Managing the product development process 265 Process, plan and control the resources so that they are available at the correct time and are of the right quality, analyse the results of the development and make decisions for further stages. They need to be aware, guide and be available when necessary, to help the creativity and the problem solving. Every company needs a person who is responsible for new products and is recognised as this This person must have product development knowledge and skills as well as management knowledge and skills. There needs to be a balance between the innovation development and the management. Over-management can stifle innovation, but uncontrolled product development may lead to inappropriate products, inefficient product development and time/cost overruns- in other words commercial failure 6.2.4 Project leader Project leaders understand the consumer and market as well as the PD Process and the product; recognise and foster innovative, creative, problem-solving skills; and understand integration of people with different skills and philosophies. They need the abilities to drive the project to a successful conclusion identify the outcomes for each stage of the PD Process and important sections in the individual stages elate the outcomes to the activities in the project choose the techniques for the activities that relate to the knowledge and skills of the team. and the resources available They have the capacity to develop the business strategy for the new product as well as to define the technical/marketing development, and to build the organisational structure for the development. The project manager is leading a team of people who are skilled in different disciplines consumer research marketing, product design, processing development, production and finance Although the project manager may not have an in-depth knowledge in all areas, there is a need for basic knowledge in each area and the ability to see the interrelationships between them. The project leader is responsible for ensuring that the project progresses smoothly, meets all interim objectives and targets on time and within budget, and makes sure that the necessary resources are available when and where they are required. They also are the primary channel of communication between the project team, senior management and external organisations(Jones, 1997) 6.2.5 Important factors in management levels There are three important factors to recognise in these four different types of management. Firstly there is a need for championing: strategic championing at the directors/top management level, organisational championing at the product development manager level, and product championing at the project leaderProcess, plan and control the resources so that they are available at the correct time and are of the right quality, analyse the results of the development and make decisions for further stages. They need to be aware, guide and be available when necessary, to help the creativity and the problem solving. Every company needs a person who is responsible for new products and is recognised as this. This person must have product development knowledge and skills as well as management knowledge and skills. There needs to be a balance between the innovation development and the management. Over-management can stifle innovation, but uncontrolled product development may lead to inappropriate products, inefficient product development and time/cost overruns – in other words commercial failure. 6.2.4 Project leader Project leaders understand the consumer and market as well as the PD Process and the product; recognise and foster innovative, creative, problem-solving skills; and understand integration of people with different skills and philosophies. They need the abilities to: • drive the project to a successful conclusion; • identify the outcomes for each stage of the PD Process and important sections in the individual stages; • relate the outcomes to the activities in the project; • choose the techniques for the activities that relate to the knowledge and skills of the team, and the resources available. They have the capacity to develop the business strategy for the new product as well as to define the technical/marketing development, and to build the organisational structure for the development. The project manager is leading a team of people who are skilled in different disciplines – consumer research, marketing, product design, processing development, production and finance. Although the project manager may not have an in-depth knowledge in all areas, there is a need for basic knowledge in each area and the ability to see the interrelationships between them. The project leader is responsible for ensuring that the project progresses smoothly, meets all interim objectives and targets on time and within budget, and makes sure that the necessary resources are available when and where they are required. They also are the primary channel of communication between the project team, senior management and external organisations (Jones, 1997). 6.2.5 Important factors in management levels There are three important factors to recognise in these four different types of management. Firstly there is a need for championing: strategic championing at the directors/top management level, organisational championing at the product development manager level, and product championing at the project leader Managing the product development process 265