The Management of Continuous Product Development


Book Description

This book discusses theoretically and empirically the trade-off relationship between the frequency of product adaptation activities and the constraints on development resources, and how companies can respond to these constraints. The objective of this book is to identify effective management practices in continuous product development. With the continuation of development activities, companies are required to constantly adapt their products to changes in the external environment. In continuous product development, the development process extends beyond product release, and interaction with the external environment is not limited to the planning stage but occurs multiple times throughout the process. What impact does the multiple adaptation activities have on the product performance as development activities become more continuous, and how to use limited development resources to provide stable and constant high-quality adaptation activities with optimal frequency have become urgent issues in the development sites. To address these research questions, this book focuses primarily on the development activities of the online game industry. The factors that bring about superior product performance are examined by combining case studies and questionnaire surveys on online game development projects. Furthermore, user community management is also discussed from the perspective of the interaction process between multiple user groups.




Project Management in Product Development


Book Description

Project Management in Product Development: Leadership Skills and Management Techniques to Deliver Great Products is written for new and aspiring project managers in product development. Although texts on project management are common, the material presented here is unique, instead focusing on product development, a challenging segment of project management because of the high level of uncertainty, the need for a robust set of problem-solving techniques, and a demand for broad cross-functional teams. The book also focuses on more than just project management techniques, including a thorough treatment of transformational and transactional leadership. Other topics covered include problem-solving techniques, development, and continuous improvement of processes required in product development, risk recognition and management, and proper communication with mangers and other stakeholders. Finally, project management techniques used in product development are presented, including the critical path method, scrum and XP, and Kanban/lean project development, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each. - Provides ways to successfully manage product development projects by teaching traditional and advanced project management techniques like Gantt, CPM, Agile, Lean, and others - Covers transformational and transactional leadership, how to create a vision and engage the team, as well as tactics on how to manage a complex set of tasks - Uses a practical, common sense approach to the day-to-day activities of a project manager, including project planning, project process development, problem-solving, project portfolio management, reporting, and more - Presents a thorough comparison of popular project management tools - Includes many examples, cases, and side-bars that are included throughout the book




Continuous Discovery Habits


Book Description

"If you haven't had the good fortune to be coached by a strong leader or product coach, this book can help fill that gap and set you on the path to success." - Marty Cagan How do you know that you are making a product or service that your customers want? How do you ensure that you are improving it over time? How do you guarantee that your team is creating value for your customers in a way that creates value for your business? In this book, you'll learn a structured and sustainable approach to continuous discovery that will help you answer each of these questions, giving you the confidence to act while also preparing you to be wrong. You'll learn to balance action with doubt so that you can get started without being blindsided by what you don't get right. If you want to discover products that customers love-that also deliver business results-this book is for you.




Quality Management System Handbook for Product Development Companies


Book Description

Quality Management System Handbook for Product Development Companies describes a systematic approach for quality management and continuous improvement via a formal management system. The approach centers on a high-level process for defining a QMS from essential prerequisites to improvement mechanisms. The book outlines the five major QMS




Product Development for the Lean Enterprise


Book Description

Whether a group of engineers is developing new cars, software applications, aerospace equipment, kitchen appliances, controls, sensors, or any of hundreds of different items, the process they follow is pretty much the same. Except in one company - Toyota, perhaps the most innovative and highly respected car company on the planet. What is most startling is that Toyota's product development engineers are four times as productive as their counterparts in other companies, according to a study by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. Most follow a linear process in developing new products. Toyota's engineers do not. As this book reveals and explains, Toyota's development engineers rely on a development paradigm that is totally different than that found in the West. Companies that are early adopters of the Toyota product development system are certain to realize tremendous advantages over their competitors. This is a change that is coming to businesses everywhere and this book shows the way. It is a must-read for anyone in management.




#noprojects: A Culture of Continuous Value


Book Description

Today success comes from building products people love, creating loyal customers and serving the broader stakeholder community. In this thoughtful exploration on the future of work, the authors explore the past, present and future of the "project". And why, in today's fast changing & hyper-competitive world, running a temporary endeavour is the wrong approach to building sustainable products and how #noprojects is fundamentally changing the way companies work. The metrics by which we have historically defined success are no longer applicable and we need to re-examine the way value is delivered in the new economy. This book starts from the premise that our goal is to create value, for the customer, for the organisation and for society as a whole and shows how to empower and optimise our teams to achieve this. The authors draw on modern management approaches to provide proven techniques and tools for producing, and sustaining, creative products that go beyond "meeting requirements".




