Product Development Teams Research Articles

An integration of kano model and quality function deployment technique - a case study using sport earphone

Product modification is predetermined as another important approach to capture market demand and competitor situation. Development and marketing strategy of product with modified features by designer as an attractive element for consumers. Therefore, this paper discusses an approach and process that would help the product development team to develop an innovative product with attractive qualities. Customer requirement and satisfaction evaluation can be accomplished via various methods. In this study, the integration between Kano Model and Quality Function Deployment was identified to evaluate the customer satisfaction based on the proposed product. A survey was conducted among 80 athletes to determine the possibility criterion for improvement on an existing sport earphone, in term of various aspect such as design, material used, appearance and accessories. After that, the result was interpreted into a Kano questionnaire and answered by 80 respondents. Consequently, it was analyzed and applied in the House of Quality matrix. At the end of this study, it was found that both methods were able to prioritize the modification of essential features to be executed into the sport earphone which can be profitable in developing a product in such a way that maximum customer satisfaction can be achieved. Therefore, an integration of Kano Model and Quality Function Deployment, can be a great assistance when it comes to understanding the needs of users, satisfaction of users who use the sport earphone at long period, in order to give more comfort for consumers.

Product Development of Chocolate with Quality Function Deployment Approach: A Case Study in SMEs Chocolate Industry in Indonesia

Product development based on customers preference needs to be performed by the manufacturer along with the development of technology and change of consumer needs to a product or service. The aim of this study was to develop the quality of chocolate products of small medium enterprises (SMEs) to be more competitive in the domestic market. Currently, the chocolate market is dominated by imported chocolate products with better product quality and marketing network. The method used was the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach, where customer needs are used as the basis for product development. Through the QFD method, it can produce a product development design priority that can be implemented in response to customer need. Results of analysis and calculation using QFD method showed that the top priority for technical response was “skill & knowledge of R&D (research & development) team” with a value of 346.3. The QFD analysis also showed that “chocolate content” is also a priority in product development with a value of 212.8. The quality of chocolate products highly depend on the level of expertise and knowledge of the product development team, as well as the composition of chocolate content. The SME’s chocolate managements may give priority based on the assessment of each technical response in accordance with their own capabilities and resources.

Gamification Procedure Based on Real-Time Multibody Simulation

Gamification aims to redirect the motivating power of game mechanics towards a non-entertainment field to encourage user engagement. In the field of mechanical engineering, the gamification concept can be combined with real-time multibody simulation. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how gamification can be used to analyze user experiences of a mobile machine. As a case study, an excavator is modeled using a semi-recursive multibody formulation. The excavator model is customizable and offers different sizes for a bucket and dipper arm’s hydraulic cylinder. In the excavator model, gamification introduces game elements: goals such as filling the industrial hopper, obstacles such as utility poles, challenges such as fuel gauge, time constraint such as a timer, and fantasy element such as visualization graphics. The effect of different product features, such as the hydraulic system parameters, on the users’ performance are analyzed. A product development team can utilize this information to improve the product design.

Attractiveness maximisation model for designing product complexity

One of the decisions determining whether customers will admire the product is the degree of product complexity to most attractive customers. Product complexity results from the overall product features presentation, the greater the number of features, the more complex the product, and vice versa. Practically, enterprises already know not only simple products but also complex products do not necessarily attract customers. No existing approach can guide enterprises to determine the most suitable level of product complexity. This study intends to propose a quantitative mathematical model to compute product complexity based on product features, and then link product complexity to product attractiveness to the customer. The product development team can therefore obtain a suitable amount of product features combined to produce the optimal product complexity that attracts customers to the greatest extent, and then design products based on the determined product features. The results of the example demonstrate the proposed model can help enterprises design the most attractive products for customers.

Metaheuristics for Order Scheduling Problem with Unequal Ready Times

In recent years, various customer order scheduling (OS) models can be found in numerous manufacturing and service systems in which several designers, who have developed modules independently for several different products, convene as a product development team, and that team completes a product design only after all the modules have been designed. In real-life situations, a customer order can have some requirements including due dates, weights of jobs, and unequal ready times. Once encountering different ready times, waiting for future order or job arrivals to raise the completeness of a batch is an efficient policy. Meanwhile, the literature releases that few studies have taken unequal ready times into consideration for order scheduling problem. Motivated by this limitation, this study addresses an OS scheduling model with unequal order ready times. The objective function is to find a schedule to optimize the total completion time criterion. To solve this problem for exact solutions, two lower bounds and some properties are first derived to raise the searching power of a branch-and-bound method. For approximate solution, four simulated annealing approaches and four heuristic genetic algorithms are then proposed. At last, several experimental tests and their corresponding statistical outcomes are also reported to examine the performance of all the proposed methods.

