Measuring the performance of product introduction

This paper begins with a discussion of the importance of the effective performance measurement of product introduction and the difficulties inherent within that task. Criteria are then established for effective product introduction performance measures which are used to identify the most appropriate of existing performance measurement mechanisms. A case study approach of industrial organizations is used to examine whether this mechanism is employed in practice, and wider conclusions are drawn on the formation of effective measures of performance for product introduction

Incorporating the voice of multiple customers into product design

Listening to the voice of the customer is made complicated when the roles of the customer are carried out by more than one individual or stakeholder (a stakeholder performs one or more of the decision-making roles normally enacted by a single customer). The issues surrounding multiple stakeholder requirements are examined with particular reference to small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the rehabilitation industry; this industry is concerned with products that enable the elderly and disabled to live more independently. A series of case studies has been conducted to identify the current practices of rehabilitation companies and the suitability of accepted design methods for incorporating the voice of the customer into the design process. The results of the study indicate that smaller companies within the rehabilitation industry do not use formal methods of design or market research; this is partly attributable to their limited resources and experience. An outline is given of a method developed by the CACTUS Project to enable resource-limited companies in the rehabilitation industry to incorporate the voice of the customer into their design. The method is currently being tested. It is hoped that the CACTUS approach will be applicable to other industries with similar characteristics and multiple stakeholders

The role of social relationships in improving product development decision making

The quality of decision making in product development (PD) is dependent upon the designer's ability to optimize conflicting needs. However, optimization is unlikely to succeed when based on inaccurate or erroneous information. Given that provision of accurate information frequently lies beyond the designer, decision making is dependent upon effective optimization and a timely flow of accurate information. The present paper explores informal organizational approaches to improving information flow for decision making. It presents an empirical study of relationships in two UK engineering companies and finds significant correlation between the effectiveness of these relationships and the trust, respect, and loyalty that they exhibit during PD. It further identifies the impact of relationship longevity, commonalty in background, and the wider social context of relationships. It concludes by examining the potential extendibility of the findings and the potential for further research to identify interventions that can assist management to enhance the relationships of product developers

The implementation of a control system for a product introduction process

This paper describes the approach taken in implementing a system to control the new product introduction process in an ‘engineering to order’ scenario. The primary objective was to ensure that the new system was immediately viable and able to control all aspects of new product introduction, including long-term learning. The approach taken consisted of integrating a series of techniques established by the authors with concepts previously developed in the literature. The consequence of the implementation was a significant improvement in new product introduction performance as measured against company strategic targets in terms of both short- and longer-term prioritie

Improving product introduction through appropriate organization: the development of the SIMPLOFI positioning tool

This paper presents the SIMPLOFI positioning tool. This tool has been devised to assist in the quest for an appropriate product development organization. The positioning tool, given a specific product introduction within a specific environment, will give recommendations for an organization for that product's development. The tool's key feature is that it is contingent; i. e. its proposals depend upon the environment in which it is used. The paper begins by giving an overview of the tool in terms of its need, its target user group and its physical embodiment. The paper then demonstrates the effectiveness of the tool to potential users in two ways: 1. It validates the tool by examining its theoretical provenance. 2. It verifies the tool by testing it in case study environments. Seven case study applications of the SIMPLOFI positioning tool from five companies are presented. The companies in which the tool was tested are The Rover Group, Instron, Morris Mechanical Handling, Markham and Company and Hawker-Siddeley Switchgear. The paper concludes by identifying how far the effectiveness of the tool has been demonstrated and further ways in which the tool can be developed