Strategic new product development

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Objectives
   2. Learning goals
   3. Teacher page
2. Company strategy
   1. Corporate mission
   2. Business example: Mission
   3. Corporate strategy
   4. Strategic planning process within business units
   5. Business example: strategy
   6. Four examples of new strategies
   7. Exercise: What is your company's strategy?
   8. Summary
3. Introducing the NPD process
   1. Innovation and innovativeness
4. Idea stage: discovery
   1. About ideas and creativity
   2. Sources for new ideas
   3. Four examples of idea generation
   4. Stimulating ideas
   5. Summary
5. Gate 1: Idea screening
6. Stage 1: Scoping
7. Gate 2: Second screening
8. Stage 2: Build the business case
   1. Concept development
   2. Concept testing
   3. Four examples of concepts
9. Gate 3: Go-no go development
10. Stage 3: Development
11. Gate 4: Go-no go testing
12. Stage 4: Testing and validation
13. Gate 5: Go-no go launch
14. Stage 5: Launch
15. Gate 6: Post-launch review
16. Completion
    1. Comments
    2. Self-assessment
    3. Key messages
    4. Further reading
    5. Evaluation

Gate 5: Go-no go launch

This is the final point at which the project can still be stopped - however, with lots of resources already spent. This gate focuses on the quality of the activities in the testing and validation stage and their results.

The first product prototypes have been tested and a pilot production run has been initiated to check for operational problems. Customers' reactions to the product and its performance are a major focus at this stage and must be critically assessed. Does the product perform in typical usage situations (in the 'real world')?

The product most probably needs some further adjustments and refinement before it can be finally offered in the marketplace. The most important criteria are product performance, customer acceptance and satisfaction.

Financial projections must be updated and operations and marketing plans must be reviewed and finally approved for implementation.