 |
Feature Article |
 |
Best Practices in the Idea-to-Launch Process and Its Governance
Dr. Robert G. Cooper & Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference No. 45)
Most firms now use some form of idea-to-launch process such as a Stage-Gate® system.
The question is: Do these processes really work? And what are the elements of a best-in-class
idea-to-launch system that really make a difference? A second and related question
concerns the governance of the idea-to-launch model. Sadly, there is a lack of hard
evidence as to what governance structure works best and just what its impact is, if
any. This article reports the results of a study of new-product development practices
at 211 businesses, and provides insights into best practices in both the idea-to-launch
process and its governance that are strongly connected to positive innovation performance.
|
 |
Articles
The
Innovation Dilemma: How to Innovate When the Market Is Mature
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 44 )
For most companies, product development has meant line extensions, improvements, and
product modifications, and only serves to maintain market share. Furthermore, markets
aren't growing, so firms increasingly compete for a piece of a shrinking pie by introducing
one insignificant new product after another. In this article, you will discover how bold
innovations — breakthrough products, services, and solutions – create growth
engines for the future. Uncover the latest research findings and Cooper's five vectors
that must be in place to yield bolder, more imaginative development projects.
|
 |
|
Voice-of-Customer Methods: What is the best source of new-product ideas?
Dr. Robert G. Cooper & Angelica Dreker (Reference No.
40 )
If you are not employing VoC to generate new product ideas, then you are
missing some major innovation opportunities. Robert Cooper outlines eight
different VoC methods designed to generate robust or game-changing new product
ideas. The majority of businesses today are not yet employing these methods
extensively, or they are not using them correctly or consistently. Find
out how the best performing businesses are reaping the benefits of using
VoC to generate great new product ideas to feed their development funnel.
|
|
|
Developing a Product Innovation and Technology Strategy for Your Business
Dr. Robert G. Cooper & Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference No.
39 )
Design your innovation process for today’s innovation requirements – a
faster, leaner, more agile and more focused system. Reinvent your process
to build-in the latest thinking, approaches and methods to move to the next-generation
Stage-Gate system. In this article you will learn some of the ways that
companies have modified and improved their idea-to-launch methods. If your
idea-to-launch system is more than five years old then it’s time for
a serious overhaul.
|
|
|
How Companies are reinventing their Idea–To–Launch
methodologies
By Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 38 )
Design your innovation process for today’s innovation requirements – a faster,
leaner, more agile and more focused system. Reinvent your process to build-in the latest
thinking, approaches and methods to move to the next-generation Stage-Gate system. In
this article you will learn some of the ways that companies have modified and improved
their idea-to-launch methods. If your idea-to-launch system is more than five years old
then it’s time for a serious overhaul.
|
|
|
EFFECTIVE GATING
Make product innovation more productive by using gates with teeth
By Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 37 )
Most firms suffer from having far too many projects in their product development pipelines,
for the limited resources available. Worse yet, the great majority of initiatives are
low value projects to the corporation. While your company might have installed a Stage-Gate® system,
the gates – vital decision-making and resource allocation points – often
lack teeth.
This new article, authored by Dr. Robert G. Cooper, explains how “Gates with Teeth” help
to prune the development portfolio of weak projects, and deal with a gridlocked pipeline.
|
|
|
What Leading Companies are Doing to Re-invent their NPD Processes
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 34)
The original design of Stage-Gate® was based on Dr. Robert Cooper’s research results
of his groundbreaking studies of successful NPD project teams – how they drove their projects to
market quickly and effectively. Today, leading companies are reinventing their innovation processes,
making them faster, leaner, and more effective. At the same time, they are building in best practices
in portfolio management, voice-of-the-customer methods, open innovation, ideation techniques, and so
on. In this article, Dr. Cooper outlines some of the actions that leading firms – such
as Emerson Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, ITT Industries and GlaxoSmithKline – are
taking as they move toward a NexGen Stage-Gate system.
|
|
|
Benchmarking Best Practices: Performance Results and the Role of Senior Management
Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference No. 32)
Senior Management must lead the way in New Product Development by providing both the
leadership and commitment of necessary resources. The Best Performing Companies identified
in the ‘Best Practices in Product Innovation Benchmark Research Study’ conducted
jointly by Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Scott J. Edgett with the American Productivity
and Quality Center, clearly demonstrate leadership commitment on a variety of dimensions.
This executive summary highlights the top 8 practices of leaders of the top performing
companies.
|
|
Perspective: The Stage-Gate Idea-to-Launch Process – Update, What’s
New and NexGen Systems
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference
No. 30)
Stage-Gate has become a popular system for driving new products to market;
but there are many misconceptions and challenges in using Stage-Gate. Challenges
faced in employing Stage-Gate are identified including governance issues, over-bureaucratizing
the process, and mis-applying cost cutting measures such as Six Sigma and Lean
Manufacturing in product innovation. Solutions are offered, including better
governance methods: “gates
with teeth”, clearly defined gatekeepers and gatekeeper rules of engagement; and
ways to deal with bureaucracy, including leaner gates.
|
|
Ideation for product innovation: What are the best methods?
Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference
No. 29)
Surprisingly, little research has been done to evaluate the burgeoning number
of techniques and methods used in the front end of product innovation, particularly ‘ideation’,
where ideas come into the funnel before they are weeded out and evaluated. In this
first-of-a-kind study, Dr. Robert Cooper and Dr. Scott Edgett shed light on the comparative
value of 18 of the most popular ideation sources including Voice of the Customer, Open
Innovation and the Disruptive technologies methods. This article outlines the
results of the research.
|
|
Maximizing Productivity In Product Innovation
Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference No. 28)
Recent evidence suggests that productivity in new product development (NPD) is declining;
that is, we are seeing less output (measured in terms of impact on the business) for
the same relative spending level.
This article outlines seven practices or principles which, according to studies of NPD
practices and performance, will increase NPD productivity after they are embraced.
|
Winning Business In Product Development: The Critical Success Factors
Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Elko J. Kleinschmidt (Reference No. 26)
A formal new product process isn’t enough – you need a high-quality
process, a clear and visible strategy, enough people and money, and a respectable
R&D budget. How does your program rate on these 10 metrics?
|
Managing Technology Development Projects - Different Than Traditional Development Projects
Dr.
Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 25)
The fact is that traditional systems just don’t work for Technology Development
projects. Why? Traditional new product processes are designed for fairly well-defined
and predictable projects. But TD projects are, by their nature, high risk projects
with many unknowns and great technical uncertainties. Download this article and learn
what leading companies are adopting to handle these vital TD projects. |
|
10 Ways to Make Better Portfolio and Project Selection Decisions
Dr. Robert G. Cooper & Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference No. 24)
Good portfolio management (PM) is a key to success in New Product Development (NPD).
But good PM still frequently eludes even the biggest brightest corporations. In this
article, Bob Cooper and Scott Edgett outline ten ways to make better portfolio and project
selection decisions.
Keywords: NexGen Stage-Gate®, lean, rapid, innovation productivity,
scalable
|
|
Formula for Success in New Product Development
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 23)
Many businesses use the Stage-Gate® process to conceive, develop, and launch new
products. As proficient companies have implemented, modified, adapted, and improved methodology,
it has morphed into a faster, leaner, and more effective tool. The next generation process,
or NexGen Stage-Gate® builds in seven principles of lean, rapid, and profitable new-product
development to maximize productivity in product innovation.
Keywords: NexGen Stage-Gate®, lean, rapid, innovation productivity, scalable
|
|
Winning at New Products: Pathways to Profitable Innovation
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 22)
What are the secrets to success in new product development (NPD) that these winning businesses
share? This whitepaper highlights the key factors and drivers that distinguish the best
performing business in NPD from the rest. Those factors and drivers that are common across
high-productivity, best performing businesses in NPD were uncovered in a recent and major
APQC study into best practices. Prescriptions on how to translate these best practices
into action in your business are also outlined in this paper.
Keywords: Stage-Gate®, APQC, benchmarking, success drivers, best
practices
|
|
Succeeding at New Product Development the P&G way: A key element is using the “Innovation
Diamond”
Dr. Robert G. Cooper & Michael S. Mills (Reference No. 21)
New products are engines to growth and profitability for many companies, including Procter
and Gamble (P&G). In this article, the authors explore the drivers of new product
performance with a particular focus on P&G’s best practices. The “Innovation
Diamond” is used as an integrative and guiding framework to help management focus
on what’s important to success: innovation strategy, a solid idea-to-launch process,
portfolio management, and the right climate and leadership.
Keywords: Stage-Gate®, The Procter and Gamble Company, Innovation
Diamond™,
Leadership, Portfolio Management
|
|
Your NPD Portfolio may be harmful to your business’s health
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 20)
Recent NPD studies contain a number of surprises: Most shocking is that the impact of
new product development (NPD) on the sales and profits of many corporations is down,
when looked at in terms of contribution to total sales and profits. How has this happened,
and why? In this article, Dr. Robert Cooper takes a hard look at the facts and examines
a number of possible reasons for this trend. He also provides recommendations on how
companies can rebalance their NPD portfolios to become more profitable.
