In this post, we are talking about the What are Product Development Process, Design, and development of a new product is a very complex and costly process. Much new product design may die technically or commercially business wise) in any stages of the product development process.

Product Development Process

A product design passes through the following identifiable steps in sequential order.

  1. Need Identification
  2. Product planning (Feasibility study)
  3. Advanced design
  4. Product development and engineering
  5. Process design and development
  6. Production evaluation and improvement
  7. Product use and support

1. Need identification

The concept of a new product starts with the identification of customer needs. New product or advancement of the existing product should be able to satisfy customer needs, requirements and expectations. Pure research and applied research is used for identification of customers needs.

2. Product planning (Feasibility study)

Product planning is concerned with the following preliminary activities.
  • Preliminary market analysis
  • Creating alternative concepts of products
  • Clarifying the operational requirements
  • Establishing the design criterion and their priorities
  • Estimating the logistic requirement for producing, distributing and maintaining the product in the market
After this stage, a conceptual design of the product is developed. Conceptual design includes basic characteristics such as shape, size and other characteristics like retail price, product reliability, product function, etc. These basic properties are also called the product concept or design concept. Infeasibility study, a technically fit product may be found unfeasible due to market point of view or commercial point of view. Here in this stage, friction (conflict) may arise between technical and business personnel.

3. Advanced design

In advance design stage, product concept or design concept obtained from feasibility study are examined technically. It is concerned with developing and evaluating the design alternative if necessary.

4. Product development and engineering

In this stage, several engineering activities are carried out to analyze the experiment and collect data for product development. The developed product should meet the following objective:
  • Functionality. The product design should have the intended performance.
  • Reliability. The product should perform consistently
  • Manufacturing. The product should be manufactured at the intended cost and volumes.
  • Maintainability. The product should be economically maintained.
Computer analysis, simulations and physical prototypes types allow for testing and evaluating various design alternatives and also confirm that best-selected design meets the design objectives. Ultimately, a final design of a product, with required drawings, working prototype associated with required documents is developed. The same is subjected to the main production via the production process.

5. Process design and development

While working with detailed product design, engineers and manufacturing specialists prepare plans for acquisition, construction, storage, transport, and distribution for the designated product. In this step production planning controlling an associated human resource, the system is also developed.

6. Production evaluations and improvement

The product performance in the market, the sort falls or difficulties in productions and results of other researchers are feedback for the redesign of the product.

7. Product use and support

In the Product development process, the ultimate stage of product design and development is to fulfill the customer needs and expectation about their needs and expectations can be enhanced by the following activities.
  • Educating the people on the application of the product
  • Provide warranty, repair and after sale service
  • Improve the design of the product as required