Concurrent development and strategic outsourcing

Abstract Concurrent development activities and strategic supply chain management have become staples of the new product development (NPD) process over the last 15 years. Although this is beneficial, often the advice given comes in a “generic” form, based on the assumption that the similarities among NPD efforts are more important than the differences between them. However, variation in the radicalness of projects can make a significant difference in the way that they should be managed. This paper explores the processes associated with the development of radical new products. Based on interviews with project managers and engineers in the United States and Japan, this paper puts forth three propositions, which we summarize in a model aimed to help managers decide whether the “degree of radicalness” of the product may require changes in the organization's NPD process.

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