4. NPD

Question 1

What is Workman’s view un the limited role of marketing in nPD?

Answer 1

‘The biggest danger to us is market surveys. Marketers will never come up with a new idea’.
Marketing is limited in nPD because;
- Marketers miss technical background
- Cultural issue: people in firm do not take marketers seriously, because of their background
- structural
Time

Question 2

How can marketers still have some part of influence in nPD?

Answer 2

• Speak the same language as important people, so they will take you seriously (engineers in this case)
• Informal way of working

-> A lot of NPD activities are marketing activities, such as talking to customers etc.

Question 3

What is the stage gate model by Cooper?

Answer 3

The stage gate model pictures the innovation model and helps to communicate ‘where we are’ and ‘what has to be done’. The model distinguishes different stages and gates. Stages are the activities, on the left side are technical activities and on the right are market activities. In the middle are the gates are evaluation points.

The model is used;
- As a communication device
- To structure the process

Question 4

What are the (iterative) steps of stage gate model?

Answer 4

1. Idea generation
2. Preliminary assessment; technical and market
3. concept idenitification
4. Technical concept generation
5. Concept testing
6. Development prototype -> Physical version of the concept & development marketing plan
7. Testing both technical and market related; Prototype testing with customers
8. Trial production & test market
9. full production
10. Launch

Question 5

What is the newer ‘improved’ version of the stage gate model?

Answer 5

Not all phases of the model are always needed, this model offers 3 different ‘routes’. Organizations can change it to their own language and processes.

Question 6

What are the different routes of the updated stage gate model?

Answer 6

1. 5 stages -> Scoping - Business case - development - Testing - Launch
   - For major, higher risk projects
2. Stage-gate lite -> Stage 1 and 2 - Stage 3 and 4 - Stage 5
   - for moderate risk projects
3. Stage gate x-press -> Stage 1 and 2 - stage 2, 4, 5
   - For minor projects

Question 7

What happens in the gates of the model

Answer 7

Evaluate wheter we continue with the process or not.
They filter the different ideas

Question 8

How strict to use the stage gate model?

Answer 8

if very strict -> inflexible and organizational learning might be hindered. Some good ideas might be killed of because of 1 criterion is not met.

Question 9

What are success factors of NPD according to Cooper?

Answer 9

• Technical production synergy
• marketing knowledge and proficiency
• Newness to the firm

Question 10

What are success factors according to Evanschitsky?

Answer 10

• Product characteristocs
• Strategy characteristics
• Process characteristics
• Market characteristics
• Organizational characteristics

Question 11

What are the benefits of the gates in the stage gate model?

Answer 11

• Eliminate weak projects early in process
• reduce costs
• See if you are on track
• You don’t want to spent too much money on a project which fails