| New
Product Development: Team
Cross-Functional
On paper, the formula
is simple: Choose the right team to develop
a new product and give it all the right
resources. But knowing what comprises
the right team is the real challenge,
according to TEC new product development
expert Nick Webb.
"The key is
ensuring that all functions within the
organization are well-represented,"
he says. This includes:
- Engineering
- Operations
- Manufacturing
- Sales
- Marketing
- Finance
- Customer Service
"In many cases,
a company assigns engineers with the responsibility
to develop new products and they work
in isolation," says fellow TEC expert
Mitch Goozé. "This
leaves them at a disadvantage, since the
majority of engineers have little interaction
with customers."
In addition to the
cross-functional team, successful companies
(a) include customers, suppliers and distributors
on the team or (b) solicit their input
during the earliest stages of the process.
(See "The Voice of the Customer"
in Additional Resources
below.)
The cross-functional
team is dedicated to the project, accountable
for it from idea to launch and aided by
a powerful "product champion"
(sometimes the CEO, more often a senior
executive).
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Team
Components
According to Goozé
and Webb, successful new product development
teams share these essential components:
- A set of clearly
identified and assigned team members
- Cross-functional
representation
- A dedicated
and accountable team leader
- Regular meetings
and communication, with frequent updates
and problem-solving sessions
As with any project
team, the proper flow of relevant information
is critical. Both the team leader and
product champion should ensure that a
steady flow of information is made available
to the team about changing customer needs
and preferences, as this information will
likely affect design and development work.
Another important
point, according to the TEC experts: The
new product development team should carefully
document each stage of the process, in
order to track both break-throughs and
setbacks, and to meet these ongoing objectives:
- Build on market
knowledge.
- Avoid previous
mistakes.
- Reduce development
cycle time.
"Particularly
for small companies unfamiliar with the
process, there can be a steep learning
curve along the way," Webb says.
"Complete documentation helps those
who follow with future new product ventures
to move ahead in a more streamlined, efficient
way."
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Additional
Resources
Below are links to
more best practices as defined by our
expert panel:
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