Keywords: Portfolio, benchmarking, speed, incremental projects, new product projects
|
|
From Experience: The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 19)
Dr. Cooper lowers the microscope on the state of product innovation and examines the
common reasons for poor results. The critical success factors are noticeably absent from
the typical new product project. The article outlines how companies can recognize one
of the seven common innovation problems that Dr. Cooper refers to as the new product
development “Blockers”
to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Keywords: Product innovation process, critical success factors, blockers, portfolio
approaches, and capacity analysis
 Download
(.pdf - 1.17 MB)
|
|
|
NPD Practices: The dark side of time and time metrics in product innovation
Dr. Robert G. Cooper & Dr. Scott J. Edgett (Reference No. 16)
Dr. Cooper and Dr. Edgett examine how time and time metrics are having a negative impact
on product innovation today. The effects of two manifestations of this problem are examined
in detail: too great an emphasis on measures of short term profitability and too sharp
a reduction in time-to-market. The paper examines what can be done to counteract these
negative pressures and how to enhance the product innovation process.
Keywords: Profitability, metrics, resource planning, speed-to-market, and go/kill
decisions
|
|
Optimizing the Stage-Gate Process – Part 2
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, Dr. Scott J. Edgett &
Dr. Elko J. Kleinschmidt (Reference No. 15)
Dr. Cooper, Dr. Edgett and Dr. Kleinschmidt focus on the methods and techniques that
help companies achieve better project selection and prioritization. The paper examines
how to build more effective go/kill decisions points – tough gates – and
to move towards successful portfolio management.
Keywords: Stage-Gate®, portfolio management, prioritization, gate meetings,
and go/kill decisions
|
|
Optimizing the Stage-Gate® Process – Part 1
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, Dr. Scott J. Edgett &
Dr. Elko J. Kleinschmidt (Reference No. 14)
Dr. Cooper, Dr. Edgett and Dr. Kleinschmidt report on their observations and experiences
working with a multitude of companies, and on the practices the companies have incorporated
into their product innovation processes. The following practices are explored in the
paper: the addition of a discovery stage at the front end of the innovation process,
harnessing fundamental research more effectively, and building in more effective go/kill
decision points to move towards portfolio management.
Keywords: Stage-Gate®, discovery, voice of customer research (VoC), fundamental
research, and technology developments
|
|
Portfolio Management for New Product Development: Results of an Industry Practices Study
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, Dr. Scott J. Edgett &
Dr. Elko J. Kleinschmidt (Reference No. 13)
This paper reports the results of a survey questionnaire sent to IRI member companies
participating in an ongoing best practices study (results as of October 2001). Dr. Cooper,
Dr. Edgett and Dr. Kleinschmidt examine the consequences of poor portfolio management
practices. They outline the results of the study including the role of portfolio management
at the participating companies and why industry considers it to be so important. The
article then examines popular tools, methods and models employed by these companies to
make go/kill decisions and to help prioritize projects.
Keywords: Industrial Research Institute (IRI), portfolio management, tools, models,
and methods.
|
|
Doing it Right – Winning with New Products
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 10)
This paper examines the two ways to win at product innovation: doing projects right and doing
the right projects. Dr. Cooper explores the critical success factors that make the
difference between winning and losing at innovation. He outlines key components of the
authentic Stage-Gate® system and the four goals of successful portfolio management.
Keywords: Stage-Gate®, new product process, critical success factors, portfolio
management, and scoring criteria.
|
|
New Problems, New Solutions: Making Portfolio Management More Effective
Dr. Robert G. Cooper, Dr. Scott J. Edgett &
Dr. Elko J. Kleinschmidt (Reference No. 9)
This article incorporates the results of management interviews conducted with IRI member
companies in an ongoing best practice study (results as of March/April 2000). It isolates
the four common difficulties experienced by the participants along with the proposed
solutions. Dr. Cooper, Dr. Edgett and Dr. Kleinschmidt discuss the benefits of each of
the two approaches to integrating a portfolio management process with a product innovation
process, and outline common portfolio management methods and tools used by the companies
in the study to help them to do the right projects.
Keywords: Stage-Gate®, Industrial Research Institute (IRI), portfolio
management, resource capacity analysis, and methods.
|
|
An Investigation into the New Product Process: Steps, Deficiencies, and Impact on Performance
Dr. Robert G. Cooper and Dr. Elko J. Kleinschmidt (Reference No. 6)
In a comprehensive study of 252 new products histories at 123 firms, Robert Cooper
and Elko Kleinschmidt looked critically at the new products management process. Each
company was shown a set of 12 activities which formed a general "skeleton: of
a new product process.
|
|
How New Product Strategies Impact on Performance
Dr. Robert G. Cooper (Reference No. 5)
What is involved in a successful new product program? Is it high spending on risky
R&D? Is it close contact with customers? Is it the overall competitive strength
of the firm? Well, it might be any of these things, and more according to Robert
G. Cooper, depending on your definition of success. In an exhaustive examination
of the new product strategies and performances of 122 industrial products firms,
Cooper found that the strategy that a firm elects for its new product program is
closely linked to the performance results that firm achieves. But what’s performance?
|
|
