Why NPD Projects Require an Integrated Approach

New Product Development mostly deals with technical aspects. It is very likely that, if you come from technical background, you will get sucked into technical problem solving.

As a npd Project Leader, your role is to see beyond technical aspects. Let technical subject matter experts take care of technical solutions. You can provide them with pointers based on your experience, but you should avoid getting into the technical manager role.

You should have Integrated Approach to be a successful npd Project Leader and to complete the project as per plan.

What is an Integrated Approach?

Integrated Approach means looking at all the relevant areas to complete the project. Though Product is the important outcome of npd Project Management, there are lot of other aspects you should consider to deliver Product on time and on budget, loaded with desired customer specifications.

Here are some of the aspects you should consider:

Requirements:

Every product will have functional and non-functional requirements. Ensure that you capture all the requirements in black and white before starting the project.

In case you create custom products, failure to meet requirements can result in non-acceptance by customers at project closure.

Cost control:

Most New Product Development projects exceed product and project cost targets. Some of the key areas to look for are – design, materials, and manufacturing process.

You should be smart enough to identify critical design features which may call for expensive materials and critical manufacturing processes.

Collaboration:

Nowadays, companies are moving from “we know it all” to “we learn it all”. You may not have technology expertise in-house. Don’t be shy in asking help from third party experts, vendors, and suppliers.

If your product is very critical, it is a very good idea to involve suppliers from the design stage.

Infrastructure:

Technology intensive products require infrastructure to test and validate those products. It is not just enough to design and build products, but you should also think about the facility required for product validation.

At times you may have to build test Equipments as a part of npd Project. Do not miss to consider time, money and manpower expertise required to build such test equipments.

Compliances:

Global economy calls for global products. It means, lot of compliances related to environmental and safety related aspects. Cutting corners may cost huge in terms of damaged reputation of your company.

Technical compliances against International Standards and Regulations are crucial for product reliability and user safety.

Environment:

The world is moving towards carbon neutrality. It is basic hygiene these days to think about the environment while developing new products.

You must get familiar with regional norms and comply with the requirements. Recyclability and reusability are the major indicators you should keep watch on.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Stakeholders are real people with emotions and feelings. It is your primary responsibility to deal with people with empathy.

People get results on the project. Similarly, the power and influence of people may hamper your project. Hence you should have constant interaction with people to keep them engaged.

With integrated approach, you can tackle most of the challenges while developing New Products.

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See you next week with new topic.