Rapid Product Development Handbook

Rapid Development Handbook paves the footpath for companies facing challenges with their capability to response to urgent product development needs. This book brings together practices and tools researched in Product Management research group at the University of Oulu, many of which have already been presented in scientific publications. As such, this book aims to clarify practices and operational models used in small-scale incremental product development projects. Main challenges addressed are lost business opportunities due to delayed product development activities, inefficient use of product development resources and confusion and delays in ongoing product development projects.

Research on product management in University of Oulu focuses on developing and managing products, and services, throughout their life-cycles. Product management research group has specific interests including positioning of early product development, and division of activities into new product development, rapid product development and productisation. Research on product management analyses product development processes and relevant stakeholders at business case, business model, and business ecosystem levels. Other focus areas include active product management and product portfolio management practices over product life-cycle, competitive renewal of product portfolios by introducing new products, maintaining the products and by product removal and phase-out. In addition, the research covers accelerating product development processes, lean thinking, and agile methods. Also, product and master data management concepts, processes, tools and governance models are in focus. The research by the product management research group also involves product development related knowledge and knowledge management as a more abstract viewpoint, and product data management as a technical viewpoint. One of the latest interest areas is product development related sourcing. For the efficiency of business processes the product design principles, and Design for Excellence are integral part of the research interests. The research aims to serve companies' true needs and pursuit academic excellence by producing relevant knowledge for companies and creating high level publications and research reports. The research is realised in projects partially financed by companies.