Much strategic guidance that is currently available on product and service development is still focused in the relatively short term. Companies must plan and be flexible if they are to survive and flourish in the future, but too many surrender to the necessity for a short-term healthy bottom-line in order to satisfy their shareholders. In order to satisfy and retain customer-base, organizations should not only ensure that their products and services available now are the best around, but that they will also be the best in the future. This is particularly important as product life cycles contract and organisations need to introduce replacement products and services at a faster and faster rate. The globalizing economy and advances in modern technology are also important factors. This book points that way to becoming more competitive and remaining competitive, ensuring a healthy and secure future. It will also help companies identify product and service failures, and eliminate them from the company's horizons. Written in an engaging and thought-provoking way, this book seizes on a rapidly growing area of interest for practitioners and students alike. Although companies are being advised to look to, and plan for the long term, there is nothing currently available which provides real advice on what should be done now. The book takes a thoroughly practical approach by establishing a realistic set of guidelines to enable organizations to start to move and continue to move in the right direction. This is supported by a wealth of tools and techniques on how to implement what has been proposed.

BILL HOLLINS undertakes consultancy in the area of new product development, where he is acknowledged as one of the world's leading authorities. He has worked extensively in industry and has a doctorate in Design Management from Strathclyde University. He also teaches at the Westminster Business School and Brunel University. He is widely published with several books and over ninety other publications to his credit. After several years working in industry, GILLIAN HOLLINS spent time undertaking research at Henley Management College. She is now Principal of Direction Consultants with Bill Hollins. Her primary area of interest is in the people side of the design process. She is a member of the Institute of Personnel and Development, and a member of the Institute of Employment Consultants.

About the Authors

ix

Foreword

xi

Preface -- Your Products and Services more than Ten Years on

xiii

Introduction

xvii

The Service sector

xix

How to Use this Book

xxi

TIME FRAME ONE -- SURVIVAL IN THE PRESENT

1

(34)

The Organization

3

(10)

What to do now to Remain Competitive in the Future

3

(1)

Organisational Issues

4

(9)

Tools and Techniques in this Time Frame

13

(22)

Corporate Identity and Corporate Culture

13

(2)

Total Quality Management

15

(7)

Adding Value or Adding Cost

22

(3)

Blueprinting

25

(5)

Relationship Marketing

30

(1)

Benchmarking

30

(2)

Empowerment? Grab It, You Can Only Do Better

32

(1)

So Where are you Going?

32

(1)

Summary of Time Frame One

33

(2)

TIME FRAME TWO -- NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

35

(76)

Organisational issues

37

(12)

Introduction

37

(1)

The Background

38

(1)

The Right Product

38

(1)

What is the Right Product?

39

(1)

Increasing Competition

40

(3)

Allow Time

43

(1)

Skills Audit

44

(1)

Strategy, up to Six Years Ahead

44

(3)

Fashion

47

(2)

Tools and Techniques in this Time Frame

49

(16)

Frameworks

49

(2)

Write a complete process for the service you are going to develop

51

(9)

Choosing a Leader

60

(3)

Design Teams

63

(2)

New Product Failures and How to Avoid Them in Your Organization

65

(8)

If only they were as Bright as you are

65

(2)

Did it Make a Profit?

67

(4)

Not Enough Failures?

71

(2)

The Start

73

(6)

Important Stages in a Typical Process Model

73

(1)

Triggers

73

(1)

Look at the Market

74

(5)

Specifications and Subspecifications -- The Control for New Products and services

79

(16)

Introduction

79

(1)

How to Write a Specification

80

(5)

The Most Important elements

85

(4)

Specifications Elements

89

(1)

Subspecifications

90

(1)

Research into User Friendly Specifications -- Refining and Simplifying the Process

90

(5)

How Do You Justify the Project to the Accountant?

95

(16)

So How Do You Do It?

95

(3)

Demand Variation

98

(4)

Operating Parameters

102

(1)

Reducing the Cost

103

(1)

Questions to Ask at the Outset

104

(1)

To Summarise

105

(2)

Subsequent Evaluation

107

(1)

Summary of Time Frame Two

108

(3)

TIME FRAME THREE -- NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BY INNOVATION

111

(34)

Innovation

113

(12)

Introduction

113

(2)

Organisational issues

115

(1)

When is Innovation Needed?

115

(1)

Is Innovation Always Needed?

116

(4)

What is Innovation?

120

(3)

Innovate Throughout the Process

123

(2)

Innovation -- Tools and Techniques

125

(20)

Product Status

125

(2)

How to Innovate -- Reassessing the Lone Designer and Creativity

127

(1)

A New Direction?

127

(8)

Blueprinting enhanced -- a New Design Method for improving Service

135

(2)

Identifying the Best Concept -- the Concept assessment Matrix

137

(5)

Summary of Time Frame Three

142

(3)

TIME FRAME FOUR -- PART I NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OVER THE HORIZON

145

(50)

Looking a Long Way Ahead

147

(6)

Three Score Years and Ten

147

(1)

Introduction

148

(2)

Plan for the Future

150

(3)

The Powers That Be

153

(6)

Does the Government Know Best?

153

(1)

Can we be a Low Wage Economy?

154

(1)

What Can You control?

155

(1)

Your Focus for Improvement

156

(3)

A System Rather Than a Process

159

(4)

Introduction

159

(1)

The Current Situation

159

(1)

So How do you Plan for Even Further Ahead?

160

(3)

The Effect of New Technology

163

(14)

Introduction

163

(8)

What don't People like About the Present?

171

(3)

The Effect on manufacturing Capability

174

(3)

Idea Generation for the Future

177

(18)

Products and Services to Solve Today's Problems

179

(1)

Business cycles

180

(1)

A Green Future

180

(2)

How Products and Services Change

182

(1)

What Causes Products and Services to Change?

182

(5)

Skills Audit -- a Reminder

187

(1)

Are You an Innovative Organisation?

188

(3)

Plant and Business Location

191

(4)

TIME FRAME FOUR -- PART II THE PROCESS

195

(36)

How to Find the Future

197

(34)

Introduction

197

(4)

Islands of future Focus

201

(6)

GANPS

207

(1)

Communication

208

(3)

Creativity

211

(2)

Tools and Techniques for Time Frame Four

213

(1)

GANPS Assessment Matrix

213

(13)

Who Finds Things Out?

226

(5)

To Summarise this Book

231

(2)

End Note

233

(2)

References

235

(6)

Index

241

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