Operations and Supply Management

Many companies thrive off of the development of a new or innovative product, but have we ever taken a look at the steps behind the creation of this product? Chapter 3 of our text discusses six phases which begin with the planning of a product or service and end with the production ramp up, or the testing of this product with a select few individuals prior to widespread distribution.

According to Jacobs & Chase, Phase 0 is the planning stage. During this phase, a strategy is implemented and by completion of phase 0, a target market has been identified.

Phase 1 is the concept development phase during which the form, function and features of the product are defined.

Phase 2, the system level design focuses on the final assembly for the system of production. The culmination of this phase ends with a process flow diagram for assembly.

Phase 3 is the detail design phase. Once the specifications have been worked out, a marketing plan is developed.

Phase 4 is known as the testing and refinement phase. During this phase, field testing is performed and any design changes are implemented. Additionally, a sales plan is developed.

Phase 5 is the final phase and known as the production ramp up. It is in this final phase that companies can perform dry runs during which they release the product to a few key individuals and monitor any issues which then are resolved prior to widespread production and distribution.

“People think of product development as a purely creative process, but in fact it is a process that involves specific steps, documentation, and improvement. This approach facilitates to: (1) make the decision process explicit, (2) ensures that all important issues are included in the discussions, and (3) structured processes are usually well documented, which helps as a future reference and to train new team members,” ("What Is Product Development

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