Regardless of what industry you’re in, when it comes to new product introduction (NPI), time is of the essence. Customers constantly want the latest and greatest, and by accelerating and innovating the product development process, you can reduce time to market and be more competitive.
Understanding the product development lifecycle
Here are the basic stages of the product development lifecycle:
- Idea generation
- Business analysis
- Engineering and design
- Manufacturing
- Training, maintenance and support
Taking the right steps can help accelerate this lifecycle and push new products to the market before competitors do. Keep reading to learn eight ways you can accelerate the NPI process in manufacturing.
Ways to speed up new product introduction
- Strengthen communication and collaboration between all stages. For example, make sure everyone’s working off of the same product specifications.
- Improve training effectiveness. A team can accelerate NPI when armed with the right knowledge and experience.
- Establish a common workflow for all locations. This leads to greater consistency and efficiency.
- Automate the development process. This can streamline production and allow you to put more focus on core parts of the operation.
- Consider outsourcing certain tasks. This, too, can allow you to focus on other parts of the operation.
- Watch for anomalies that slow production. These might include factors such as machine stiffness, actuator acceleration, heat transfer or fluid delivery, among other possibilities.
- Attract customers early on. Build as much awareness and excitement about your new product as you can before it’s out.
- Practice the product launch. This will help you better control multiple aspects of NPI.
Accelerating NPI is key to a manufacturer’s success. By reducing time to market, you can increase profits and get a step up on your competitors.
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