Nijssen, E.J., Arbouw, A.R.L., & Commandeur, H.R. (2003). Accelerating New Product Development: A Preliminary Empirical Test of a Hierarchy of Implementation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 12(2), 99-109.

Format: Peer-reviewed article

Type: Research — Non-experimental

Experience level of reader: Fundamental

Annotation: The purpose of this study was to test the validity of the hierarchical model of accelerating new product development designed by Milson, Raj, and Wilemon. Specifically the researchers wanted to test whether following the order of the methods was important to the success of the company and the product.

Setting(s) to which the reported activities/findings are relevant: Large business, Small business (less than 500 employees)

Knowledge user(s) to whom the piece of literature may be relevant: Manufacturers, Researchers

Knowledge user level addressed by the literature: Sector

This article uses the Commercial Devices and Services version of the NtK Model

Model: Speeding up the new product development process can leave a company without financial results when no attention is payed to the order of implementation of methods. Implementing the different methods in the sequence suggested by the Millson et al. hierarchy should be worthwhile. This will lead not only to a faster NPD process but to a better financial performance at both the product and company level.
There is a strong positive relationship between the hierarchy of implementation of acceleration methods, and product and company level performance.

Model: In their article on major approaches for accelerating NPD, Million et al. distinguish five clusters of these methods. The clusters are: simplify, eliminate steps, parallel processing, eliminate delays, and speed-up. Millson et al. propose that the implementation of these clusters of acceleration methods should be done in the order presented, and that management should implement all clusters. (Millson, M. R., Raj, S. P. and Wilemon, D. [1992])