ally there needs to be an understanding and consideration of the final imer - their needs. wants. behaviour and attitudes as well as the other customers in the food system between the producer and the consumer. Part studies these core areas, so that the reader develops a basic understanding of uct development. Part Ill studies PD in general and then in the food system. Managing I development in the food industry varies with the types of markets(industrial food service and consumer) and with the place of the company in the food system(primary producer, food processor, food manufacturer, retailer). Top anagement needs to recognise these variations and also identify their level of risk and the companys resources in skills and knowledge. From this, they can build an organisation for product development and also identify the decisions that they have to make in the programme building and during the individual projects. They can then specify for the middle management the critical points in the Pd Process and the knowledge that must be available for their decisions at he critical points. From this, the middle management, called product levelopment manager, product manager, R&D manager, can identify the aims, activities and outcomes for the individual stages in projects, and also the coordinated plan for the product development programme. The project leader can identify the techniques to be used in the project, the resources needed and the time schedule. For successful product development management, these three layers of management need to be coordinated and aiming for the same outcomes from the product launch. Four case studies illustrate management at different stages of the food system, including fresh products, industrial products and manufactured consumer products. The book ends with a chapter on evaluating and improving product development Product development management must include the collection of knowledge from the project, analysis of this knowledge and setting improvements for future projects. Product development is ontinuously changing and its management needs to change, without change not only the products but also the whole system become archaic and lost in the This book is intended for people entering or in product development management,at all levels from the project leader to top management. Throughout the book, readers are asked to apply the knowledge in the chapter to their company, so that they can develop their own philosophy and methods for product development. This is not a book on techniques of product development; it is a book to raise the awareness of different aspects of product development and to apply the new or revived knowledge in the practical situation of managing product development in a food company Mary earle Richard Earle Allan andersonFinally there needs to be an understanding and consideration of the final consumer – their needs, wants, behaviour and attitudes – as well as the other customers in the food system between the producer and the consumer. Part II studies these core areas, so that the reader develops a basic understanding of product development. Part III studies PD in general and then in the food system. Managing product development in the food industry varies with the types of markets (industrial, food service and consumer) and with the place of the company in the food system (primary producer, food processor, food manufacturer, retailer). Top management needs to recognise these variations and also identify their level of risk and the company’s resources in skills and knowledge. From this, they can build an organisation for product development and also identify the decisions that they have to make in the programme building and during the individual projects. They can then specify for the middle management the critical points in the PD Process and the knowledge that must be available for their decisions at the critical points. From this, the middle management, called product development manager, product manager, R&D manager, can identify the aims, activities and outcomes for the individual stages in projects, and also the coordinated plan for the product development programme. The project leader can identify the techniques to be used in the project, the resources needed and the time schedule. For successful product development management, these three layers of management need to be coordinated and aiming for the same outcomes from the product launch. Four case studies illustrate management at different stages of the food system, including fresh products, industrial products and manufactured consumer products. The book ends with a chapter on evaluating and improving product development. Product development management must include the collection of knowledge from the project, analysis of this knowledge and setting improvements for future projects. Product development is continuously changing and its management needs to change; without change, not only the products but also the whole system become archaic and lost in the past. This book is intended for people entering or in product development management, at all levels from the project leader to top management. Throughout the book, readers are asked to apply the knowledge in the chapter to their company, so that they can develop their own philosophy and methods for product development. This is not a book on techniques of product development; it is a book to raise the awareness of different aspects of product development and to apply the new or revived knowledge in the practical situation of managing product development in a food company. Mary Earle Richard Earle Allan Anderson Preface xi