Week 6: Product Development Management

This week I read or watched the following:

• Ch 6 Marketing Handbook: Product development is fun and fascinating.  I am working right now to refine and more effectively use a new stage gate NPD process as a project manager in R&D. 
• Colgate Palmolive Case Study
• Form Ruins to Riches (Apple): Very interesting to see the evolution of Apple over the years and see the lessons that one of the greatest companies learned over the years.  It is crazy hearing the reaction of the crowd to the Microsoft cooperation and seeing Gates present at Macworld via webcam. 
• Rory Sutherland Tedtalk: That guy is entertaining; both because of his interesting points and his delivery. The perspective he has for value is strange to think about, but makes sense. 
• David Bell video: I really didn't think I needed an iPad (in addition to a smart phone and laptop) until I got one...now I feel like my wife and I each need one.  Bell found that consumers don't know what they want until they have it in front of them. 
• Camtasia videos:  Great to see a NPDP from the marketing side of things.  I am in NPD from an engineering/operations background working with marketing people. 

Questions from the week: 

1. Consider various "products" you use.  Can you think of the various levels of this product?
1. Core Product: Peace of mind, restoration of files. Actual Product: Automated backup service. Agumented Product: More storage to not have to select which areas are backed up, Sharing capabilities. 
2. Core: Transportation, access to different locations.  Actual: Car.  Augmented: Extra floormats, car wash, wheel spinners etc.
2. Products are tools (drill) that provide consumer benefits.  If the a better tool comes along that provides the same core benefit but is easier to get, cheaper, or more fun then the old tool will be obsolete.  Can you think of cases where products have become obsolete? 
1. Portable music: Cassette tapes. CDs (almost). Mini Discs.
2. Memories: Film
3. More examples are here
3. Considering the diagram of page 102 of your text how do you think product development has been affected by shorter product lifecycles?  Has technology affected product development? 
1. Shorter product lifecycles means that product development needs to be faster to market and more cost effective or higher payouts. 
2. Technology has affected product development by providing tools to more effectively analyze the products, crowdsource better and test concepts more widely.