Involving suppliers in collaborative new product development: comparing large and small firms

The main purpose of this article is to investigate early supplier involvement (ESI) in collaborative new product development (CNPD). For that a comparative study between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large firms was implemented according to the generated innovation. It is based on an exploratory approach, based on case studies involving four firms that involve their suppliers in CNPD. Results show that ESI in CNPD takes place when large firms seek to differentiate their products and SMEs aim to increase their efficiency. The paper further shows the radical innovation promotes ESI in CNPD, both regarding SMEs and large firms. This study contributes to the body knowledge regarding the influence of radical innovation in early supplier involvement in CNPD, by adding a comparative perspective between SMEs and large firms.