What is a Product Development Process?
Product Development Process Definition
The product development process refers to the entire process required to bring a new product from the initial concept stage through commercialization. Product development begins by determining whether there is a consumer need for a given product. Once the need is confirmed, competitive research begins. The product development process covers the initial product concept, competitive evaluation, design, prototyping, testing, volume production, and delivery of the finished product to market.
FAQs
What are the 5 stages of product development?
The five stages of product development are:
- Brainstorming and ideation
- Research and idea screening
- Concept development
- Prototyping and evaluation
- Product launch and commercialization
Source: https://mymanagementguide.com
What are the steps in product development process?
The product development process involves the following steps:
- Idea Generation: Business brainstorms new product concepts.
- Product Definition (Discovery): Product team creates a detailed assessment of the technical, market, and business aspects of the new product concept and determines core functionality.
- Prototyping: Product team performs comprehensive market research and explores the competitive landscape of the new product. A financial model and pricing is also established for the new product. For tangible hardware systems, the team also explores the manufacturability of the proposed product.
- Detailed Design (Development): The team focuses on product design and the refinement of the prototype through alpha and beta testing. Customer feedback is gathered and incorporated into the prototype in an iterative fashion. Marketing, sales, and manufacturing also begin to develop launch plans and manufacturing processes to support the new product.
- Validation/Testing: This involves ensuring that the prototype works as planned and also testing the viability of the financial model for the product.
- Commercialization/Product Launch: This is a broad step that includes production, distribution, marketing, sales, and customer support.
What is an example of product development?
Product Development Example: Electric Car
Stage 1: Brainstorming and ideation – Company brainstorms the idea of an electric vehicle, which would save money on fuel and help the environment.
Stage 2: Research and idea screening – Team performs a proof-of-concept check to verify that the electric car is feasible. Team consults with engineering and marketing to determine technical aspects, cost of production, and resources. Team also conducts competitive research to determine if there are other electric vehicles currently on the market.
Stage 3: Concept and development – Team develops a concept that is centered around a reasonably priced 4-passenger electric car. The target consumers are families.
Stage 4: Prototyping and evaluation – Prior to finalizing the design, various prototypes of the electric car are developed and refined via alpha and beta testing.
Stage 5: Commercialization – The new electric car is introduced to market.
*Source: https://railsware.com/blog/new-product-development-process/
Best Practice
Product development involves multiple, and many times, global teams, partners, and suppliers.
These dispersed teams must be synchronized on the same design to stay on budget, respond to customer demands, and meet quality and compliance. Learn the keys to a successful new product development process.