In todays industries, New Product Development (NPD) is often the focal
point of competition. Companies that are able effectively to develop,
produce and introduce new products are the key competitors in markets
where variety and time-to-market play an increasingly important role.
This examination into the organisation of Integrated Product Development
aims to answer the question: Which integration mechanisms lead to
effective co-ordination and overlap of New Product Development
activities in which situations? The mechanisms, strat egies and goals,
knowledge and skills, and organisational arrangements are presented, and
their impact on the results of NPD projects and relationships is
discussed. An in-depth understanding of the background and theory is
provided, using detailed case s tudies to illustrate both the human and
organisational issues in practice.