Formal and Informal Communication in New Product Development Teams: The Mediation Effect of Team Trust

Formal and Informal Communication in New Product Development Teams: The Mediation Effect of Team Trust

Innovate or die: How should knowledge-worker teams respond to technological turbulence?

In this research, we view knowledge-worker teams as open systems that are directly affected by changes in the external environment. Drawing on the strategic contingency perspective of power, we propose and demonstrate that in the face of a turbulent technological environment, knowledge-worker teams should engage in two team processes, namely, de-dependence on established team experts and new knowledge acquisition, to achieve high innovation performance. We conducted two field studies to test our hypotheses. Study 1 had a multi-source, multi-wave design involving 109 new product development (NPD) teams in technology-intensive industries. Study 2 had a multi-source, cross-lagged panel design involving 65 NPD teams in the information technology industry. Results based on the two field studies provide considerable support for our central hypotheses, i.e., the two team processes mediate the relationship between team perception of technological turbulence and team innovation performance and team autonomy enhances the two positive mediated relationships. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings on how and when knowledge-worker teams can reap the innovative benefits from environmental technological turbulence.

Agent-Based Modelling and Simulation of Product Development Teams

The success of product development highly depends on the quality of cooperation among members of a team involved in the process. Thus, a tool capable of simulating product development team may be b ...

Formal and Informal Communication in New Product Development Teams: The Mediation Effect of Team Trust

New product development (NPD) projects are costly, and fragile against failures as compared to other structures. This study has a holistic view of team factors to examine their relationship with team communication. Communication contributes to technical and practical processes such as learning, new idea development, and creativity. Trust has become prominent by affecting outcomes and processes indirectly, and changing relationships within team. This paper attempted to offer a contribution to the technology and innovation management (TIM) literature by presenting a model for researchers and project managers to understand potential interrelationships among team level factors (team autonomy, stability, member experience, and empowerment), team trust, and team formal and informal communication in NPD teams.

Organizing to Achieve Modular Architecture Across Different Products

This study explores the relationship between organization and the development of architecture-enabled modularity within and across product lines. We examine organization structure, formal and informal team communication, and budgetary resources within a larger framework of the matrix organization found necessary for achieving a modular product line architecture spanning different products. Results were controlled for firm size and product complexity. Outcomes were assessed at the individual product level for meeting pre-development performance objectives. We found that the practice of assigning separate, dedicated architecture teams was not necessary to achieve modular architecture across different products or for achieving positive research and development (R&D) outcomes. Nor was a dedicated budget for defining modular product line architecture required for this type of R&D success. Rather, it was found that intensive collaboration and communication between individuals assigned to different product development teams, but who nonetheless were working toward a common modular architecture, was essential. These findings, when combined with longitudinal qualitative insights, showed that including a product or systems architect on specific product development teams, where such architects meet and comprise a community of practice within the organization, were strongly associated with modular architecture development and positive R&D outcomes.

Collective ‘Aesthetic Regime’ Through Distributed ‘Semantic Framing’:

This research investigates the role and dynamics of aesthetic manifestation of product in the product development and innovation process. The exploratory study looks at the role of actors and activities at organizational and industry level to understand production of aesthetics as a multi-stakeholder process. An empirical and exploratory qualitative study was conducted with the help of semi-structured interviews of the members from product development teams in fashion companies in the UK, the suppliers in India and also industry experts in the UK. Finding of this research suggest that product aesthetics as a concept is produced through distributed semantic layering, towards a collectively constituted aesthetic regime. Since the product aesthetics is about the physical feature, their symbolic meaning and the affective response they generate in user, the aesthetics of a product determine and (get) infulence(d) not just the object, its representation but also associated practices. The multiple stakeholders as multiple end users perform numerous functions to produce changes in physical and symbolism of product. Thus, this performative aesthetic produced affect the associated practices progressively through various stages ( in product life-cycle).

Measuring willingness-to-pay for mobile phone features: a multi-region study

Measuring willingness-to-pay for mobile phone features: a multi-region study

Implementation of A3 architectural overviews in Lean Product Development Teams; A case study in the Subsea Industry

AbstractThis paper presents a case study investigating the use of A3 Architectural Overviews (A3AOs) in lean product development teams. A3AOs is a tool used in product development and lean manufacturing to increase communication and knowledge sharing across the organization. We studied the implementation in an engineering department of a global oil and gas supplier, by performing a case study and extensive depth interviews. We also studied earlier implementation initiatives of A3s in a thorough literature review. A finding was that, although current and former research have shown clear benefits of utilizing this tool, the company rarely uses it today. We wanted to investigate challenges with creating and implementing A3AO in the organization. Our results show that A3AOs may be a well‐suited tool to improve the requirements handover process within the company. We also make an outline of challenges and benefits with using and implementing A3AOs in the researched engineering department, with the goal to successfully implement A3AOs in the future.

