Project Experience

Manufacturing…Information Technology Can Impact the New Product Development Process

Client Situation
Information Technology is used in manufacturing companies in many forms. One, in particular, is the use of design tools. Our client wanted to better understand a competitor's new product development process. The knowledge of design tools is a dead giveaway to the design process. Fuld & Company has extensive expertise in this area as the Director of the Manufacturing practice is a former engineer and well versed in various design tools.

Fuld Approach
Our approach to this problem began by understanding the technology tools that the competitor used to perform its design work. We collected information on the types of tools used and the number of licenses involved. We learned which versions of the software as well as which bundled modules they had purchased. From that point on, it was fairly easy to speak with various suppliers, shop personnel, engineering personnel and so forth to learn the details of the process.

Benefits and Implications
We shed light on the extent of the work performed, the types of engineers the company required, and the timeframe for new product development. In addition, our research helped our client begin to understand how streamlined the new product development process was within the competitor organization. For more information on the use of Information Technology and NPD process studies as well as the use of ecommerce in the manufacturing industry, contactnbulger@fuld.com.