Stages Of Product Development Research Articles

Two forms of customer involvement and new product development performance in the digital context: The moderating role of new product development stage

Customer involvement plays a critical role in firms' new product development (NPD), especially in the digital context. Prior research has distinguished between two forms of customer involvement: customers as an information source (CIS) and customers as co-developers (CIC). We build on this stream of literature and investigate the impact of CIS and CIC on firms’ NPD performance in the digital context by considering both the benefits and costs of these two forms of customer involvement. Furthermore, we explore the moderating role of NPD stage. Based on survey data collected from 263 informants, we show that whereas CIS has a positive effect on NPD performance, CIC has an inverted U-shaped relationship with NPD performance. More interestingly, the positive relationship between CIS and NPD performance is more pronounced in the ideation stage than in the product development stage, and the inverted U-shaped relationship between CIC and NPD performance is steeper in the product development stage than that in the ideation stage. In our additional analyses, we further divide the NPD stage into four stages and found similar results as our main analyses. Our study enriches the customer involvement literature and offers practical implications regarding whether, how, and when to involve customers in the NPD process.

Towards a method for human-centred analysis of external variety

AbstractAddressing VUCA challenges in product development, the Human-Centred Analysis of External Variety (HAV) method is introduced. Focusing on the early stages of new product development, HAV provides a structured approach, reducing uncertainty through quick market analysis, customer engagement, and goal setting. HAV is illustrated using a cargo bike product family case study and emphasizes its role in aligning human-centred methods with project goals. The first steps of the HAV method are presented, but also the need for further action towards a validated and elaborated method is discussed.

English for Islamic Philosophy: A Development of Digital Dictionary of English Loanword

PurposeThe aim of this research was to investigate the suitability of loanwords to the needs of students majoring in Islamic philosophy, analyze the design interface of the English loanword dictionary application, and understand how they access and use the dictionary. MethodThis study made uses of Research & Development design, a research method used to produce a work or product. The first stage is the preliminary research stage, followed by the product development stage, then the model validation stage, the trial effectiveness stage, and finally, the dissemination or publication and product socialization stage. The research engaged the students and the lecturers as the key informant taken randomly from the Islamic philosophy study program. The data were analyzed qualitatively using the concept of friendly android bilingual dictionary.Results/findingsThe research findings indicated that an English loanword dictionary with comprehensive features was highly beneficial for Islamic philosophy students. This dictionary helped students to understand the terms, and use them in their contexts of Islamic philosophy. The application's user-friendly features enhanced accessibility, with a clear home screen and intuitive navigation.ConclusionThe study concluded that the loanword app played significant role in helping students understanding Islamic philosophy terminology. Future research could explore the app's impact on students' academic performance, language proficiency, and critical thinking skills.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Process for Front Windshield Mist Deposition and Its Subsequent Demisting

<div>A vehicle’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system plays a dual role in passenger thermal comfort and safety. The functional aspects of safety include the front windshield demist and deicing feature of the system. The thin-film mist is a result of condensation of water vapor on the inner side of the windshield, which occurs at low ambient temperatures or high humidity. This mist deposition depends on the air saturation pressure at the front windshield. Indian regulation AIS-084 defines the experimental setup for testing, which encompasses both the mist deposition and its subsequent demist process. This regulation mandates testing, which occurs at a later stage of product development. This performance validation can be performed using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics approach.</div> <div>Current work summarizes the simulation process for both the mist deposition and the subsequent demisting phenomenon. The complexity of the flow physics is captured via the transient multiphase fluid flow phenomenon subjected to buoyancy effects. This phenomenon is simulated using the Eulerian wall film approach. The wall film deposition of the mist is modeled via species transport. Further, the near-wall thermal effects of surface conduction and heat transfer are simulated by modeling shell conduction layers. Vapor diffusion and relative humidity inside the cabin are modeled using a user-defined function. The process correlation is achieved for two categories of vehicles to establish the process efficacy and robustness. Moving ahead, a design of experiments (DOE) is planned to mitigate the need to simulate mist deposition. The DOE is planning to incorporate deviations in both the input airflow conditions and the imposed ambient conditions. The results from DOE point toward factors that might cause deviations in simulation results with respect to the test. Importantly, the study concludes that the uniform initial thickness assumption of the mist layer can be used for subsequent demist analysis.</div>

Visual Branding: The Way Forward for Product Development and Customer Loyalty in Ghana