Lean, Rapid and Profitable New Product Development


Book Description

Although many companies have introduced product innovation processes, they are still struggling to achieve the financial results they expected. This book shows how to properly balance the need for speed with the drive for profitability. It demonstrates how to maximize the value of a new product portfolio, how to streamline the product innovation process, and how to achieve growth that is both profitable and sustainable. New product success is not simply about developing new products that sell; it's about getting them to market quickly with the lowest cost and the highest return. Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Scott J. Edgett use their latest research and draw upon their combined 60 years of experience in the field to show you what the companies that continuously win at new products are doing. Top performers have discovered how to properly balance the need for speed with profitability. With a new process they call NexGen(TM) Stage-Gate(R), Dr. Cooper and Dr. Edgett show precisely how you can ensure that your innovation is not only lean and rapid but profitable as well. For more information, visit: www.stage-gate.com




Innovation, Product Development and Commercialization


Book Description

This title uses a holistic approach to examine the diverse issues that managers face to channel resources in the right direction for commercial success. It details the commercialization of innovation and new products in fast-paced, high-tech markets and how to match tecnological advances to new market opportunities.




New Product Development


Book Description

Keep ahead of your competitors!New Product Development will help you and your company overcome an expensive and common weakness: the lack of adequate new product development. This vital book examines the requirements of new product development in detail as well as in the context of corporate strategy. Packed with practical information that can immediately be put into effect, New Product Development can help you keep your company on the leading edge, no matter what type of industry you're in!This uniquely insightful volume will help you become a successful innovator by showing you how to plan and execute strategies for developing a continuous flow of new products and services to help you stay ahead of the competition. It demonstrates how innovation, far from being a staff function, is a dynamic line management task. It calls for the same aggressive thrust as marketing and sales, and every officer of the company, from the president on down, has a share in this responsibility.Medium size, small, and even large companies constantly face a mass of problems in achieving successful innovation. New Product Development will help you deal with issues including: inaccurate budgeting costs exceeding budgets faulty market and technical research findings flaws in design inadequately durable materials unforeseen consumer rejection caused by the lack of proper consumer trials leakage of plans to competition failure by outside suppliers missed opportunities for cooperation with outside specialists poorly coordinated development staff ineffective leadership and much more! Beginning with an "executive summary" that will guide you quickly to the chapters most relevant to your business, this well-organized book should be on the shelf of every company officer who wants to see his firm prosper, innovate, and create new products that sell-now and for years to come!




Product Development and Management Body of Knowledge


Book Description

Fully-updated Third Edition of the leading study resource for PDMA's New Product Development Professional certification exam The newly revised and updated Third Edition of PDMA Body of Knowledge (BoK) provides a singular reference for anyone currently involved in, or planning a career in product management and product innovation. It describes a proven framework for product innovation which is applicable to a wide cross-section of product and service industries at various levels of an organization. It is also the basis for candidates studying for PDMA's New Product Development Professional (NPDP) certification examination. The guide is divided into seven chapters, consistent with the seven product innovation topics used as a basis for the NPDP examination: management, strategy, portfolio, process, design and development, market research, and culture & teams. PDMA Body of Knowledge includes detailed coverage of topics including: The key factors that lead to successful product innovation management. The importance of strategy to product innovation success, hierarchy of strategies, and establishing the organization's direction via vision, mission, values, and more. The role of portfolio management in selection of the right product innovation projects for an organization. Description of various product innovation processes and the pros and cons of each. The application of tools and techniques at various stages of the design and development process. The application of market research throughout product innovation. The importance of the right culture and team development. The material provided can be applied to the full range of product development projects included in most company portfolios, such as new products or services, line extensions, cost reductions, and product or service improvements. This newly revised and updated Third Edition includes new case studies, examples, and chapter exercises, along with sample NPDP examination questions. PDMA Body of Knowledge is an essential study resource for those studying for PDMA's NPDP exam. The text is also highly valuable to product management professionals, consultants, instructors, and students seeking to increase their knowledge base