Product Development Assessment

Overview

The Product Development Assessment is a high-level look at a company’s product development process from an objective, process driven viewpoint. Companies who focus on excelling in product development for products and services command the highest margins and competitive advantage. Product development is the single most important function a business must perform.  However, many manufacturers and service providers struggle to link business strategy with product development operations. Yet a few standout companies have found ways to cross this divide and create robust and regular pipelines of successful products that drive superior business performance, growth, and profitability. During the Product Development Assessment, we identify strategic and operating gaps and make recommendations for improving processes throughout the product development lifecycle from ideation to post production release. Our final report will provide senior leadership with a view of what is standing in the way of an effective product development process.

Objectives

• Understand how new products and services are implemented from ideation to production
• Identify key operating and strategic gaps in current process(es) as measured against industry best practices and strategic need
• Define measures and performance standards
• Identify gaps in workflows (across organizations, functions, technology and teams)
• Assess performance to quality standards (ISO, IATF, APQP, etc.)
• Evaluation of product development management processes

Length of Assessment 4-5 days

• 1 – day pre-work collecting data
• 4 – 5 days on site doing assessment

Focus of Assessment

• Existing Product Development process
• Organizational structure
• Skills and available tools
• Product development management process
• Commercialization processes
• Conformance to established business process(es)
• Planning and scheduling

Methods

• Data review:  Strategic objectives, KPI’s, current process documentation, audit reports
• Interviews with senior leaders and key personnel in design centres and other supporting functions
• SWOT analysis

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables
The deliverable of the assessment is a concise report that identifies key process and capability gaps throughout the Product Development process. The report will include the output of the SWOT analysis and a roadmap of changes that need to occur in order to have a robust Product Development process.  The report will identify current skills and technology gaps as well as providing insight to roadblocks to success.

For more information, drop us a line at info@group50.com or call (909) 949-9083