New Product Development

It is not uncommon to feel that unless you are very creative, you will not be able to come up with a product that will capture a good market share.  However, this is not the case.  If you are able to follow the new product development structure, you can transform any idea or existing product into something that the end user will desire.

New Product Development Strategy

Do not take shortcuts

The common error in the new product development process is that people have a tendency to want to begin the process with drawings, CAD models, or a creative brainstorming.  This would all be very premature.  Every step of the new product development process must go in order to have a successful outcome.  The following is a layout and description of the new product development process that will take you from market research stages to the prototyping stage.

New Product Development Process

Steps

1.  Discovery Stage: The discovery stage is absolutely necessary and cannot be passed over, while it may not be the most exciting stage of the new product development process, it is key to developing a good product.  The discovery stage will set the platform for the rest of the product development process, here are a few techniques to perform during the discovery stage.

     a.  Market Research:  Conduct research on competition, patents, search on-line for similar products and current research being conducted.  Don't get discouraged with competition.  Competition is very healthy and useful in most markets.

     b.  Interview users and experts: Interviews will reveal many new insights to existing products, including problems and well liked features.  It is important to understand the type of user you are interviewing; there are experts, those who understand the industry and its needs.  Lead-Users, those who are using the products to their full capability or modifying to their needs.  Also, the common end-users will usually be able to provide valuable feedback concerning appearance, and functionality.  
   

  c.  Observation: In your new product development strategy, allow room for others to use the product while you observe them.  While observing you are watching to see difficulty in use, for example, is using the product intuitive?  Are their features that get in the way of operating the product?

2.  Creation Stage: This is the stage in new product development that most are eager to begin, now that the discovery has take place you will have a clear idea of the market needs, and what the desired outcome is.  

     a.  Brainstorming: There are many different brainstorming methods which can be used, but the most important part about brainstorming is that no negative feedback should be given in this stage of product development.  Quantity is king in brainstorming, it is recommended that a hundreds of ideas be generated at this stage, each concept will be valuable in the future.

     b.  Other New Product Development Strategies:  There have been product designers in the past that have created methods to aid in this portion of product development, some are extremely helpful and are highly recommended.  If you are not familiar with these I suggest getting familiar with these and trying them.   Here are some idea generating methods: TRIZ, SCAMPER, Delphi Method, experimentation by prototyping.

3. Refining Stage: Once ideas are generated, you can then begin the iterative process of refining your design.  This is where the negative feedback begins, you are hoping to find all the cons to the product and secure the pros.

     a.  CAD Model: CAD models are extremely useful and easy to edit during the new product development stages, and a good rendering can even be used to begin advertising.

     b.  Analytical Prototyping: Analytical Prototyping can be performed at this stage to ensure strength and functionality.

     c.  Begin Prototyping: This is the stage in product development that you should begin making physical models.  There are over forty different types of prototyping machines depending on your prototyping needs, some are brittle and fragile, while others are made from ABS plastic and can actually be functional.  Some common types of prototyping are:

          i.     SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) Prototyping: Is a prototyping process that can be performed in many different materials such as plastic, metal, ceramics, or glass.  It does not require supports as it will sit in a bed of un-sintered material.

          ii.     SLA (Stereolithography): Is a prototyping process that is sometimes referred to as 3D printing, it does require supports as it is made in open air.

          iii.     FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling): Is a prototyping process that is very much like a common computer printer that is capable of printing in 3 Dimensions using a thermoplastic, commonly ABS, these prototyping machines require support in certain geometries as well.

          iv.     There are many other types of prototyping machines, a little research online will reveal which method will work best for your particular application.

Posting your project

Once you are at the prototyping stage, Contract Auction can aid in ensuring that you are getting the best price on your prototype for each iteration of the new product development process.  Prototypes can be done quickly and shipped to have a timely prototype that will please your product development team, and keep the momentum of the project.