This article brings to light the powerful connection between the visual branding of a product leading and customer loyalty. Thus, the visual impact of a product development stages from the concept level, early sketches to trademarked logos, complements of branding approach or the final endorsement level. The study relied on a survey that had 150 respondents as the sample. Purposive sampling and simple random sampling procedures were used to select Nestle-limited graphic designers and customers. We show that visual branding acts as a mediator between product development and customer loyalty. A survey is distributed to graphic designers at Nestle Limited in the manufacturing sector to collect empirical data. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling are used to analyse the data. The data were gathered using a standardised inquiry form, specifically a five-point Likert scale. The results show that graphic designers contribute to product development and creation, leading to customer loyalty. We demonstrate that there is a partial mediating effect between product development and customer loyalty through visual branding. The main goal is to ensure that during product development stages, graphic designers use visual branding to communicate reliable information to customers through the drawing, colour, shape and design of a product, which would boost overall product performance, leading to customer loyalty.

Digital Image Analysis to Evaluate Sensory Attributes of Protein-Enriched Whole-Wheat Bread

New food products or reformulated food products require intensive sensory assessment using a group of panelists before launching in the market. Sometimes, the sensory results obtained by the panelists are inconclusive due to their subjective scores. An indirect and accurate method to evaluate the sensory attributes using images is highly beneficial to conduct preliminary screening during product development stages. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the potential of red-green-blue (RGB) color images to evaluate the sensory qualities of whole wheat bread reformulated with pea and soy protein isolates as model food. In this study, reformulated whole wheat (WW) bread was used as model food to determine the potential of digital color images in assessing the selected sensory attributes. Seven types of WW bread was evaluated by ten untrained panelists. Four features (edge detection, pore numbers, pore area and Hu-moment similarity) were extracted from the images of the bread slices and compared with measured sensory scores. In general, the polynomial regression models yielded higher R2 values than linear regression models. The R2 values in polynomial regression models ranged 0.82-0.97, 0.60-0.92, 0.55-0.96, 0.77-0.99, 0.67-0.97, and 0.50-0.87 for chewiness, graininess, moistness, taste, desired aroma and overall acceptability, respectively. Hu-moment similarity provided the highest R2 values for the sensory attributes in polynomial regression models. In conclusion, although image-based sensory assessment may not substitute the current human sensory, it can provide valuable information to supplement the decision making process.

Identification of potential markers, key aroma compounds, and hazardous compounds in different types of smoked meat products

SummaryThis study aimed to characterise the volatile aroma and hazardous compounds presented in smoked meat from various regions and types. The analysis was conducted using chromatographic/mass spectrometric techniques. In six types of smoked meat, 15 of the 40 key aroma compounds were found to be co‐occurring. The highest contributor among them was 2‐methoxy‐phenol. Compared to other smoked meat, Norharman was more abundant in smoked pork with a range of 4.97~81.04 ng g−1, and Nε‐carboxymethyl lysine (CML) and Nε‐carboxyethyl lysine (CEL) were higher in smoked pork and chicken with a range of 9.32~138.91 μg g−1 and 6.35~141.74 μg g−1, respectively. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) content did not exceed 5 μg kg−1 in any of the samples. Concerning aroma compounds, phenolics were higher in smoked pork and mutton, aldehydes in smoked duck and goose and nitrogenous compounds mainly in smoked chicken. Additionally, 12 key potential markers were identified for distinguishing between different regions and types of smoked meat. In comparison, southwest smoked meat showed higher levels of key phenolics such as 2‐methoxy‐phenol. This result contributed to a comprehensive understanding of smoked meat while being valuable in both retaining key aroma and reducing hazardous compounds in later stages of new product development.

Industry 4.0 and Sustainability: a Study on the Applicability of Additive Manufacturing as a Tool for Minimizing Environmental Impacts on Production Processes

Objective: The present research sought to analyze the applicability of additive manufacturing as a tool for minimizing environmental damage in production processes. Methodology: The research was conducted through an integrative literature review. Academic platforms such as SciELO and Google Academic were consulted, using specific keywords related to the theme. Inclusion criteria were established to select complete articles, in Portuguese and Brazilian languages, directly associated with the research theme, published between 2020 and 2024. Results and data analysis: The revised studies emphasize the growing importance of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing technology in transforming production processes towards more sustainable and efficient practices. MA's ability to produce complex parts accurately and personalized, significantly reducing raw material waste through layer-by-layer manufacturing, stands out as a crucial tool to minimize environmental impacts on production. In addition, the integration of MA in the early stages of product development promotes efficiency in production, although more in-depth studies on its environmental and energy impacts are needed. Conclusion: It is therefore concluded that additive manufacturing is an essential tool for more sustainable and innovative practices in the industry, promoting the conservation of natural resources, the reduction of waste and the creation of adaptable and customized solutions. It is therefore up to companies and society to exploit and develop these technologies in search of a more sustainable and competitive future.

