IOSPress

The end of the cold-war era marked the start of true economic and industrial globalization. The newly industrialized economies of Asia, the members of ASEAN, and the regional giants China and India, are all establishing large manufacturing bases. The new era is one that requires companies in the fully industrialized nations, with their higher wages, to show the way into the 21st century by exercising their leadership in creativity. For manufacturers, in particular, it is vital that we should contribute to the world by developing highly original new products. Meanwhile, the information technology revolution is gathering momentum, and the widespread diffusion of personal computers accessing the Internet is working revolutionary changes in fields as disparate as distribution, education and entertainment. This information technology revolution is also causing a paradigm shift in electronic technology, and radically changing the development process. Manufacturers, in implementing their research and development programs, must work with, not against, these revolutionary changes in society. This book suggests a theoretical basis and practical approaches for the creative development of new products, developing its arguments in five brief chapters. The thesis of this book is illustrated with many practical examples of new product development and suggests the methods to be adopted in bringing them quickly to market.