations/implicationsThe choice of best practices can be considered a major limitation of this study, as this is a dynamic concept depending on a continuous analysis that must take into account the economic and technological environment.Practical implicationsThis study highlights a relationship between an innovative culture and performance. Some practices may be adopted to address an innovative culture, such as stimulating employee creativity, acceptance and partnership with external actors for the joint development of technologies and employee involvement with NPD.Originality/valueThe findings expand the debate on best practices in NPD and innovation management by presenting results on the topic in an emerging country, in this case, Brazil.

New Product Development: The Perspective of SMES in Malaysia

Small Medium Enterprise (SMEs) are growing rapidly in Malaysia and are the backbone of economic growth. Until today, there are more than 1 million SMEs company registered. The purpose of this research is to determine the best competitive forces and the best practices of New Product Development (NPD). The Porter’s Five Forces Theories or dimensions have been used to determine the competitive forces which is effective for new product development. The targeted population was the top level SME companies in the Southern Region of Malaysia and they are the producer of food and beverages. Data have been collected from 40 top level managers of the selected SME companies using quantitative method. The findings revealed that the best NPD practice is the commercialization, while the best sales competitive forces is threat of substitutes. The owners of the SMEs are recommended to transform their marketing strategies and product innovation to achieve their target and success in the future.

Building trust in multi-stakeholder collaborations for new product development in the digital transformation era

PurposeThe study aims to explore the critical approaches adopted by innovative organizations and to build an environment of trust between the multiple stakeholders collaborating for new product development (NPD).Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach is adopted in this study. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts from the wood product industry in Quebec, Canada. These organizations have successfully adopted the latest technological developments and have developed a strong collaboration with their stakeholders.FindingsThe study identified eleven strategies for the innovative organizations that included early involvement of the stakeholders in the design process, developing long-term relationships and fostering a transparent environment using Industry 4.0 technologies. A novel framework for using this strategy is presented with three stages of application, namely, planning, enactment and review.Practical implicationsInter-organizational collaborations in NPD are more successful when imbued with trust. The NPD strategies must allow innovative organizations to achieve a balanced ecosystem in which value created through the adaption of new technology can be thoroughly captured through commercialization on time with no field failure.Originality/valueThe study adds to the body of knowledge in stakeholder theory and NPD research and practice.

Exploring the Role of Management Control Anchor Practices in new Product Development

This paper shows how certain management controls become more guiding than others in the management of new product development (NPD). We detail how the opportunity space within which managers maneuver NPD can be underpinned by a hierarchically arranged management control infrastructure governed by management control anchor practices that enable ‘anchored prioritizations’ through which some concerns become ‘more important’ than others. As the anchor practice in our case was an integrative liaison device, we also contribute to research that emphasizes the use of social controls in NPD settings. As management control anchor practice, integrative liaison devices can go beyond the ‘pure’ sharing and integration of knowledge and play a crucial role in framing accountability-induced conflicts and negotiations. We also contribute to the notion of management control anchor practices by considering the dynamics between a constitutive rule and the strategies used to enact it. Management control anchor practices play a crucial role in the light of ‘conservative dynamism’ where strategies through which a constitutive rule is enacted are constantly adjusted. A key role of a management control anchor practice hereby is to avoid the emergence of a state of excessive proliferation where strategies are formed merely based on opportunism or short-term contingencies.

Exploring the Role of Management Control Anchor Practices in New Product Development

This paper shows how certain management controls become more guiding than others in the management of new product development (NPD). We detail how the opportunity space within which managers maneuver NPD can be underpinned by a hierarchically arranged management control infrastructure governed by management control anchor practices that enable ‘anchored prioritizations’ through which some concerns become ‘more important’ than others. As the anchor practice in our case was an integrative liaison device, we also contribute to research that emphasizes the use of social controls in NPD settings. As management control anchor practice, integrative liaison devices can go beyond the ‘pure’ sharing and integration of knowledge and play a crucial role in framing accountability-induced conflicts and negotiations. We also contribute to the notion of management control anchor practices by considering the dynamics between a constitutive rule and the strategies used to enact it. Management control anchor practices play a crucial role in the light of ‘conservative dynamism’ where strategies through which a constitutive rule is enacted are constantly adjusted. A key role of a management control anchor practice hereby is to avoid the emergence of a state of excessive proliferation where strategies are formed merely based on opportunism or short-term contingencies.