Complexity of a two-stage R&D game within a cluster supply chain considering vertical R&D spillovers, effective information, and government subsidies

In the research on spillover effects in supply chain game models, most studies are based on complete rationality or consider horizontal spillovers between enterprises, while neglecting vertical spillovers between upstream and downstream enterprises in the supply chain R&D game with bounded rationality. This paper creatively proposes a two-stage cluster supply chain game model that includes vertical R&D spillovers, effective information, and government R&D subsidies. In the product development stage, the supplier and manufacturer use rational estimation and GD mechanisms to conduct R&D simultaneously, taking R&D efforts as a decision variable. In the Stackelberg-Bertrand stage, the supplier and manufacturer successively determine the wholesale price and retail price. Results show that: first, the more effective information the R&D enterprise has, the more conducive it is to the stability of R&D efforts; second, under certain circumstances, R&D subsidies and vertical spillovers may lead to instability in R&D process, while higher R&D costs are conducive to the stable balance of R&D in the supply chain.

Development of Discrete Mathematics Module Based on Discovery Learning for Mathematical Understanding in Higher Education

This research aims to develop a discrete mathematics module based on discovery learning to improve students’ mathematical understanding in higher education. This research used the Research and Development (R&D) method with a mixed approach and ADDIE model in the product development stage. The data collection techniques used questionnaires, tests and interview guides. Meanwhile, the data analysis technique used in this research combines qualitative and quantitative descriptive. The results include (1) Reviewing the study of discrete mathematics module development; it obtained valid results after going through several assessments and revisions, and the practicality of developing this discrete mathematics module was categorized as practical; it is not surprising that the module can increase students’ mathematical understanding with a range of 37.97; (2) Judging from effectiveness; it is obtained from inferential statistics that significance is 0.00, which means there is an influence on the use of discovery learning-based discrete mathematics modules on students’ mathematical understanding. These results have implications that the module has proved effective in improving students’ mathematical understanding in higher education.

Molecular farming- importance of stewarding food crops engineered to produce transferred food allergens and non-food substances

Developers are looking for new ways to produce proteins and other substances for food, pharmaceutical and industrial use by genetically engineering food crops to produce the desired substance of interest (i.e., molecular farming). Developers should be aware of the food safety concerns, legality and potential liability, and loss of consumer confidence that could arise if food or other plant materials from these crops were to inadvertently enter the food supply and compromise safety. At the earliest stages of product development, developers should consider whether it is feasible to consistently steward their crops and resulting plant materials from development through disposal to ensure they do not enter the food or feed supply in a way that would be unlawful. Developers should engage FDA’s foods program when considering their stewardship program. While molecular farming holds promise for the economical production of specific proteins and other substances at a large scale, it is important for developers to consider the efforts needed to protect the food supply from the crops used for molecular farming- particularly when the crop chosen for molecular farming is a crop traditionally used for human or animal food.

Supervised multilabel classification techniques for categorising customer requirements during the conceptual phase in the new product development

Abstract The research aims to provide the decision-maker with a framework for determining customer requirements during product development. The proposed framework is based on sentiment analysis and supervised multilabel classification techniques. Therefore, the proposed technique can categorise customer reviews based on the “product design criteria” label and the “sentiment of the review” label. To achieve the research goal, the research presented in this article uses the existing product development framework presented in the literature. The modification is conducted especially in the conceptual stage of product development, in which the voice of the customer or a customer review is obtained from the scraping, and a multilabel classification technique is performed to categorise customer reviews. The proposed framework is tested by using the set data on women’s clothing reviews from an e-commerce site downloaded from www.kaggle.com based on data by Agarap (2018). The result shows that the proposed framework can categorise customer reviews. The research presented in this paper has contributed by proposing a technique based on sentiment analysis and multilabel classification that can be used to categorise customers during product development. The research presented in this paper answers one of the concerns in the categorisation of needs raised by Shabestari et al. (2019), namely, the unclear rules or main attributes of a requirement that make these needs fall into certain categories. Categorising customer requirements allows decision-makers to determine the direction of product development to meet customer needs.

