surf's up: managing new product development

IEEE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REVIEW, VOL. 40, NO. 4, FOURTH QUARTER, DECEMBER 2012 109

Surf’s Up: Managing NewProduct Development—LINDA KOSMIN LANDFORD

IEEE DOI 10.1109/EMR.2012.2222588

WEB routes aboundthat offer strategies forsuccessfully managing newproduct development ventures.Information gleaned from theseresources can help enhanceprospects for favorable outcomesand deliverables. Practitionersdiscuss useful methods forevaluating present and potentialcustomer cravings, introduceeffective product conceptgeneration theories, share lessonslearned from using advancedtechnologies, shed light on designoptimization, and suggest followthrough prototyping approaches.The following resources provideinsights into problems, risks, andrealities associated with productgrowth endeavors in the currentglobal and highly competitivebusiness environment.

ASSOCIATION OF TECHNOLOGY,MANAGEMENT, AND APPLIEDENGINEERING (ATMAE)

http://atmae.orgSite visitors can search anddownload information aboutnew product planning, customerinspired development, and lifecycle management. There areinsightful articles that stress theimportance for management tostrive for concurrently balancinggoals including flexibility andproduction quality and at thesame time focusing on advancedtechnology, overall cost factors,expanded team training, andsoftware applications.

MIT OPENCOURSEWARE(OCW)

http://ocw.mit.eduThose in search of the wealthof ideas embodied in academic

course descriptions, lecturenotes, syllabi, and recommendedreadings should find thisonline guide helpful. This OCWdatabase identifies hundredsof pertinent findings whensearched using all of the followingkeywords: MANAGING, NEW,and PRODUCT. It should benoted that the OCW projecthas partnered with outsideorganizations to translateholdings into additionallanguages including Chinese,Persian, Portuguese, Spanish,Thai, and Turkish.

OPENTHESIShttp://www.openthesis.orgNew product developmentcontinues to be of interest tograduate students. A searchof the contents of this freelyaccessible database delivers onscreen bibliographic citationswith informative abstracts thatserve to expand public awarenessabout dissertations written indefense of thesis proposals.Findings cover a myriad ofpertinent topics such asindividual and team managementissues, specialization within andbetween industries, analysis ofsoftware requirements, customerdriven parameters, productmaturation considerations,organizational culture impacts,and global perspectives.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ANDMANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONhttp://www.pdma.orgGives individual membersand affiliated company teams inacademia and industry accessto publications, networkingopportunities, regional chapterevents, conferences with global

110 IEEE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REVIEW, VOL. 40, NO. 4, FOURTH QUARTER, DECEMBER 2012

focus, webcast series, andbenchmarking studies. TheAssociation advocates forcompleting the New ProductDevelopment Professional (NPDP)Certification and recertificationprocesses. It offers informationabout training workshops andprovides exam contents andscheduling details.

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHNETWORK

http://www.ssrn.comThis site offers a plentiful arrayof open access as well as somefee-based preprints and workingpapers that can be read on screenor rapidly downloaded. Authorsshare research findings andcase studies on an abundanceof topics including managementapproaches to new productdevelopment. For instance thereare articles that address relevantissues such as creative teammanagement approaches, costsharing among collaborators,resource allocation techniques,portfolio strategies, compensationparameters, and consumer choiceincentives.

STRATEGIC PRODUCT MANAGERhttp://www.strategicproductmanager.comProduct managers and productmarketing managers canglean useful insights frommaterial presented here. Writtendiscourses are often based onpersonal experience. Useful linksto source documents are providedwithin the context of essays.These clarify and further expandon opinions presented, provideaccess to transcripts of interviewswith product managers, reviewbooks, and chronicle experienceswith computer software. Also,this site serves as a portalidentifying and linking to similarWeblogs maintained by others.

QUT EPRINTShttp://eprints.qut.edu.au/This repository of publicationsauthored by faculty andpostgraduates of QueenslandUniversity of Technology(QUT) is but one example ofa growing trend among academicinstitutions throughout the worldthat strive to provide open accessand global dissemination of vitalresearch findings. A search ofthis site delivers the full texts of

articles discussing circumstancesthat affect management of newproduct development. There areexplanations of the advantagesof formally embedding intocorporate culture the integrationof technological knowhow withknowledge asset managementskills. Other postings addressspecific success factors relatedto expansion of selected industrysegments in a transitionaleconomy.

THE DESIGN SOCIETY

http://www.designsociety.orgRegistered in Scotland, the globalmission of this organization isto enlighten artists, architects,engineers and others to theories,techniques, and proceduresassociated with process planning,preparation, development andproduction of various formsand structures. Members haveaccess to case studies, onlinepublications, seminars andSpecial Interest Group (SIG)forums such as ManagingStructural Complexity, Modelingand Management of EngineeringProcesses, Mechatronics,and Product Design RiskManagement.