Abstract

The difficulties and uncertainties associated with new product development are increasing along with the pressure to develop more new products. To succeed, companies are finding that they need to develop "better" new products and they need to do so faster. Unfortunately, many companies still follow organizational arrangements and management practices that lead to slow product development. This article examines why product development delays occur, the nature of these delays, and what can be done to avoid them. The findings are based on field interviews and a mail survey of managers involved in developing new products. The study has identified four major areas that affect the performance of the new product development process: senior management support; early integration of functional expertise; availability of resources and how they are managed; and an organizational environment that supports teamwork.