Biemans, W.G. (1991). User and third-party involvement in developing medical equipment innovations. Technovation, (April), 13-181.

Format: Peer-reviewed article

Type: Research — Non-experimental

Experience level of reader: Fundamental

Annotation: The study reports the operation of networks of manufacturers, users and third parties in various stages of the NPD process. While manufacturers and users evidenced high levels of collaboration, the study found that third parties performed key activities in two-thirds of the cases studied.

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: Consumers, Manufacturers

Knowledge user level addressed by the literature: Organization

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

• Distribution of collaboration during the Trial Production and Market Planning stages was manufacturer involvement (100%), user involvement (0%) and third-party involvement (21%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 7.12, Step 7.10

• The article divided forms of participation into a six point scale from use of the partner as a reference to joint performance on specific activities. The diagram of this spread shows that the involvement of all outside parties increases from reference to joint performance in a steady line as the project progresses from ideation to testing.
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.

• Distribution of collaboration during the Product Launch Planning stage was manufacturer involvement (100%), user involvement (46%) and third-party involvement (69%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 8.1

• Distribution of collaboration during Concept Generation stage was manufacturer involvement (94%), user involvement (71%) and third-party involvement (59%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 4.2

• Distribution of collaboration during Market Assessment stage was manufacturer involvement (82%), user involvement (53%) and third-party involvement (35%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 2.2

• Distribution of collaboration during Field Testing stage was manufacturer involvement (100%), user involvement (79%) and third-party involvement (69%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 6.3

• Distribution of collaboration during Product Ideation was manufacturer involvement (47%), user involvement (59%) and third-party involvement (41%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 1.3

• Distribution of collaboration during Technical Development stage was manufacturer involvement (94%), user involvement (9%) and third-party involvement (29%).
  Case study of seventeen medical equipment innovations marketed by 13 Dutch firms.
  Occurrence of finding within the model: Step 5.1