Jeff Kinney’s hit children’s book series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, was first released in 2007 and is still rolling out installments each year. In this hilarious series filled with engaging text and cartoons, readers tag alongside Greg Heffley, a middle schooler who documents his imperfect family and school life. An instant success because of its relatable humor, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has also raked in millions of dollars from its movie franchise. This is a prime example of successful new product development (NPD).

When you run a business, you constantly have to be on the go because there are so many companies out there trying to outdo your products, services, and efforts. But what is the answer to your long-awaited success? How do you get your customers to come back to you year after year, as Jeff Kinney does with his devoted readers? 

Today, we’re going to discuss the ins and outs of the NPD process, an effective method that can accelerate innovation, bring new ideas and designs to market, and propel you to success.

What is the NPD process?

Let’s get right into the secret sauce! The NPD process is a systematic approach to developing and launching new products or services. It consists of a series of stages that you must carefully plan and execute with precision. If you’re ready to accelerate innovation, follow these steps:

1. Idea generation: What is the specific market need or problem that your business aims to solve? To answer this question, you can hold brainstorming sessions, conduct market research, and gather customer feedback. Be creative and think outside the box!
2. Feasibility analysis: Next, evaluate each idea for its feasibility — this means technical, financial, and market viability. You should have a complete picture of each idea’s potential risks and rewards before you devote a significant portion of your resources to it.
3. Concept development: Once a feasible idea is identified, think over the product’s key features and benefits. Now is not the time to be vague, as you need to have a refined concept that aligns with customer expectations and is backed up by product specifications and market research. 
4. Prototype creation and testing: Start building and testing a physical prototype. Verify that it meets the desired performance and functionality requirements. This stage will give you an idea of what needs a bit of tinkering before you move full speed ahead to designing your actual product.
5. Product design and development: With an approved prototype in hand, it’s time to create a final product design, which comes with specifications, materials, and manufacturing processes. For the product to function well and be visually appealing, you need your design teams, engineers, and suppliers to frequently collaborate.
6. Market testing: Next, your product will be launched in a controlled market environment so that potential customers can review it and offer feedback. You need to know how your product performs in a real-world setting so that you can make some final adjustments.
7. Commercialization: If the market testing is successful, your product is ready for full-scale production and market launch. During this final stage, your business will set up production processes, establish distribution channels, and execute marketing strategies.

The long-term benefits 

Want to know how the NPD process can help you out in the long run? Read on for the benefits:

• Market leadership: Continuously introducing innovative products positions your company as a market leader, attracting the attention and interest of potential customers.
• Brand differentiation: Innovative products help your business stand out from your competitors. Bonus points if the media and press begin talking about your company! 
• Revenue growth: As you expand your product portfolios, your organization will enjoy increased sales and revenue. Everyone can rejoice, customers and employees alike.
• Customer loyalty: While your clients wait for the newest or improved version of their favorite product, word will spread about your awesome and reliable company.

Strategies to accelerate innovation with NPD

Innovation is the driving force behind the NPD process. You can transform innovative ideas into more efficient and user-friendly products and services. Then, your company will be in a prime position to disrupt industries, unlock new markets, and come out on top of the competition.

Let’s take a look at several strategies that can accelerate innovation within NPD. 

Adopt Agile methodologies

Agile methodologies, widely used in software development, can be applied to the NPD process to shorten development cycles and boost team collaboration.

• Agile approaches are known for their handy sprints, which call for breaking down any process into smaller, more manageable tasks. Think of these sprints as milestones or check-in points for your team. By the end of each sprint, you should have a working draft or version of your final product. Depending on how your team has done with the current sprint, you can adjust when planning future ones. 
• Agile methodologies promote cross-functional collaboration so that workers from different departments and disciplines can come together and bounce ideas off each other. Because everybody has access to diverse perspectives and specialties, the chances of coming up with and creating a groundbreaking product are higher. 

Leverage technology

Technology almost always improves the business process. Thanks to continual advancements, today’s organizations have access to computer-aided design (CAD) software and rapid prototyping.  

