Don't get caught in the middle: how to successfully negotiate the intermediate and late stages of new product development

摘要

In past articles, we've discussed the early product development process stages of (1) strategic direction, (2) idea generation and (3) assessment and refinement--phases that are often skipped or performed poorly by many new product development organizations. Most organizations planning to bring a product to market focus on the middle and late stages of product development. However, completion of the earlier stages typically results in 1) a clear strategic direction, 2) ideas that have been rigorously generated and screened and 3) an assessment of the projects viability before major work begins. This brings focus and clarity to project objectives and deliverable, and prevents undesirable surprises and rework during, later stages. Failure to executethe early stages creates a weak foundation for, the project, generally leading to multiple iterations and significant rework.