Week 2 -Discussion 1 - Business Operations - Due Today by 9pm CST

Week 2 Discussion

Discussion 1: Product Development Process

This week’s content has discussed cross-functional product development and process selection. You have read about how new product development is influenced by the design process and the design tools selected. Two processes for product development were presented: the sequential process and the concurrent process. Each method has advantages and disadvantages that managers need to consider when developing a new product. Recall that operations is responsible for supplying the product or service of the organization and, in order to most efficiently and effectively supply the product, operations managers need to understand the product development options.

Post by Day 3 a 250- to 300-word statement that addresses the following questions about the product development process options:

• What steps in the sequential product development process are similar to the concurrent product development process? What steps are different?
• Which product development process is more efficient and effective for developing products and services that are well aligned with market expectations and why?

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to two or more of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and the insights you gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Be sure to support your work with specific reference citations from the Learning Resources and any additional sources you consulted. All references must be cited in APA format in an alphabetized list of references at the end of your summary post.

Readings

• Schroeder, R. G., Goldstein, S. M., & Rungusanatham, M. J. (2013). Operations management in the supply chain: Decisions and cases(6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
  • Chapter 3, “Product Design” (pp. 42–60)
  • Chapter 4, “Process Selection” (pp. 62–85)
    
    Chapters 3 and 4 cover what is involved in new product development. Chapter 3 examines each phase of the product development process, including strategies to ensure that the consumer is getting the product that best satisfies their needs and expectations for the lowest possible price. You also will learn the importance of selecting the best process for actually producing a product. Chapter 4 outlines five different product flow processes and demonstrates how the choice of the best process is tied to the characteristics of the product being manufactured.
    
    Focus on the cross-functional product design and the different combinations of product flow processes. Review and think about the examples and anecdotes provided in the chapters that illustrate the major ideas being conveyed. What is the difference between a sequential and a concurrent approach to product design? What factors need to be considered when selecting the best process for a particular product? Ask yourself how these issues change if your organization is multinational. Consider the additional challenges of developing new products in a global marketplace.

Optional Resources

• Schroeder, R. G., Goldstein, S. M., & Rungtusanatham, M. J. (2013). Operations management in the supply chain (6th ed.). Retrieved from
  http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073525243/student_view0/index.html