Organic vs. mechanistic coordination in distributed New Product Development (NPD) teams

Abstract New Product Development (NPD) processes commonly involve distributed teams. The more dispersed team members are, the less frequently and easily they will communicate, and the more challenging it will be to form a cohesive team. One solution is to reduce task interdependence and adopt a mechanistic coordination mechanism, which reduces the need for team communication, has a hierarchical structure and relies on process formalization. An alternative solution is to increase task interdependence and rely on an organic coordination mechanism, which is participative and communicative, in order to stimulate team interfaces and favor team integration. These two solutions employ diametrically opposed coordination strategies and highlight tensions arising from team distribution, task interdependence and coordination mechanisms in NPD. In this paper, we examine these tensions in depth and explore the influence of coordination mechanisms and task interdependence on NPD team integration according to their level of distance. We adopt a contingency approach to coordination strategy in order to answer the following questions: what coordination strategy is better adapted to team distribution? What coordination strategy most favors NPD team integration at distance? By applying structural equation modeling to data from 88 questionnaires completed by NPD project teams we find evidence that the coordination strategy of distributed teams in NPD is contingent on the degree of team distribution. The results are relevant to the study of coordinating innovation in distributed organizations, and have implications for the practice or R&D and NPD management.

Transforming collective knowledge into team intelligence: the role of collective teaching

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the pivotal role that collective teaching plays in knowledge transfer between new product development teams. This study develops a theoretical model of collective teaching, where team intelligence is its consequence and learning orientation cognitive skills are moderators.Design/methodology/approachBased on a questionnaire survey of 156 pairs of new product development project teams of information technology firms, the authors used partial least squares to test the study’s hypotheses.FindingsThe findings reveal that the use of collective teaching is positively related to team intelligence of recipient teams. In addition, T-shaped skills of source teams exert positive moderating influence on this relationship and so does a learning orientation of recipient teams.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the sample firms used in the study are from the IT industry, which is characterized by extremely short product life cycles, thereby limiting the generalizability of the study’s findings. Second, the authors did not examine whether the effect of T-shaped skills is different at various NPD stages; the contributions of each functional expertise may vary depending on the NPD stage (e.g. the idea generation or pre-launch stage). Third, the use of cross-sectional design precludes a causal inference. The role of focal constructs and moderators and their consequent effects would benefit from more stringent, longitudinal research. Finally, the authors controlled for only a limited set of factors of team intelligence because other potential antecedents of this variable still await identification by future studies.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that the implementation of collective teaching can enhance the capacity of a project team as a whole to manage and innovate information, namely, team intelligence. The study’s findings also suggest that the management must recognize the significance of teams’ learning orientation and thereby proactively develop teams’ learning culture by redesigning work, reward systems or performance evaluation to promote learning. Additionally, it is prudent for managers to reconsider their recruitment criteria to incorporate T-shaped skills.Originality/valueThis study represents the first step in developing an empirically grounded framework linking collective teaching with team intelligence. Additionally, the authors confirm that team intelligence is a four-dimensional construct.

Dynamic capabilities of new product development teams in performing radical innovation projects

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of dynamic capabilities of new product development (NPD) team on project performance, including efficiency and effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from NPD team members who have worked on radical new product projects in large manufacturing firms in Thailand. Respondents represented different departments, including research and development (R&D), quality control, production and marketing. These individuals worked in a wide range of large manufacturing industries with an average of more than 500 employees. These industries include food, automotive, auto parts and electric and electronics products.FindingsThe results indicate that NPD team with sensing, learning and integrating capabilities can increase project effectiveness. In addition, teams with high learning, integrating and coordinating capabilities will enhance project efficiency.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the research findings may not be generalizable in all aspects to other industries. Second, the use of cross-sectional data in this study may not be appropriate for testing causal relationships among constructs. Third, although the samples of this study were from a wide range of functional areas, the majority were R&D personnel.Practical implicationsTo improve project effectiveness, project managers should consider investing in information technologies that provide a wide range of information sources, such as business research databases and academic journals. To improve project efficiency, the managers can establish both formal and informal activities during NPD projects. These social activities can provide opportunities for team members to physically meet and adjust their personal behavior to get along with each other.Originality/valueThese findings provide a wider picture of the beneficial role of dynamic capabilities of NPD teams toward project performance, including efficiency and effectiveness.