Residual stress computation in direct metal deposition using integrated artificial neural networks and finite element analysis

Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) as a part of additive manufacturing processes, utilizes a laser heat source to deposit metallic material to construct components layer by layer, allowing for controlled manufacturing. DMD processes inherently induce residual stresses and distortions in the build part. While finite element (FE) analysis is one of the approaches to predict the residual stress, the high computational time required for the FE analysis makes it undesirable for the early stages of product development. This study extends a previously developed approach to more complex structures to evaluate the accuracy and computational efficiency of predicting residual stresses. For the present study, six different metallic structures with various complex shapes made from AISI 304 L were considered. Comparing the residual stress fields predicted by the integrated ANN-FE with thermomechanical FE analysis, the results demonstrated consistent distributions for all stress components across structures. Although localized regions exhibited higher errors, these areas coincided with low-stress zones, posing no critical concerns. Despite higher errors in some areas, most structures displayed prediction errors below 15%. Moreover, the analysis achieved a substantial computational efficiency enhancement of approximately 6 times for all structures analyzed.

Development of Ternary Amorphous Solid Dispersions Manufactured by Hot-Melt Extrusion and Spray-Drying─Comparison of In Vitro and In Vivo Performance.

Producing amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) by hot-melt extrusion (HME) is favorable from an economic and ecological perspective but also limited to thermostable active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). A potential technology shift from spray-drying to hot-melt extrusion at later stages of drug product development is a desirable goal, however bearing the risk of insufficient comparability of the in vitro and in vivo performance of the final dosage form. Hot-melt extrusion was performed using API/polymer/surfactant mixtures with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) as the polymer and evaluated regarding the extrudability of binary and ternary amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). Additionally, spray-dried ASDs were produced, and solid-state properties were compared to the melt-extruded ASDs. Tablets were manufactured of a ternary ASD lead candidate comparing their in vitro dissolution and in vivo performance. The extrudability of HPMCAS was improved by adding a surfactant as plasticizer, thereby lowering the high melt-viscosity. d-α-Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) as surfactant showed the most similar solid-state properties between spray-dried and extruded ASDs compared to those of poloxamer 188 and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The addition of TPGS, however, barely affected API/polymer interactions. The in vitro dissolution experiment and in vivo dog study revealed a higher drug release of tablets manufactured from the spray-dried ASD compared to the melt-extruded ASD; this was attributed to the different particle size. We could further demonstrate that the drug release can be controlled by adjusting the particle size of melt-extruded ASDs leading to a similar release profile compared to tablets containing the spray-dried dispersion, which confirmed the feasibility of a technology shift from spray-drying to HME upon drug product development.

Surveying Quality Management Methodologies in Wooden Furniture Production

Furniture production is a specific industrial sector with a high human labor demand, a wide range of materials processed, and short production runs caused by high customization of end products. The difficulty of measuring the aesthetic requirements of customers is also specific to furniture. This review of academic papers identifies and explains effective quality management strategies in furniture production. The reviewed literature highlights a range of quality management methodologies, including concurrent engineering (CE), total quality management (TQM), lean manufacturing, lean six sigma, and kaizen. These strategies encompass a variety of pro-quality tools, such as 5S, statistical process control (SPC), quality function deployment (QFD), and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). The strengths of these quality management strategies lie in their ability to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, increase product diversity, and improve product quality. However, the weaknesses concern implementation challenges and the need for culture change within organizations. Successful quality management in furniture production requires tailoring strategies to the specific context of the furniture production industry. Additionally, the importance of sustainability in the furniture industry is emphasized, which entails incorporating circular economy principles and resource-efficient practices. The most important finding from the literature analysis is that early detection and correction of poor quality yields the most beneficial outcomes for the manufacturer. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the rigor of quality testing and analysis during the early stages of product development. Consequently, a deep understanding of consumer perspectives on required furniture quality is crucial. The review identified two research gaps: (1) the impact of unnecessary product over-quality on the efficiency of furniture production and (2) the influence of replacing CAD drawings with a model-based definition (MBD) format on quality management in furniture production.

Evolution of motivation in co‐creation: Recruit, retain and complete in a project on new food product co‐creation

The study explores the motivation of consumers to join and participate in new product co‐creation, distinguishing between recruitment before, retainment during and finalizing of a co‐creation project. The research is based on follow‐up interviews with participants in a project covering the initial stages of new food product development (i.e., idea generation, idea screening and concept development) involving older consumers and carried out in a physical environment. Different motivation factors were deemed important by consumers before, during and at the closure of the project. Consumers joined the project motivated by curiosity and desire to meet new people. While performing the creative tasks, they continued the engagement due to the positive anticipation and enjoyment of new activities, as well as positive feedback loops. At the closure of the project, the usefulness of outcomes and the received recognition became important and strengthened the perceived creative self‐efficacy of participants. The findings offer useful recommendations for organizers of co‐creation, enabling the recruitment and retainment of consumers who could successfully deliver creative outputs and complete the project. The study offers novel insights relevant to participatory innovations looking at the temporal dimension of motivation to co‐create and highlights the dynamic changes in salience of the motivation factors.

