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Some companies to aid the product development process have implemented a stage‐gate framework, as a high‐level representation of the activities required. Such a framework allows the development process to be closely monitored and controlled, using stages of work and review gates. Six different companies have been examined to show the variations in representation. Each approach was compared to a generic four‐staged framework. Companies which are organised mainly in cross‐functional teams adhere strongly to the four stages, namely a low‐phased approach. However, companies organised with a strong functional structure tend to have more phases and gates within each stage, i.e. a high‐phased approach. These additional phases tend to be placed late in the product development process rather than at the start where their effect would be greater. A generic representation of the product development process applicable to various organisations and industrial sectors, provides an architecture for carrying out any business process improvement project.

For packed products, packaging affects every logistical activity and thus the overall economic and ecological efficiency (eco-efficiency) of supply chains. The purpose of this research is to explore how integrated approaches are used in packaging development processes to increase eco-efficiency along supply chains and how a set of pre-selected factors influences the adoption of practically integrated approaches within companies.

The research approach is explorative and based on nine cases in the food and manufacturing industries in Sweden. In total, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted.

The chapter describes the way in which companies work with ‘integrative’ packaging development process elements. It explores how four factors – product characteristics, packaging requirements, logistical conditions and environmental efforts – influence their approach.

The study analyses the packaging development processes at a limited number of companies in Sweden.

The findings can help logistics managers to better understand how integrated approaches can be applied in packaging development processes to increase eco-efficiency of logistical processes along the supply chain. The study provides logistic managers also with information about which influencing factors can serve as facilitators or barriers to these approaches in their organisations.

Previous research has demonstrated the potential economic and environmental benefits of integrating a logistics perspective into the packaging development process. This study complements existing knowledge by presenting extensive empirical data on the practical application of integrated approaches in packaging development processes in industry.

The paper provides an overview of research published in the innovation and operations management (IOM) literature on 15 methods for cost management in new product development, and it provides a comparison to an earlier review of the management accounting (MA) literature (Wouters & Morales, 2014).

This structured literature search covers papers published in 23 journals in IOM in the period 1990–2014.

The search yielded a sample of 208 unique papers with 275 results (one paper could refer to multiple cost management methods). The top 3 methods are modular design, component commonality, and product platforms, with 115 results (42%) together. In the MA literature, these three methods accounted for 29%, but target costing was the most researched cost management method by far (26%). Simulation is the most frequently used research method in the IOM literature, whereas this was averagely used in the MA literature; qualitative studies were the most frequently used research method in the MA literature, whereas this was averagely used in the IOM literature. We found a lot of papers presenting practical approaches or decision models as a further development of a particular cost management method, which is a clear difference from the MA literature.

This review focused on the same cost management methods, and future research could also consider other cost management methods which are likely to be more important in the IOM literature compared to the MA literature. Future research could also investigate innovative cost management practices in more detail through longitudinal case studies.

This review of research on methods for cost management published outside the MA literature provides an overview for MA researchers. It highlights key differences between both literatures in their research of the same cost management methods.

The essential investments in new product development (NPD) made by industrial companies entail effective management of NPD activities. In this context, performance measurement is one of the means that can be employed in the pursuit of effectiveness.

This paper examines how the management control practices of organization members enable the alignment of product development projects with potentially conflicting corporate strategies during the product development process.

Using an ethnomethodology informed research approach, we carry out a case study of an innovative New Zealand food company. Case study data included an internal company document, interviews with organization members, and an external market analysis document.

Our case study company had both sales growth and profit growth corporate strategies which have been argued to cause tensions. We found that four management control practices enabled the alignment of product development projects to these strategies. The first management control practice was having the NPD and marketing functions responsible for different corporate strategies. Other management control practices included the involvement of organization members from across multiple functions, the activities they carried out, and the measures used to evaluate project performance during the product development process.

These findings add new insights to the management accounting literature by showing how a combination of management control practices can be used by organization members to align projects with potentially conflicting corporate strategies during the product development process.

While the alignment of product development projects to corporate strategy is not easy this study shows how it can be enabled through a number of management control practices.

We contribute to the management accounting research in this area by extending our understanding of the management control practices used during the product development process.

Existing literature clearly documents the importance of new product development to success of a manufacturing firm. Many examples of generic models of the process, including sequential, concurrent, and multiple convergent models, can be found. However, these models are of insufficient detail to provide an adequate foundation for redesigning the apparel product development process. The no‐interval coherently phased product development (NICPPD) model for apparel introduced in this paper documents apparel product development as a six phase process with multiple convergent points and coherently phased divisions. The NICPPD model provides for developing both product lines and individual products, developing seasonal lines and multiple seasons annually, and use of alternative development strategies including original design development, knock‐offs or take‐offs, and modification of existing products. Multiple applications for use of the NICPPD model by both researchers and practitioners in examining and improving the apparel product development process are identified.

