Topic > New Product Development: A New Product Development Process

A. A new product development process is a process of integrating technical and business factors into an industry for product development and modification. The NPD process consists of six stages which are1. Ideation2. Concept development3. Building a business case4. Product Development5. Market testing6. Market LaunchConcept development is an NPD process in which the product idea is realized in verbal or pictorial form. In this phase the concept, ideas and technologies are explained to customers. A group of users is selected and the product concepts, design and prototypes are explained to them and asked to provide feedback on the new product. If customer feedback is positive, business analysis is performed. When it comes to Black & Decker, in the initial stages they were working on competitive opportunities. And they explained the product concepts, design and prototypes to customers. And customer feedback says the grips were generally bulky and uncomfortable. Power capacity was another drawback as users needed more power and more torque. The product's features and controls were awkward and confusing. Team members then planned to redesign the product to meet customer needs, first working on redesigning the more compact and comfortable handle. The existing ones had thick handles because they are enclosed with two rechargeable batteries. The team wanted a grip that could hold one battery instead of two without losing power. After four months of exhausting work an ergonomically good solution emerged and the handle provided the necessary energy. They then worked on designing the motor to get more power and torque at any voltage. Suppliers said there is no such motor…half the paper…creates a more compact and ergonomically comfortable grip. Without reducing battery life, the team wanted a handle that could hold a battery. After months of exhaustive design and testing, the solution emerged. It was strong and for further refinement the grip was cushioned. Engine design was the second major issue faced by all major competitors purchasing engines from two global suppliers. The Compact Power team has specified requirements for the motor, which produces higher torque at any voltage, significantly higher than existing torque, but suppliers have said there are no products to offer. Compact Power bravely decided to produce its own engine. Financial analysis has determined that this is an additional expense and it is also a big question whether engineers will be able to meet the design requirements. Ultimately the team outperformed and presented a high-performance engine.