Inclusive and Consequential by Design: “Futurefying” New Product Development (NPD) Through Vision Concepting

ABSTRACT“As technology becomes more ubiquitous, it is essential we consider the impacts on people, whether unintended consequences or designs that exclude certain groups or disadvantage them in some way,” states Mark Searle, executive vice president of Arizona State in the New York Times article “Top Universities Join to Push ‘Public Interest Technology’ (Singer 2019).” As such, more inclusive and consequential approaches to New Product Development (NPD) are needed. This article introduces Vision Enabled Design Thinking (V.E.D.T) as a pathway forward. V.E.D.T incorporates the power of futures thinking, engaged through vision concepting, in the creation and evaluation of future‐forward design deliverables and artifacts in catalyzing more inclusive and consequential near‐term design solutions. A case study is also presented that highlights the use of V.E.D.T in the design of more inclusive wearable health technologies. Discussion is also had that advocates for more active systems engineering involvement in developing more inclusive and sustainable NPD practices and processes.

The role of human resource-related quality management practices in new product development

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to adopt the dynamic capability (DC) view as a theoretical framework to empirically investigate the relationships among human resource (HR)-related quality management (QM) practices: new product development (NPD) as a specific DC, learning orientation, knowledge integration, and strategic flexibility. Learning orientation and knowledge integration represent two antecedents of strategic flexibility, and strategic flexibility is the developed ability that facilitates NPD.Design/methodology/approachTo empirically test the relationships, the authors used data from 236 European firms and performed structural equation modeling.FindingsResults indicate that HR-related QM practices contribute to creating a learning-oriented company, integrating knowledge, and supporting successful NPD. Furthermore, knowledge integration is positively related to NPD through strategic flexibility.Practical implicationsThis study is relevant for practitioners because it identifies key points in QM implementation that enable firms to be more strategically flexible and thus better able to regularly develop new products.Originality/valueWhen organizations must sustain their competitive positions by continuously adapting to environmental changes, it is important to study not only how QM implementation is positively related to the firm performance on which a significant portion of the QM literature has focused but also to study whether QM implementation is related to strategic variables and can make a contribution to strategic processes. To fill the void in the HR and QM literature, this study offers an integrated framework with empirical support that identifies the role of HR-related QM practices in learning orientation, knowledge integration, strategic flexibility, and NPD.

The role of relationship promoter in new product development collaboration

Since new product development (NPD) collaborations with external partners have become the next generation in NPD practices, relationship promoters have become especially relevant as key contributors to the success of this type of inter-organisational collaboration. To realise successful outcomes in NPD collaborations, partners face the challenge of effectively integrating the role of relationship promoter into their existing and essential relationships of trust. It is within this context that this paper examines the role of the relationship promoter, by analysing its moderating effect on the relationship between trust and the outcomes of NPD collaboration – including new product competitiveness and partner satisfaction. We test our hypotheses against survey data from 107 innovative firms involved in NPD collaboration with the help of relationship promoters. The results show that, while a non-significant influence can be reported about the presence of a relationship promoter in terms of partner satisfaction, the relationship promotor weakens the influence of trust on new product competitiveness, making trust less important when it comes to creating a competitive new product.

Characterization of Food Product Innovation Practices with Reference to Functional Food Product Development in Singapore

