Proposition of a Maturity Grid to Assess NPD Agility
Year: 2009
Editor: Norell Bergendahl, M.; Grimheden, M.; Leifer, L.; Skogstad, P.; Lindemann, U.
Author: Wieder, Charlotte; Le Dain, Marie-Anne; Blanco, Eric
Series: ICED
Section: Design Organization and Management
Page(s): 85-96
Abstract
Since the mid 90's, the manufacturers need to renew continuously their product offers, to thrive in more competitive and turbulent markets. However, the implementation of continuous innovation approaches impacts their existing NPD process, in terms of organisation, processes and skills. The issue addressed in this paper is how can they integrate in continuous way innovations into their NPD process, without to degrade its performance objective? By mobilising the literature on continuous innovation, open innovation and agility, we argue that these manufacturers need to have an agile NPD process to successfully absorb innovations into the NPD process. The main contribution of this paper is the presentation of the NPD agility concept with its associated capabilities. Four practices areas are suggested, to assess the NPD agility. Combined with the identification of four maturity levels and associated engineering practices, they constitute the analysis framework of a maturity grid, aiming at assessing the NPD agility. This research is performed in partnership with PCO Innovation, a consulting company, willing to support its clients on this new issue.
Keywords: NPD agility, RID model, open innovation, maturity grid, consulting