Organisational factors for success in new product development

This paper describes an attempt to produce an evaluation taxonomy and framework to enable companies to assess their new product development (NPD) performance and the factors leading to success. This framework is based on a product's complexities (structural and functional) and related factors and commercial constraints. In particular, it looks at the management and organisational factors involved in NPD and how these may be enhanced to increase NPD success rates. An assessment tool and methodology (ATM) is described which evaluates a company's NPD activities and process performance. Significant findings relating to success in product development are shown from the initial results comparing successful product developments from a variety of companies. Also described are the results of a survey of company based NPD performance improvement approaches and the related NPD performance measurement systems and metrics being used. The results from the use of the ATM with Japanese companies within Japan are also included as a comparison