Functional foods, being one of the major food categories of the global health and wellness market, are becoming a major focus of new product development (NPD) in the food industry. The development of functional foods is more complex than traditional food New Product Development (NPD), calling for a concerted effort from researchers and NPD experts to explore and understand the functional food product development (FFPD) process in more detail. The current research in this field has reported that there is a need to evolve from a traditional NPD approach, towards an integrative and innovative approach involving cooperative networks and techniques of commercialization. However, there is little practical evidence on how much progress has been made to date. Therefore, this research was designed to investigate the food product innovation process of food manufacturing in the Asia-Pacific region (Singapore) with reference to functional foods development. Results report on a comparative account of NPD practices between registered Singapore food companies that are doing some sort of functional food development (Group 1) and those that are not (Group 2). A significant difference (P<0.05) in the aims and mode of NPD between Group 1 and Group was observed. Further it was observed that food companies in Group 1 have significantly (P<0.05) more diverse external collaborations with broad aims to collaborate, in comparison with food companies in Group 2. This is a positive step toward developing an external resource base, which is essential in developing functional foods. This attitude should be encouraged in future innovation polices as being critical to value-added food product innovations in Singapore. Apart from these differences, food companies are still pursuing a traditional NPD approach (independent and closed NPD); with loose Intellectual Property protection practices irrespective of type of innovation activity. There is a need to create awareness among the stakeholders about the factors needed for developing unique and inimitable resources, and dynamic capabilities in food manufacturing.Â

Exploring the hidden potential of product design to mitigate supply chain risk

Although it is well known that product design affects supply chain management, much less has been written about whether and how product design affects supply chain risk management. This research gap brought us to study the following research questions: which new product development (NPD) practices can mitigate supply chain risk? And how? Based on seven exploratory case studies, we found that four categories of NPD practices, as well as product modularity, are effective supply chain risk mitigation levers. Moreover, we found that the conjoint adoption of NPD practices and product features (i.e. 'bundles') has a synergistic effect on supply chain risk mitigation.

Exploring the hidden potential of product design to mitigate supply chain risk

Although it is well known that product design affects supply chain management, much less has been written about whether and how product design affects supply chain risk management. This research gap brought us to study the following research questions: which new product development (NPD) practices can mitigate supply chain risk? And how? Based on seven exploratory case studies, we found that four categories of NPD practices, as well as product modularity, are effective supply chain risk mitigation levers. Moreover, we found that the conjoint adoption of NPD practices and product features (i.e. 'bundles') has a synergistic effect on supply chain risk mitigation.

Special Issue: Best Practices in New Product Development

Special Issue: Best Practices in New Product Development

The Roles of Sustainability Orientation and Market Knowledge Competence in New Product Development Success

Firms’ sustainability orientation (SO) is widely understood as a strategic resource, which can lead to competitive advantage and superior (financial) performance. While recent empirical evidence suggests a moderate and positive relationship between SO and financial performance on a corporate level, little is understood about the influence of SO on new product development (NPD) success. Building on the natural‐resource‐based view (NRBV) of the firm, we hypothesize that firms’ SO positively influences NPD success, because of efficiency gains and differentiation advantages. However, scholars have also argued that the win–win paradigm postulated by NRBV might not always hold because NPD managers might find it difficult to balance sustainability objectives with the needs of their customer and the competitive dynamics in their markets. It is, therefore, proposed that market knowledge competence (MKC) is an important capability, which helps firms to balance social and ecological objectives with economic goals such as profitability and market share. Using data from 343 international firms from 24 countries that was collected by the Product Development and Management Association, structural equation modeling results suggest that (1) SO positively influences NPD and that (2) this relationship is partially mediated by firms’ market knowledge capabilities. The findings suggest that strategic‐level SO and MKC are complementary in that they help in balancing trade‐offs between sustainaility objectives and profitability goals. In this way, the study contributes to a better understanding of how critical NPD practices can help managers to translate firms’ SO into NPD success. The article concludes by highlighting implications for product innovation managers.

Exploring interaction-based antecedents of marketing-R&D collaboration: evidence from the Taiwan’s semiconductor industry

Marketing-R&D integration has been recognized as a key success factor of the NPD (new product development) programs. Although previous research has differentiated two integrative approaches (i.e., interaction and collaboration), a theoretical gap remains unaddressed: whether there is a relationship between Marketing-R&D interaction and collaboration? Lack of knowledge at this point not only shows a cleft in theory, but also prevents us from offering useful guidance for practitioners to better NPD practices and results. The present research, from an interpersonal interaction perspective, explores and tests interaction-based antecedents of Marketing-R&D collaboration. The results of a survey of 94 semiconductor companies in Taiwan provide fresh evidence for the effects of selected predictors on the collaboration. In addition, the collaboration is shown to have different impacts on the NPD process and NPD output performance at a firm level. Both theoretical and managerial implications of the current research are also advanced in this manuscript.