Critical success factors affecting efficient management of the new product implementation process at research organisations

Abstract

Purpose: Identification and selection of a set of critical success factors for a research organisation based on the evaluation conducted by managers of new product development processes at such organisations. Determination of factors that are of the utmost importance at the pre-development stage (so-called fuzzy front-end stage) and verification of the obtained results based on the case study of a successful new product implementation. Design/method/approach: First, desk research was conducted, followed by a survey and a case study analysis. Conclusions: The adequacy of the identified set of factors was confirmed (applicability of 90% of the selected factors was recognised). A number of additional success determinants of the new product development (NPD) process were specified. The importance of planning, tactical and organisational measures taken at the fuzzy front-end stage of the NPD process was confirmed. The crucial importance of identifying and verifying NPD process critical success factors was demonstrated. Research limitations/implications: Possibility to expand the set of critical success factors for a research organisation, verification of the adequacy of the developed set based on other cases and types of technological solutions. Practical implications: The study can serve as a reference for research organisations