Teaching Chapter 1: Introduction
Timing
This chapter can be used in a number of ways. We find the material in the chapter useful as a reading assignment for the first class session. This serves to introduce both the textbook and the topic of product development. Of course with such a modular text, it is not problematic for students to read the first chapter without a supporting class session (or to skip this chapter entirely). It is also possible to present this chapter along with the "product development processes" portion of Chapter 2 in a single session at the beginning of the course.
Objectives and Strategy
The introductory session of a course can be quite full of administrative issues to discuss, particularly for a project course. We find it useful to present all of the administrative and logistic details in written form with the syllabus. This allows us to actually spend most of the first class session discussing course projects and introducing the subject of product development. Here we describe how one can do the latter.
Session Outline
The session can follow this flow:
Importance of Product Development
We like to begin the class by illustrating the importance of product development to firms. This can be done by describing examples of successful new products and how they came to be. We use several examples, such as:
Scope of Development Efforts
Product development can be both exciting and intense. For some products, the focused efforts of a small team result in a successful new product. For complex products, the development team can be very large, as Exhibit 1-3 shows. It is worthwhile to spend a few minutes discussing the scope of the development efforts involved for the five products with data given in the exhibit. Students may be surprised to learn that development projects generally last from two to five years, regardless of the complexity. However when thousands of components are involved, hundreds or thousands of people must develop these parts. The challenges of coordination and integration can be substantial.
Role of Structured Methods
Most people think of design activities as rather creative efforts. As such, they resist the notion that structure can and should be applied to improve the process. However, product development (which includes many design-related activities) is often quite procedural, with sets of activities that can generally be documented, studied, and improved. It is the recognition of the structure of these processes that facilitates improvement of the practice of product development.
Since the textbook presents a set of structured methods for product development, it is useful to define the benefits of using these tools. Structured methods are step-by-step procedures for completing development tasks. The benefits of using structured methods are described in the chapter and can be reviewed in class.
Benefits of Integration
To develop a quality product, firms have found that a wide range of skills is required. The necessary talents may be found in various types of engineers, marketers, industrial designers, managers, manufacturing personnel, and others. Best practice today always involves a team of people representing the necessary disciplines and skills (a cross-functional team). The book assumes that a proper team can be formed. Class projects should also strive for this sort of balance.
Props
Examples of successful products are useful. Some of the products listed above can be brought to show the class. Alternatively, photographs can be used, perhaps in a slide-show format.
In-Class Exercise
As an exercise, the class can work to fill in a chart like Exhibit 1-3 for another product. We have done this in class with the full range of products represented by the exhibit (before we created the table for the book). It is best for the instructor to prepare this exercise in advance so that the actual numbers will be available in case the class lacks the intuition required to fill in the chart.
This chapter can be used in a number of ways. We find the material in the chapter useful as a reading assignment for the first class session. This serves to introduce both the textbook and the topic of product development. Of course with such a modular text, it is not problematic for students to read the first chapter without a supporting class session (or to skip this chapter entirely). It is also possible to present this chapter along with the "product development processes" portion of Chapter 2 in a single session at the beginning of the course.
Objectives and Strategy
The introductory session of a course can be quite full of administrative issues to discuss, particularly for a project course. We find it useful to present all of the administrative and logistic details in written form with the syllabus. This allows us to actually spend most of the first class session discussing course projects and introducing the subject of product development. Here we describe how one can do the latter.
Session Outline
The session can follow this flow:
- Importance of Product Development
- Scope of Development Efforts
- Role of Structured Methods
- Benefits of Integration
Importance of Product Development
We like to begin the class by illustrating the importance of product development to firms. This can be done by describing examples of successful new products and how they came to be. We use several examples, such as:
- Apple Macintosh PowerBook Computers
- Nokia Mobile Telephones
- Ford Sport/Utility Vehicles
- Gillette Razors
- OXO Good Grips Kitchen Gadgets
Scope of Development Efforts
Product development can be both exciting and intense. For some products, the focused efforts of a small team result in a successful new product. For complex products, the development team can be very large, as Exhibit 1-3 shows. It is worthwhile to spend a few minutes discussing the scope of the development efforts involved for the five products with data given in the exhibit. Students may be surprised to learn that development projects generally last from two to five years, regardless of the complexity. However when thousands of components are involved, hundreds or thousands of people must develop these parts. The challenges of coordination and integration can be substantial.
Role of Structured Methods
Most people think of design activities as rather creative efforts. As such, they resist the notion that structure can and should be applied to improve the process. However, product development (which includes many design-related activities) is often quite procedural, with sets of activities that can generally be documented, studied, and improved. It is the recognition of the structure of these processes that facilitates improvement of the practice of product development.
Since the textbook presents a set of structured methods for product development, it is useful to define the benefits of using these tools. Structured methods are step-by-step procedures for completing development tasks. The benefits of using structured methods are described in the chapter and can be reviewed in class.
Benefits of Integration
To develop a quality product, firms have found that a wide range of skills is required. The necessary talents may be found in various types of engineers, marketers, industrial designers, managers, manufacturing personnel, and others. Best practice today always involves a team of people representing the necessary disciplines and skills (a cross-functional team). The book assumes that a proper team can be formed. Class projects should also strive for this sort of balance.
Props
Examples of successful products are useful. Some of the products listed above can be brought to show the class. Alternatively, photographs can be used, perhaps in a slide-show format.
In-Class Exercise
As an exercise, the class can work to fill in a chart like Exhibit 1-3 for another product. We have done this in class with the full range of products represented by the exhibit (before we created the table for the book). It is best for the instructor to prepare this exercise in advance so that the actual numbers will be available in case the class lacks the intuition required to fill in the chart.