Eco-performance evaluation of product designs – an integrated fuzzy complex proportional assessment with life cycle assessment

ABSTRACT The growing public awareness has driven enterprises to develop environmentally friendly designs to fulfill customer satisfaction. Some eco-design tools have been introduced to designers to support greener product design and development qualitatively. However, most require qualitative judgement during the evaluation process. Although life cycle assessment (LCA) helps quantify a product system’s environmental loads, it requires much time and resources for data collection. Design selections are not preferred during the early product development stage, especially when the product development schedule is rather tight nowadays. This paper proposes a practical approach integrating a fast-track LCA, fuzzy-set, with COmplex PRoportional ASsessment (COPRAS). This paper proposes an approach by incorporating the fuzzy-set, COPRAS, and LCA for decision-makers to evaluate design alternatives at the early product development stage. The originality of the paper is to provide an efficient approach to evaluating various design alternatives by quantifying their corresponding environmental burdens using LCA and fuzzy-set. Three distinct features can be found in the proposed generic approach. This study brings two contributions to the related field. For the area related to environmental impact assessment, this study illustrates the applicability of LCA in conjunction with COPRAS and fuzzy-set for the design alternative selection. Decision-makers can apply the proposed method that in-depth knowledge of environmental impact assessment is not essential, and the qualitative input required is minimal compared to a comprehensive LCA study.

Understanding how they really feel: Lesson learned from four approaches to soliciting user preferences for new contraceptive products in development.

An expanded range of contraceptive methods could reduce unintended pregnancies. User preferences research is important for successful development of products people want to use. This paper describes four approaches to preferences research soliciting user input in different ways: 1) perspectives on contraceptive method characteristics, 2) reactions to products in development, 3) trade-offs between contraceptive method characteristics, and 4) "blue-sky" ideas on novel contraceptive technologies. We conducted two mixed-method studies: one implemented in Burkina Faso and Uganda combining three of these approaches, and the other implemented in India and Nigeria using two approaches. We share observations on the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and draw on our experience to highlight lessons learned for future user preferences studies. Each approach contributes to product development in different ways, and the usefulness of each methodology depends on the product development stage and corresponding informational needs. Recommendations for future research include combining different methods, angles, and perspectives; using sequential designs whenever possible; tailoring product descriptions to user understanding for optimal feedback; and acknowledging the value and limitations of both quantitative results for modeling demand and idiosyncratic ideas to inspire development of new products.

Development of a method to assess the dissolution of soft gelatin capsules containing progesterone in oily suspension

Progesterone is a class II active pharmaceutical ingredient according to the biopharmaceutics classification system, so its absorption is affected by solubility and dissolution rate. The work aimed to develop a dissolution method applicable to soft gelatin capsules of 100 and 200 mg of progesterone. Sink conditions were established based on solubility studies; the dissolution apparatus was selected, and the operational conditions of the method were established using an experimental statistical design. The established conditions were challenged in progesterone products, for which their result was already known from in vivo studies, with the same formulation but different particle size, to evaluate the discriminatory power of the method. The dissolution conditions selected were: United States pharmacopoeia apparatus 3, speed of 30 deeps per minute, dissolution media of 250 ml phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.8 with 4% sodium lauryl sulfate, 30 and 40 mesh at the top and bottom of the cell, respectively, and using a sinker for each capsule evaluated. The method proved to be discriminatory for the formulations studied. In addition to being functional for the evaluation of progesterone release at the product development stage, this method is also useful as a product quality control test.

Insights into environmental sustainability implementation during the design stage of New Product Development: An industry perspective

Design is an important stage within New Product Development (NPD) for sustainable development, with increased research on the roles of designers and other stakeholders. However, previous studies have been predominately theoretical, which has provided little insight into the current status of industry when aiming to produce sustainable products. This study investigates these themes further from the perspective of practicing designers to determine how their role supports sustainable NPD. This has enabled the development of an illustrative process model, highlighting the thought and decision-making process of practicing designers when implementing key factors of environmental sustainability. Future research directions have also been outlined.