Involivng Suppliers in New Product Development

摘要

Winthin the last decade, the rapid rate of technological change, shortened product life cycles, and globalization of markets have resulted in renewed executive focus on new product develop- ment processes. In a competitive environment, suppliers are an increasingly important resource for manufacturers. Across all worldwide manu- facturers, purchased materials account for over 50 percent of the cost of goods sold. In addition, suppliers have a large and direct impact on the cost, quality, technology, and time-to-market of new products.