Customer participation in services and employee innovative behavior

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the influence of customer participation in services on the innovative behaviors of employees. Although previous studies have acknowledged the importance of customers in service innovation and investigated how customer participation in product development teams affect innovation, the effect of mandatory customer participation in services on the employee innovative behavior has not been examined. In addition to addressing such gap, this study proposed the mediating role of interpersonal trust in the relationship between customer participation and employee innovative behavior and then tested the hypotheses in a restaurant context.Design/methodology/approachA total of 514 valid questionnaires were collected from frontline employees or entry-level managers in 25 well-known restaurants (including 14 hotels and 11 freestanding restaurants) in Beijing, China. The relationships among customer participation, interpersonal trust and employee innovative behavior were examined using structural models analyzed in AMOS 20.0.FindingsThe structural equation modeling results indicate that customers’ information and emotional participation in services significantly influence the innovative behavior of employees, whereas behavioral participation does not. In addition, a high level of interpersonal trust between customers and employees may increase employee innovative behaviors. Moreover, unlike cognitive trust, affective trust mediates the relationship between customer information or emotional participation and employee innovative behavior.Practical implicationsFindings indicate that service firms can encourage customers to participate actively in service co-creation; their participation in terms of information is encouraged to foster employee innovative behaviors by training employees and establishing an appropriate climate for information exchange. Moreover, service firms must pay attention to the emotions of customers during the service processes. Furthermore, the affective trust between customers and employees is significant to service firms, which need to take measures for employees to manage their relationships with customers well.Originality/valueBased on the concepts of service marketing and organizational behavior, this study contributes to the research on customer–employee co-production and employee innovative behavior from an interdisciplinary perspective. The study reveals the influencing mechanism of customer participation on employee innovative behavior and contributes to the research on customer–employee interpersonal trust. Previous studies emphasized the importance of trust among work group members in innovation, while this study supports the association between customer–employee interpersonal trust and employee innovative behaviors.

Discovery IQ by GE: Launching Super Value PET/CT Scanner

It was mid-March 2014, and GE's John F. Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore, India was brimming with activity. GE had developed an advanced, scalable positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner as part of its global Healthymagination initiative to provide better healthcare for more people at a lower cost. Munesh Makhija, Managing Director, GE India Technology Centre and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), GE South Asia, was thumbing through a report prepared by the PET/CT product development team and GE's healthcare market research team. In another office, Suresh Kumar R.(Kumar), General Manager of the Essential PET Segment, was putting the finishing touches on a presentation outlining a commercialisation strategy for the new PET/CT product, Discovery IQ (Exhibit 1). Discovery IQ was a revolutionary product that would be useful for staging, treatment planning and post-treatment planning assessment. Early reviews from nuclear physicians had been positive. However, the product was still too costly for the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) market. Kumar and his team were scheduled to meet with Makhija the following morning to discuss a “go-to-market strategy”. Kumar knew that Makhija would want to talk about their segmentation strategy and the underlying needs of various customer types. He also expected Makhija to focus on return on investment (ROI) projections because diagnostic centres in India first looked at various financial return measures before investing in any new equipment. Kumar wanted to present a commercialisation strategy for Discovery IQ, which required a significant commitment of resources to tackle supply and distribution challenges across tier II and tier III citiesa in India.

A Member Selection Model of Collaboration New Product Development Teams Considering Knowledge and Collaboration

AbstractMember selection to form an effective collaboration new product development (Co-NPD) team is crucial for a successful NPD. Existing researches on member selection mostly focus on the individual attributes of candidates. However, under the background of collaboration, knowledge complementarity and collaboration performance among candidates are important but overlooked. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective optimization model for member selection of a Co-NPD team, considering comprehensively the individual knowledge competence, knowledge complementarity, and collaboration performance. Then, to solve the model, an improved adaptive genetic algorithm (IAGA) is developed. Finally, a real case is provided to illustrate the application of the model, and the IAGA is implemented to select the desired team members for optimal team composition. Additionally, the standard generic algorithm and particle swarm optimization are used to compare with the IAGA to further verify the effectiveness of the IAGA.

Sustainable innovation in supplier networks: an empirical study with South African steel and engineering sector

The purpose of the current study is to identify the factors influencing sustainable innovation in supplier networks. Firstly, literature review was conducted to identify the leading dimensions and further exploratory factor analysis was applied to reduce the dimensions to 14 factors. The EFA output was used as an input in the regression analysis and the functional relationship was tested. As a result of data analysis, the key aspects of sustainable innovation in supplier networks are identified and further discussed. The linear multiple regression analysis output shows that only two factors, i.e., effectiveness of new product development team and leadership skills are strong determinants of sustainable innovation in supplier networks and found to be statistically significant. South African steel and engineering sector need to focus strictly on effectiveness of new product development team and leadership skills. The study is unique in terms of identifying the critical factors influencing sustainable innovation in supplier networks and further broadens the knowledge base.