• CAD software lets designers craft and modify their product designs with remarkable speed and precision. Instead of relying on hand-drawn documentation, various departments can use this software to quickly create 2D and 3D sketches and layouts of their targeted product. Not only does this speed up the product design phase, it also decreases the amount of errors. 
• Rapid prototyping techniques, which involve the creation of physical models of a product using 3D printing or similar tools, let businesses test and validate their ideas before starting full-time production. For instance, if there are any major design flaws, adjustments can be made so that all customer expectations can be met.

How to measure the impact of accelerated innovation

Now it’s time to measure the impact of accelerated innovation in the NPD process. You want to keep your momentum by evaluating your effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement. For instance, these key performance indicators (KPIs) can tell you how your business is performing:

• Time to market: The time it takes for a product to go from concept to market launch
• Product success rate: The percentage of products launched that achieve their sales and profitability targets
• Customer satisfaction: The level of customer satisfaction with the new products or services
• Return on investment (ROI): The financial return generated by the new products compared to the investment made

How to overcome challenges 

While innovation is indeed an important part of the NPD process, integrating it effectively is not always smooth sailing. Some common obstacles include:

• Cultural resistance: Companies that are traditionally risk-averse are cautious and struggle to embrace and implement innovative ideas. Because of a fear of failure and the unknown, these organizations can lose out on their chance to create something unforgettable. Therefore, companies with this mindset must create a culture that encourages experimenting. Don’t be afraid of failing when you try new things and celebrate your successes any chance that you get. 
• Resource constraints: Nothing comes for free, and certainly not innovation. Going all in on innovation often calls for a significant investment in research, development, and testing. Since this can hold back companies with limited resources, try to allocate what you have with the goal of improvement in mind. For example, hire and retain talented employees and give them access to state-of-the-art facilities and technologies.
• Technological limitations: Technology is not some miracle that fell out of the sky. It took time to develop; similarly, new and disruptive ideas may require technologies that are not yet fully developed or readily available. Because this can cause issues in terms of feasibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, your business can choose to collaborate with external partners (e.g., research institutions or technology providers) to get hold of the desired expertise and resources.
• Market uncertainty: As awesome as you think your product or service is, there is never a guarantee that it will be well received by customers. Since your innovative products can face uncertainty when launched, don’t hesitate to revamp your marketing tactics. Conduct thorough market research, gather client feedback, and execute a robust marketing strategy that effectively communicates why your innovative solution will make your customers’ lives better.

Future trends in NPD and innovation

Last but not least, thanks to the advancements in technology and the ever-shifting market, certain developments in the NPD process are predicted to arise:

• Increased collaboration: NPD will become more collaborative, with cross-functional teams working together from the early stages of product development. The more hands on deck, the better!
• Embracing sustainability: As businesses prioritize environmental and social responsibility, customers will flock to companies that best align with their values. In addition to having the best product, you must also do the least harm to the environment.
• Growth of Agile methodologies: Agile methodologies will become more popular, as they allow for faster and more flexible product development. Surely, Scrum and Kanban are here to stay.

Additionally, the future holds exciting possibilities for several technologies in the NPD process:

• Internet of things (IoT): IoT technologies will allow for interconnected and smart products that enhance user experiences to gain popularity
• Artificial intelligence (AI): AI will make product development and decision making run more smoothly, as they streamline processes and improve efficiency
• Virtual and augmented reality: VR and AR will revolutionize product prototyping and testing, paving the way for immersive experiences and real-time feedback

Use Wrike to accelerate innovation

A fantastic way to accelerate business innovation, the NPD process is not something that your organization would want to skip over. 

With Wrike, you can manage your NPD processes, see how your project is doing, and collaborate with your team more effectively.

Besides being a one-stop shop for companies looking to innovate, Wrike offers a range of features designed to make your product launches a seamless success. 

• Kanban boards to see how your prototypes and product designs are progressing
• Gantt charts to keep everybody on track with project deadlines
• Proofing and approval software to speed up the design review process

Ready to accelerate your innovation and drive your business growth? Start your free trial of Wrike today.