Product Development Process

Question

What are the various steps or technical activities in the Product Development Process in an organizational framework?

Answer 1

Product development consists of technical activities of product research, engineering and design.  It is an important and continuous function thus requiring sound organizational framework.

Steps:

• Generation of new product ideas: the process of product development begins with an idea originating inside or outside the firm.

• Screening of Ideas: a quick review of all product ideas are made to determine which of them deserves further consideration.

• Detailed Business Analysis: the ideas that are found promising after screening are then subjected to rigorous analysis in terms of commercial viability and technical feasibility.

• Product Development: once the product idea is found feasible and profitable, the product is developed and produced on sample basis. Thus an idea gets converted in a physical form.

• Test Marketing: the product is tested in selected market area to find the consumers’ reaction.

• Commercialization: after the product satisfies market tests, full scale production and marketing are undertaken. The product is finally born and its life cycle begins.