338 The Marketing Book
hand, and building on the expertise accumu-
lated with regard to technologies and markets
on the other.
Although much research points to the need
for cross-functional teams, the extent to which
these should be autonomous will depend,
among other things, on the type of NPD being
pursued. In addition, it is noteworthy that in
Griffin’s latest study, ‘structure does not con-
tribute materially to differentiating the Best
from the Rest’ (p. 443). It seems, then, that
research is still some way from explaining how
companies can best organize their NPD efforts
in order to achieve the cross-functional integra-
tion and information sharing that seems so
central to successful NPD.
Summary
This chapter has focused exclusively on how
new products are developed. Starting with the
proposition that it takes more than a good idea
to make a successful new product, it has
described the main activities needed to bring a
new product to market successfully. In so
doing, the main critical success factors for NPD
which have been revealed through research
have been woven into the discussion of the
process models commonly exhorted as the
blueprints for success. This discussion has, in
turn, highlighted the importance of market
information to the successful completion of
NPD projects, but it has also shown that blind
adherence to a model for NPD cannot be
productive, as the whole business needs to be
characterized by flexibility and open to crea-
tivity from various sources within and outside
companies. The argument has presented infor-
mation as a central thread of successful NPD.
The NPD process is one of uncertainty reduc-
tion, which requires information, constant
evaluation of options, which requires informa-
tion, and integration of various functional
perspectives, also requiring the sharing of
information.
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