Product development management structure

A proposed product development process that facilitates designing capable and reliable products has been outlined above. It must be stressed that the product development process itself will not produce quality products, and consideration of many issues are crucial to success, such as company strategy, management structure, commitment, sufficient resources, communication, and most importantly proficient engineering practices, such as the following. 

An interesting variety of the organization scheme is the combination of the positions of head of business development and R D in one and the same person. It eliminates the above mentioned friction. This structure is particularly suitable for small to midsize fine-chemical companies, where the total number of researches and business development managers does not exceed 10. The ideal candidate for this position is a scientist with several years of experience in industrial R D and pilot plant production, plus a commercial flair. 

For example, many of the elements of project management applied in the construction and telecommunications industries do not work in pharmaceutical development. This includes earned value, configuration management, and detailed representations of the work breakdown structures. These concepts actually provide too much structure when applied to pharmaceutical or any product development and could potentially have a... 

To accelerate the introduction of more effective medical countermeasures, there needs to be an overhaul of the DOD drug and vaccine management structure. The new structure and processes should mimic best commercial practices and allow for risk tolerance in product development. To ensure that this issue receives the attention needed, the Chief of Naval Operations needs to champion an effort through the Secretary of the Navy to accelerate those efforts that are of the highest interest to naval forces. 

The multidivisional structure adopted to support related diversification enabled governance of multiple integrated learning bases. The division managers were responsible for the financial and operational performance, and for their units overall success and failure. Corporate headquarters consisted of the senior executives who evaluated performance of the individual divisions and planned and readjusted the overall broad strategy of their companies on the basis of these evaluations. In addition, headquarters included a corporate staff that provided a broad range of services, including basic research and product development, for the divisions and the company as a whole. 

A Microsoft Access product developed by local staff demonstrates an exemplary attempt to manage parts inventory to best effect. The product developed is substantial, and a cursory exploration of its structure suggests that it is technically well founded if not perfect. The product has an inventory of over 5,000 parts and has recorded over 7,000 transactions accumulated since 2001. Certainly, this type of product will help manage scarce resources to best effect, and will be a major asset going forward. However, there are some aspects of this that are not clearly defined. These include the following ... 

Rapid product development (RPD) shortens the feedback control cycles concerned with product data generation and the associated management processes. RPD exploits the potential of modem information and communication tools in order to support the necessary dynamic cooperation structures. Development times are systematically shortened by means of a holistic integration of man, organization, and technology. The learning processes can be systematically relocated to early product development phases. As a result of generative methods of production and virtual reality, physical and virtual prototypes can be made quickly available. 

Product development and commercialization is the process that provides the structure for developing and bringing to market products jointly with customers and suppliers. Effective implementation of the process not only enables management to coordinate the efficient flow of new products across the supply chain, but also assists other members of the supply chain with the ramp-up of manufacturing, logistics, marketing, and other activities necessary to support the commercialization of the product... 

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