The product development process 101 basis for identifying the activities and choosing suitable techniques and for the project plan, which directs and controls the process The outline project plan is based on the PD Process selected for the project and the outcomes identified. The PD Process varies according to the type of product- industrial, consumer and food service, and also whether the product incremental or a major innovation. The activities are selected to give the outcomes previously identified. Choice of activities is not only determined by the knowledge needed in the related outcome, but also by the resources and time available. The description of the activity defines the outcome needed, the time frame to be met and the resources that can be used. The outline plan is set up so that everyone in the project can identify their place in the project and what they are aiming to achieve. They can start to select the techniques for their section of the project, particularly for the early stages Think break In Chapter 3, we are going to do the initial stage of a PD project, either a project from your company or using the Case Study in Section 7.4. Obtain from the management of your company the general aim, constraints and resources for this project. In this Think Break, search for more information and develop the final aim(s), outcomes and constraints for management's approval 1. What is the market type -consumer/retail, consumer/food service, business to business/industrial, business to business/food service? Identify the target market, its possible size, needs and competing products. Use Fig. 3.1 as a guide, try to find information to answer the market/consumer questions 2. Identify the type of product development in the project -me-too, improvement, product line extension, innovation on the same product platform, a new platform: and also the type of market. Then select/design the PD Process 3. Using Fig 3. 2, identify the possible decisions to be made and then discuss them with management. Select the final decisions 4. Determine what knowledge is needed to make these decisions and then select the outcomes that are needed for the decisions at the various stages of the project 5. What are the principal constraints already identified for this project -economic, physical, political, social? Now use the checklist in Table 3. 1 to discover any other constraints that might be important. Rank the constraints from critical to not important and select the final constraints for the project. 3. 1.2 Developing the product concept The food industry has seldom used the word design except as related to packaging and to advertising. The development of the product has usually been called product development and had connotations of laboratory formulationbasis for identifying the activities and choosing suitable techniques and for the project plan, which directs and controls the process. The outline project plan is based on the PD Process selected for the project and the outcomes identified. The PD Process varies according to the type of product – industrial, consumer and food service, and also whether the product is incremental or a major innovation. The activities are selected to give the outcomes previously identified. Choice of activities is not only determined by the knowledge needed in the related outcome, but also by the resources and time available. The description of the activity defines the outcome needed, the time frame to be met and the resources that can be used. The outline plan is set up so that everyone in the project can identify their place in the project and what they are aiming to achieve. They can start to select the techniques for their section of the project, particularly for the early stages. 3.1.2 Developing the product concept The food industry has seldom used the word design except as related to packaging and to advertising. The development of the product has usually been called ‘product development’ and had connotations of laboratory formulation Think break In Chapter 3, we are going to do the initial stage of a PD project, either a project from your company or using the Case Study in Section 7.4. Obtain from the management of your company the general aim, constraints and resources for this project. In this Think Break, search for more information and develop the final aim(s), outcomes and constraints for management’s approval. 1. What is the market type – consumer/retail, consumer/food service, business to business/industrial, business to business/food service? Identify the target market, its possible size, needs and competing products. Use Fig. 3.1 as a guide, try to find information to answer the market/consumer questions. 2. Identify the type of product development in the project – me-too, improvement, product line extension, innovation on the same product platform, a new platform; and also the type of market. Then select/design the PD Process. 3. Using Fig. 3.2, identify the possible decisions to be made and then discuss them with management. Select the final decisions. 4. Determine what knowledge is needed to make these decisions and then select the outcomes that are needed for the decisions at the various stages of the project. 5. What are the principal constraints already identified for this project – economic, physical, political, social? Now use the checklist in Table 3.1 to discover any other constraints that might be important. Rank the constraints from critical to not important and select the final constraints for the project. The product development process 101