This paper proposes an integrated approach for assessing innovation management practices using an innovation management assessment framework, with the application of the innovation management assessment framework at the incubation and firm level.

Innovation management assessment framework is developed, based on the literature review. An innovation management assessment framework toolkit for training innovation practitioners is proposed as the basis for the framework implementation in the industry. The main approach is to make close alignment of the design for lean six sigma phases within broader innovation and stage-gate model in the innovation management assessment framework.

The operationalization of the innovation management assessment framework is enabled and supported by an assessment framework and a toolkit for managing innovation.

A roadmap for innovation management and assessment of performance at incubatee/firm level.

It provides a tool for developing innovative products and services for incubatees in start-ups, thus fueling the economy. It also has applications for ongoing established businesses.

Innovation of new business development can be made through a well-designed and implemented innovation programme that is aligned with stage-gate and design for lean six sigma phases through the innovation management assessment framework.

This paper aims to investigate how various organizational interfaces between firms, units and functions, and the interplay between them, are developed and mobilized in product development processes.

The theoretical framework is based on the industrial network approach, including interactive resource development and the concept of organizational interfaces. A single case study is conducted at a world-leading industrial tool manufacturer, illustrating how resources are combined over time, crossing boundaries of firms, units and functions in the development of a hand-held digitalized tool for quality assurance in the production of cars. Data have been collected through semi-structured interviews, with additional data in the form of project reports, internal documents and practices for external collaboration.

In addition to inter-organizational interfaces, the study identifies a typology of scouting, embarking and integration interfaces at unit level (geographically spread units of one multinational corporation) and interpretation and reciprocal interfaces at function level. The conclusions show that these interfaces affect the outcome of three aspects of the product development process: product characteristics and functionality features, system integration and organizational network extent. Existing interfaces serve as a platform for developing interaction further and provide the interfaces with new content, thus moving between different types of interfaces. Product development processes also involve new interfaces where there was no previous interaction between the parties.

This research has implications for the interplay between interfaces in cases involving multiple external and internal actors in resource combining efforts.

External interactions between firms influence and impact internal activities and resources. Managers need to be aware of the complex interdependencies between external and internal interfaces and resources. Managing organizational interfaces is about both exploiting established interfaces and developing new ones. Consequently, existing interfaces may be activated differently to align with new interaction purposes, which, in turn, requires efforts to combine resources according to the new conditions.

Previous research contains a typology of organizational interfaces between customers and suppliers. The study expands on this research by identifying internal interfaces between units and functions.

In today's knowledge economy, a major challenge for the managers is to effectively link the knowledge management (KM) initiatives with the ever‐changing organizational needs. The problem arises due to disjoint strategic alignment between these two, which is mainly due to inappropriate KM framework and adoption of some quick‐fix solutions to achieve business results. Hence, for effective management and utilization of knowledge assets, KM initiative should be dovetailed to link with key organizational goals like new product development (NPD), customer satisfaction and manufacturing excellence. The purpose of this paper is to propose a suitable KM system.

This paper proposes an approach for KM system development to ensure a fit between the organizational needs during NPD and KM initiatives. Soft system methodology (SSM) has been adopted to design this framework.

This research identified a list of knowledge‐sharing methods, which help in intra‐level or inter‐level knowledge flow. The proposed framework highlights the hierarchal nature and bi‐directional flow of knowledge. Further, this work observed that there are two additional key enablers to effective knowledge management system – competency and infrastructure.

This work focuses on an auto‐component supplier in India. Therefore, this work is limited by the organizational culture, location, business model and the sector in which this research was done.

This paper suggests that a technical knowledge driven process like NPD has three strategic enablers – technology, people and process. The sustenance of the NPD process is affected by the balance among these enablers. Fundamentally, a comprehensive and integrative framework not only ensures a structured framework but also helps in better adoption due to stakeholders' buy‐in of the process.

Existing earlier supplier involvement (ESI) models mostly emphasize the product development perspective with limited attention to the process development dimension. Towards this end, this paper aims at a tailored framework for semiconductor manufacturing firms by taking into account the implementation of ESI in process development as well as product development.

A number of well‐recognized propositions are examined through a case study of MIC Semiconductors Asia. Based on observations from the case study, the problems of existing frameworks are analyzed and accordingly possible solutions are explored.

The case study reveals the importance of process development in ESI implementation. It is imperative to build up on some fundamentals of the company before ESI can be carried out successfully. Also observed is that the effectiveness of a supplier selection criterion should be gauged from the performance of the suppliers. It is also found out what type of relationships with suppliers are favorable to ESI, regardless whether the length of the relationship can be translated to trust in technical capability in practice.

Examining existing ESI models through a real case study sheds light on the practical application of ESI. In particular, the semiconductor manufacturing process is emphasized in addition to the general ESI focus on product development.