Terminologies Flashcards
Database
An electronic gathering of information organized in some way to make it easy to search, discover, analyze, and manipulate.
Decision screens
Sets of criteria that are applied as checklists or screens at new product decision points. The criteria may vary by stage in the process.
Decision Tree
A diagram used for making decisions in business or computer programming. The “branches” of the tree diagram represent choices with associated risks, costs, results, and outcome probabilities. By calculating the outcomes (profits) for each of the branches, the best decision for the firm can be determined.
Decline Stage
The fourth and last stage of the product life cycle. Entry into this stage is generally caused by technology advances, consumer or user preference changes, global competition, environmental changes, or regulatory changes.
Defenders
Firms that stake out a product turf and protect it by whatever means, not necessarily by developing new products.
Deliverable
The output (such as test reports, regulatory approvals, working prototypes, or marketing research reports) that shows that a project has achieved a result. Deliverables may be specified for the commercial launch of the product or at the end of a development stage.
Delphi Processes
A technique that uses iterative rounds of consensus development across a group of experts to arrive at a forecast of the most probable outcome for some future state.
Demographic
An objective description of a human population. Characteristics include gender, age, education level, and marital status.
Derivative Product
A new product based on changes to an existing product that adjusts, refines, or improves some product features
without affecting the basic product architecture or platform.
Design for the Environment
The systematic consideration of environmental safety and health issues over the product’s projected
life cycle in the design and development process
Design for Excellence (DFX)
The systematic consideration of all relevant
life cycle factors, such as manufacturability, reliability, maintainability,
affordability, and testability, in the design and development process.
Design for Maintainability ((DFMt)
The systematic consideration of all relevant
life cycle factors, such as manufacturability, reliability, maintainability,
affordability, and testability, in the design and development process.
Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
The systematic consideration of
manufacturing issues in the design and development process, making easy the fabrication of the product’s components and their assembly into the overall product.
Design for Experiments (DOE)
A statistical method for evaluating multiple product and process design parameters simultaneously rather than one parameter at a time.
Design to Cost
Adevelopmentmethodthattreatscostsasanindependent design parameter rather than an outcome. Cost objectives are established based on customer affordability and competitive constraints.
Design Validation
Tests to ensure that the product or service conforms to defined user needs and requirements. These tests may be performed on working prototypes or using computer simulations of the finished product.
Development
The functional part of the organization responsible for converting product requirements into a working product. Also, a phase in the overall concept-to-market cycle in which the new product
or service is developed for the first time.
Development Change Order (DCO)
A document used to implement
a change during product development. It spells out the needed change, why the change is needed, and the effects on time to market, development cost, and the cost of producing the final product. This document is attached to the project’s charter as an addendum.
Digital Mock up
An electronic model of the product created with a solids modeling program. Mock-ups can be used to check for interface interferences and component incompatibilities. Using a digital mock-up can be less expensive than building physical prototypes.
Discontinuous Innovation
Previously unknown products that establish new consumption patterns and behavior changes. Examples include the initial introduction of microwave ovens and cell phones.
Discounted Cash Flow Analyses
One method for providing an estimate of the current value of future incomes and expenses projected for a project. Future cash flows for a number of years are estimated for the project and then discounted back to the present using forecasted interest rates.
Discrete Choice Experiment
A quantitative market research tool used to model and predict customer buying decisions.
Dispersed Teams
Product development teams that have members working at different locations, in different time zones, and perhaps even in different countries.
Distribution
The method and partners used to get the product (or service) from where it is produced to where the end user can buy it.
Divergent Thinking
Technique used early in the initial phase of idea generation that expands thinking processes to generate, record, and recall a high volume of new or interesting ideas.
Dynamically Continuous Innovation
Anewproductthatchangesbehavior but not necessarily consumption patterns. Examples include Palm Pilots, electric toothbrushes, and electric hair curlers.
